Butler's Taylor Welter to play volleyball at Fairmont St.
BUTLER TWP — Butler girls volleyball coach Meghan Lucas doesn't keep track of such things.
In this case, she doesn't have to.
“Taylor Welter is one of the best players to come through our program,” Lucas declared.
Now Welter — a four-year starter for the Golden Tornado — is headed to Fairmont State University in Fairmont, W.Va. to continue her academic and volleyball career. She plans to major in elementary school education.
She looked at some schools in Florida, along with Slippery Rock University, but described her choice as “pretty clear.”
“Fairmont State just stood out for me,” Welter said. “I love the team. The girls are tremendous and I'm looking forward to playing there.”
The Falcons are 21-9 this season, 11-5 in Mountain East Conference play, and are seeded No. 2 in the MEC East for the conference tournament. Travis Hinkle is a first-year head coach, coming over from Notre Dame (Ohio).
“She made a great choice,” Lucas said of Welter. “Fairmont is one of the most competitive teams in their league. Taylor's skill set should allow her to compete down there fairly quickly.”
Welter tallied 720 kills, 364 digs and 43 blocks as a four-year outside hitter for the Golden Tornado.
“Definitely an anchor on our team during her entire time with us,” Lucas said. “People get caught up in wins and losses, whether a team makes the playoffs or not, but we've got six girls (from Butler volleyball) playing in college right now.
“That's something we're pretty proud of.”
Fairmont State had two players make first team All-MEC this season — outside hitter Julia DiPaola and Lilianna Keber — and both are seniors. Karli Edwards made the league's all-freshmen team with 246 digs while junior hitter Keara Lewis made honorable mention with 249 kills and 269 points.
“My goal is to play there,” Welter said. “I know I have to become a better athlete at the next level. That's the challenge in front of me.
“Of course, I'm there to get my education. But I definitely want to play there for four years and contribute to the team's success.”
The Falcons have put together three consecutive winning seasons. The 2020 team went 10-3 overall, 8-2 in league play, and won the MEC East Division title before dropping the conference title match to Wheeling.
“I know Taylor is going to be excellent down there,” Lucas said. “She is a natural leader and she will fit in nicely with their program.
“We'll miss her, for sure. Players like her are hard to replace.”
