Taylor Kushner is Turning First-Time Players Into Lifelong Teammates

When Coach Taylor Kushner created the Soka men’s volleyball program from scratch in the fall of 2024, most of the team members had never played volleyball before. None of them had expected to play collegiately. But Kushner wasn’t fazed.

“They were so bought in,” she said. “It didn’t matter what the scores were, they were ready to get back in the gym and get better. That’s all you can ask for as a coach.” For Kushner, success for the athletes she coaches means setting small, achievable goals and fostering an environment in which they feel supported by their coaches and teammates and can learn from their mistakes.

Now in its second season, the team secured its first victory in January, defeating Rochester Christian, 3-2. And teammates have coined their own term to describe how they encourage each other: it’s called having “electric bench energy.”

It means “being each other’s biggest hype man, no matter what the score is,” Kushner said. It’s about giving everyone credit for their contributions — not just the kill that wins the point, but the passes and sets from teammates that made it possible.

“We’re a family,” Kushner said, emphasizing that the team sticks together through thick and thin. As the team grows, she and Assistant Coach Patrick Villanueva are continuing to stress the importance of a positive team culture, not only for the benefit of current teammates, but also for future student-athletes.

“That’s what we’re really focusing on right now,” she said. “How do we set a foundation so that people want to be a part of Soka volleyball and continue building on that legacy?”

Kushner got her own start in volleyball as an eighth grader, when a middle school teacher she looked up to encouraged her to start playing. Until that point, she had played basketball, but she was ready for a new challenge. Volleyball gave her the chance to learn something different and push herself to build new skills.

Kushner strives to cultivate this growth mindset in Soka student-athletes, challenging them to get 1% better every day.

“I’m tough as a coach,” she said. “I push athletes to their limits … But they also know that I have their backs, on and off the court, no matter what. My door is always open. My phone is always on. I’m always the first person to clap for them or give them high fives.”

The invaluable mentorship and support Kushner received from her own club and college volleyball coaches inspired her to pursue a career making the same kind of impact in young athletes’ lives. She started her collegiate coaching career as an assistant coach at Mt. San Jacinto College and then as head women’s volleyball coach at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, California.

For many of the young women she coached on those teams, volleyball provided a chance to earn a scholarship to a four-year institution that they would not otherwise have the resources to access. Getting to know these women, Kushner was moved by their hard work and grit at practice and beyond. She saw many of them graduate with an associate’s degree, and she helped them transfer with scholarships to four-year universities.

“Players still reach out to me now, whether for a job recommendation, to invite me to their graduation, update me on life events, ask for advice, or just to say thank you,” she said. “And I don’t think there’s any better feeling than that. Seeing them overcoming all of their obstacles, starting their careers, or becoming parents — that is the most rewarding thing, knowing that you’ve made an impact on their lives.”

This year, the Lions welcomed Yuko Jitoho ’29, who hasn’t let the fact that a Soka women’s volleyball team is not yet available prevent her from dominating on the court. She was voted Team MVP by the opposing teams at the 2026 Showdown in the Woods Invitational hosted by Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Indiana — the first honor conferred on a Soka volleyball player for their athletic ability. The team also celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day in February, with players wearing pink tie-dyed shirts with the name of a woman in sports who inspires them written on the back.

On March 6, the team named the first conference home match of the season the Lucas Colombo Conference Home Opener, in honor of friend and classmate Lucas Colombo ’27, who died last spring. A seat in the front row of the newly designated student section was dedicated to Colombo as a loving tribute to his enthusiastic support of the men’s volleyball team.

“I think the players’ goals are really aligned with being good teammates and being close as a family,” Kushner said. Teammates frequently organize opportunities to bond, like team lunches or community outreach activities. For Soka volleyball players, growing as a team means engaging in service: they have helped out at Soka track meets and volunteered together at food banks and beach cleanups.

Kushner is proud of how far the team has come in just one season. She loves watching the moment something clicks for a player.

“They just look at you and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, I did it! I know what you were talking about,’” she said. “Those are really fun memories, watching them actually trust the process and see the results.”

The Lions are looking forward to the “Mane” Event on March 31, led by Gabriella de Paiva Barbosa Marttuci ’26 as part of the Senior Woman Leader x Junior Woman Leader Mentorship Program. At this home match against La Sierra University, Soka students are encouraged to show up to the new “Roar Zone” student section in their best lion mane, face paint, or lion-inspired outfits. The team will also host The Master’s University on April 7, which is Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night.

Kushner hopes the SUA community will continue to come out and cheer. The team, she said, is deeply grateful for the wholehearted support they’ve received from the stands.

“They are the biggest part of it all,” Kushner said. “We see them, we hear them, and we appreciate them more than they know.”