Taylor Berg helps spark Marist past Loyola
Junior outside hitter Taylor Berg is always ready to guard and serve for Marist.
It also runs in his family. Berg’s father, Larry, is a firefighter. His brother, Carter, is a police officer. One grandfather was a police officer, the other a firefighter. The list is long.
But Taylor wants to go even further.
“I wanted to be a first responder since I was little,” she said before explaining her career goal. “I want to be an FBI agent. I want to be in the field.”
For now, this field is a volleyball court. The Western Michigan recruit continues to aim high, tallying seven kills and 11 digs Tuesday night in a 25-14, 25-15 non-conference victory over Loyola.
Michigan freshman Maggie Kurpeikis, the team’s other junior outside hitter, added eight kills and two blocks for host Marist (22-4) in Chicago. Freshman setter Haven Enselman had 20 assists.
The Ramblers (15-10), the only Illinois team to beat Mother McAuley this season, were their own worst enemy. Loyola ended up with more hitting errors than wins, with 13 errors and 12 kills.
At the same time, the 5-foot-9 Berg was making a powerful punch on his swings. She wants to enjoy the offensive game as long as she can, with Western Michigan recruiting her on defense.
So, the rest of this year and next season, she looks to make the most of her opportunities.
“I love hitting,” Berg said. “It gives me so much adrenaline. When I swing, I always want to put the ball down. I’m a very aggressive person and I love to hit.”
Her coaches and teammates also love it when she gets hit.
“She has a spark that we know,” Marist coach Jordan Vidovic said of Berg. “She has a very athletic, quick twitch. Obviously she can do some things in the front row.
“But at the college level, she’s a different beast. I think a lot of her overall athletic ability is why they view her as such an effective defensive player. She can cover ground so quickly.”
But as defending Class 4A state champion Marist, Vidovic said her vertical ability and explosiveness also made her valuable on offense.
Kurpeikis, for her part, knows when she moves to the back row that the RedHawks are still in good hands.
“I love having Taylor on the team because we push each other a lot,” Kurpeikis said. “We play the same position and it’s great. She has a great shooting toolbox and she’s great at receiving serve.”
Several talented seniors graduated from last year’s state championship team. This gave Berg a chance to shine this year, and she jumped at the opportunity.
“She took on bigger responsibilities playing in the front and back rows,” Vidovic said. “She’s taking on a lot more of the load for us and she’s getting more comfortable with the game to do that.”
In college, Berg plans to hone her skills on the Broncos volleyball court while learning the ins and outs of a potential career with the FBI by majoring in criminal justice.
Interestingly, Western Michigan is a women’s volleyball team that she watched growing up.
“I always came to the Western Michigan-Green Bay game here at Marist,” she said of the spring exhibition games. “I think I started watching them when I was in third grade, so I knew who Western Michigan was. Once I started the recruiting process, the coaches were very positive.
“I emailed them. They responded and wanted to talk to me. I visited them and I love it here.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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