Taylor Hills returns to Oceanside Collegiate Academy as an assistant girls volleyball coach after a standout playing career with the Landsharks followed by four seasons of NCAA Division II volleyball at Coker University.
For Hills, joining the OCA coaching staff represents a return to the program that helped shape her as a student-athlete. She was a four-year varsity starter for the Landsharks from 2017 through 2020 and was part of an OCA program that reached the Class AAA state championship match in three consecutive seasons from 2018-20.
Hills earned Class AAA All-Region recognition in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and capped her high school career with an impressive collection of honors as a senior. She was named to the 2020 All-State Team, earned first-team All-Lowcountry recognition and was selected to the All-Tournament Team.
Her impact at Oceanside extended beyond the volleyball court. Hills was active in Student Council and the Beach Volleyball Ambassadors Program and participated in yearbook. During her senior year, she served as OCA's student body president.
Following graduation from Oceanside, Hills continued her volleyball career at Coker University in Hartsville, South Carolina. She appeared in 17 matches as a freshman in 2021, recording 52 kills, 34 digs and five blocks while earning a spot on the South Atlantic Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll.
Her role continued to grow during the 2022 season, when she appeared in 24 matches and registered 149 kills, 122 digs, 22 service aces and 16 blocks while handling 407 receptions. Hills again earned SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll recognition after posting a 3.80 GPA.
In 2023, Hills appeared in 19 matches for the Cobras, recording 109 kills, 57 digs and 12 blocks while receiving SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll recognition for a third consecutive year. She concluded her collegiate career as a team captain during the 2024 season, serving as a liaison between teammates, coaches and athletic administrators while helping foster standards of accountability, communication and performance within the program.
Hills' leadership at Coker also extended across campus. She served as vice president of the university's chapter of Morgan's Message, helping lead mental health awareness and advocacy initiatives through workshops, speakers and campus events. She also served as Membership and Recruiting Director for Coker's Campus Activities Board, coordinating recruitment and outreach initiatives and assisting with campus-wide programming.
Her experience working with younger volleyball players began well before entering the coaching ranks. From 2019 through 2023, Hills worked as a summer camp counselor with Palmetto Strikers Volleyball Club in Mount Pleasant, gaining additional experience in player development, instruction and team leadership.
Hills earned her bachelor's degree in Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies from Coker in 2024.
As an assistant coach at Oceanside Collegiate Academy, Hills brings the Landsharks a perspective few coaches can offer. She understands the OCA volleyball program as a former player, knows firsthand what it takes to transition from high school to NCAA competition and returns to her alma mater with an opportunity to help develop the next generation of Landshark volleyball players.
