Friday night’s match against Michigan State will bring senior co-captain Taylor Lebo’s collegiate career full circle.
In the libero’s freshman year at IU, the only major Big Ten opponent the Hoosiers defeated was Michigan State — the No. 10 team in the country at the time — which gave the young Lebo a reason to smile.
Lebo may smile even wider Friday night when she’s presented with the game ball prior to the opening serve to honor her for becoming the 13th player in IU history to surpass 1,000 digs.
She currently sits at 10th all-time in program history with 1,031 digs and is one of just four players in school history who rank in the top 10 in both career digs and career aces.
“There are a lot of different things that motivate me, but it’s more my experiences in general,” Lebo said. “I’m in my head. I’m the one that’s controlling my body language and what I’m thinking about. It’s mostly me that motivates me, but when my team is playing well, it motivates me to be better. It also helps when you have great fans here and a great family that is my support system back home.”
At times, her family has blended with her volleyball career. In high school, Lebo’s mother coached her and first taught her to be grateful for the sport, then how to manage the passion and play.
Despite being grateful for the sport, the 5-foot-9 Lebo plays with a few chips on her shoulder. She never let her height get in the way of her success, nor did she let the words of her former club coach, who said she would never serve in the Big Ten. With 29 thus far this season, the senior trails only Ohio State’s Taylor Hughes in the Big Ten in number of service aces.
“I want to thank my old club coach for making me mad and for me using that as the fuel to my fire,” Lebo said. “I will never forget that. You shouldn’t let someone tell you that you can’t do anything.”
Lebo credits former Hoosier teammates Caitlin Hansen and Courtney Harnish for pushing her to put in the extra effort that eventually led to her making her mark in IU’s record book. The pair helped her develop mentally and gain the motivation to get in the gym for more reps.
Senior co-captain Megan Tallman said she and Lebo complement each other really well, which helps on the court. The two have been classmates since the day they enrolled at IU, were roommates for two years and now live only about 50 steps from each other.
Tallman praises her co-captain for being a perfect and positive role model for the team’s six freshmen.
“The passion that she has for the game seeps through in everything that she does,” Tallman said. “The way she talks about the game, the way she plays, the energy that she puts in at practice every single day, and the way that she steps out onto the court the same way every single time is really a model of what the freshmen want to see, and it’s what we want them to do in the long run.”
IU Coach Sherry Dunbar-Kruzan refuses to understate the importance of Lebo to the IU volleyball program.
Dunbar-Kruzan sees Lebo as someone who is passionate about the game, a great all-around volleyball player and dedicated member of the IU program.
“We are going to miss her when she’s gone because she truly loves the game,” Dunbar-Kruzan said. “Sometimes when you play the game this long, some people lose that passion, and then it becomes a job. I don’t think Taylor ever loses the passion to walk into a gym and play volleyball, and that’s all you can ask for.”
Dunbar-Kruzan said she notices Lebo always tries to find solutions, that her demeanor never changes, that she only gets frustrated at herself and always thinks there is a way to win in anything she does.
The co-captain has performed numerous roles for the Hoosiers in her time at IU. She's lined up at outside hitter, defensive specialist and libero, all in an effort to help her squad win.
“Taylor is a fiery, fiery person, so you know when she is on the court,” Tallman said. “You know when something good happens because you see Taylor jumping up and down. You hear her very distinct voice and you know when she’s excited. There’s definitely a different feeling when she’s off the court for the few points that she is.”
