Prospect Spotlight: Taylor Raiola (2020)

<p>You can’t teach size.</p> <p>But, you can teach how to overcome a lack of size.</p> <p><strong>Taylor Raiola</strong>, a class of 2020 outside hitter, isn’t tiny at 6-foot-0, but she knows she is lacking in the size department if she hopes to play at the college level at her desired position.</p> <p>When looking for inspiration for overcoming the odds, she doesn’t have to look far.</p> <p>Her father, Dominic Raiola, spent 14 years playing in the National Football League as a center for the Detroit Lions despite being given the “under-sized” label throughout his amateur career.</p> <p>“My dad was always under-sized, especially for playing in the NFL. On days that I struggle with thinking that I am too short or too small to play at a high level, he always reminds me of the hills he had to climb,” Raiola said. “He knows exactly what it is like to be under-sized but to still work hard and be able to standout despite his size. He really pushes me, encourages me and believes in me.”</p> <p>Dominic has taken on the role of being a strength and conditioning coach for Taylor as she tries to land her first college offer. The NFL veteran stood 6-1 and weighed under 300 pounds when first joining the league.</p> <p>“His father really pushed him hard and it made him a better athlete and person in the long run,” Taylor said of her dad. “He pushes me hard, but he knows this is what I want and he’s doing what he can to help.”</p> <p>Size has been a factor in Raiola’s play since she began competing in volleyball. Starting as a child in Hawaii, Raiola learned about the importance of effort to combat size.</p> <p>“I grew up in Hawaii and was on a team that was kind of small, so we really had to rely on our hustle to win,” Raiola said. “That is something that has really stuck with me. I am not going to watch a ball fall without giving my best effort to get to it.”</p> <p>Raiola’s skills were on display this past fall when she was part of a talented Pontiac Notre Dame Prep squad that won the Class B state championship.</p> <p>Playing alongside Class of 2019 standout hitters <strong>Madeline Chinn</strong> (Purdue) and <strong>Natalie Risi</strong> (Ball State), Raiola played middle and outside for the Irish and finished the 2018 season with 337 kills while hitting .429. She also tallied 92 aces with 280 service points, 129 blocks and 338 digs.</p> <p>“I definitely grew a lot more as a team player. Coach (Betty) Wroubel made sure that none of us were above our team and everyone was equal,” Raiola said of how she improved last fall. “Our team had amazing chemistry and I think our chemistry is what led us to the state championship.”</p> <p>A member of the Legacy Volleyball 16-Elite team during club season, Raiola will be making a move in the fall of 2018, as she is now enrolled at Bloomfield Hills High School. There she will join nationally-ranked Class of 2020 setter, <strong>Alexa Rousseau </strong>(Northwestern).</p> <p>“Bloomfield Hills has a lot of talent at all the positions and I am hoping that I can just add to that and really help solidify the team chemistry from what I learned at Notre Dame,” Raiola said. “I know how important chemistry on the floor is, so I just want to bring my energy and help my team have fun and play as a group.”</p> <p>Raiola will get to see plenty of time on the floor with the Black Hawks and continue to be a hitter. However, she knows she needs to continue to develop as a passer to give herself the best chance to play at the Division 1 level in college.</p> <p>“I have aspirations to play at a bigger college and I know to do that, I will probably have to go as a DS, so improving my passing is something I am really focused on,” Raiola said. “Being under-sized, that will be the likely position for me unless my jump improves drastically. I think I have improved in my passing, but it can always get better.”</p>