Maria Taylor Hyatt
Maria Taylor, is a basketball and volleyball analyst for ESPN. She also acts as a sideline reporter for select college football games.
Early Life
Maria was born on May 12, 1987. She attended High School at Centennial High School and had a successful four-year career that allowed her to receive many awards. Amongst the awards were being a member of the Atlanta Tip-Off Team of the Year, being a Fulton County Scholar Athlete of the Year, Offensive MVP of her High School volleyball team for three years, a three time All-Region Selection, and being named All-State as a senior. Taylor also got to be a member of the 2004 USA Volleyball Junior National A2 team.[1]
Maria received an athletic scholarship to the University of Georgia where she continued to play volleyball and basketball from 2005-2009. While at Georgia she was named a member of the All-SEC team each season. She also continued to play for the US Volleyball Junior National A2 team and helped them win a bronze medal during the Open Division of the US Volleyball Championships. [1] By the time her playing days were done in the fall of 2008, Taylor ranked fourth all-time in program history in career kills with 1,729 and was fourth all-time in total points with 2,020.0.[2]
Career
September 21, 2007 proved to be a day that would change Taylor's goal in life. Up until then Taylor had always thought she was destined to be a team physician. While Fox Sports South was covering a game in 2007, Taylor saw the broadcast and thought she could do it. Taylor changed her degree to journalism and began a life in broadcasting that has continued to this date.[2]
Shortly after graduation, Taylor's big chance came. CSS was looking for a new volleyball analyst, and Craig White, Georgia's athletic director, had recommended her. Taylor was hired on and became a regular for all CSS's volleyball broadcasts. Once volleyball season was over Taylor transitioned to the Georgia Bulldogs radio network and became one of the basketball analyst for their games. Taylor would remain with CSS and IMG until ESPN came calling in 2010.[2]
ESPN allowed Taylor's broadcasts to go national. Taylor would become a regular voice for ESPNU's college volleyball coverage, would cover SEC and Conference USA football games as the sideline reporter, and became an analyst for women's basketball games. Taylor can be found regularly as an analyst during ESPN's NCAA Women's Volleyball coverage, can be found doing college football games as a sideline reporter, and can be found as an analyst or a sideline reporter for ESPN's women's Basketball coverage through the Elite Eight. Maria is single. [3]