Meet Centerville volleyball player, senior Taite Calhoun
DAYTON, Ohio — Centerville High School (CHS) senior Taite Calhoun will soon find himself with some extra time on his hands. Sure, he鈥檒l be graduating later this month; but he will also conclude his second (and final) season with the CHS varsity boys鈥� volleyball team.
Active in a variety of sports throughout his youth鈥攊ncluding lacrosse, cross-country and basketball鈥擳aite fell in love with volleyball during middle school. 鈥淚 have played volleyball since 6th grade,鈥� Taite said, 鈥渁nd I鈥檝e played club volleyball since 8th grade.鈥� Club sports, often run outside of the regular season, are designed to deepen players鈥� skills and confidence, giving them a competitive edge.
That extra practice paid off, as Taite earned a spot on the CHS varsity team during his junior year. As with any varsity sport, it鈥檚 a big commitment: two hours per day, five days per week, plus games, during the Feb.-May season. Throw in the club season (Oct.-Feb.), and Taite is spending a lot of hours on the court!
Taite is a versatile player, covering a variety of positions. 鈥淐urrently I鈥檓 playing outside,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚 have played right side, middle and even libero in the past.鈥�
For those unfamiliar with the term, the libero position plays only in the back of the court (primarily in the middle).
Fellow player and 2022 CHS graduate Corey Holbrook was particularly helpful and inspirational. 鈥淓ven though a lot of things happened during his senior season that made it difficult for him to play, he always pushed through and gave it his all,鈥� Taite stated. 鈥淥ne of my best memories with Corey and the rest of the team is watching film and eating dinner before the state tournament last year.鈥�
After graduation, Taite will study health sciences at The Ohio State University, where he plans to try out for the club volleyball team.
The sport has given Taite more than simply a physical outlet. 鈥淲hat I have learned from volleyball is that you can never give up,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou will fail and fall short of your goals, but it is important that you continue to try and try.鈥�
EPND (Elk Pride Never Dies)!
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