High School
Three-year varsity letterwinner and team captain at Santa Margarita Catholic High in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. ... guided his high school team to four straight Trinity League Championships and two Orange County Championships and the 2011 Karch Kiraly Tournament of Championship Championship ... team was a finality in the 2011 Best of the West tournament and the 2011 CIF-SS ... was a three-time All-Trinity League First Team selection and the 2011 Trinity League MVP ... named an Orange Country Top 15 Sophomore and received the Coaches Award for Most Improved ... was a 2010 All-CIF Third Team pick and a 2011 All-CIF First team honoree ... earned 2011 Second Team All-America laurels ... was an all-tournament selection at the 2011 Best of the West and named the MVP at the Karch Kiraly Tournament of Champions ... played for the Balboa Bay Volleyball Club in Newport Beach, Calif. ... was a three-time gold medalist and two-time all-tournament team honoree at the Junior National Championships ... 2011 "Fab 50" selection ... was the 2010 California Beach Volleyball Association Youth Tour Points Champion ... was a 2010 CBVA State Champion.
Personal
Born Taylor Douglas Hammond on Oct. 27, 1992 in Mission Viejo, Calif. ... parents are Teresa and Doug Hammond ... has one sister, Dilynn (15) ... names beach volleyball and soccer as hobbies, Rise Against and Foo Fighters as favorite entertainers, math as favorite school subject, the L.A. Lakers as favorite professional sports team, Derek Fisher as favorite athlete, hamburger as favorite food, "The Road" as favorite book, "Seinfeld" and "Wilfred" as favorite TV shows, "Talladega Nights", "Big Daddy", "Anchorman" and "Step Brothers" as favorite movies, Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler and Mila Kunis as favorite actors and Hawaii as favorite place to visit ... his anticipated major is business.
Why Penn State?
"I chose Penn State because of the rich history of academic and athletic success."
