The 2023-24 season will be Taylor Hammond's second on the Triton coaching staff.
A former Penn State standout, Hammond came to UC San Diego in November of 2022.
Hammond brings an impressive coaching and playing resume to La Jolla.
In June of 2023, Hammond was named an assistant coach with the United States U21 Team for the 2023 NORCECA Pan American Cup in Havana, Cuba.
Prior to joining the Triton staff, Hammond served as the top assistant as well as the recruiting coordinator at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, Calif. The Pirates won a state championship in 2022.
In the spring of 2021, Hammond was a volunteer assistant with the Auburn University women's volleyball program.
Hammond has coached at several clubs and high schools in Orange County, including Balboa Bay and 949 Athletics on the club side as well as Dana Hills High School (2017-20), El Toro High School (2019-20), and Santa Margarita High School (2018).
A four-year starting setter for Penn State, Hammond was a four-time All-Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) selection and was the conference Newcomer of the Year in 2013. The Nittany Lions won four EIVA titles and advanced to the NCAA National Collegiate Championships three times. In Hammond’s final season, he was ranked No. 1 in the EIVA and No. 5 in the NCAA with his average of 11.04 assists per set.
Hammond graduated from Penn State in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in communications arts and sciences.
Following graduation, Hammond played professionally in Germany. With Netzhoppers of Königs Wusterhausen, he reached the semifinals of the German Cup and was twice honored as a match MVP.
A 2011 graduate of Santa Margarita High School, Hammond led the school to four-straight Trinity League championships and two Orange County titles. He was a three-time All-Trinity League First Team performer and was the league's MVP in 2011. Also that year, Hammond was an All-CIF First Team pick and Second Team All-American.
Hammond also competed with Balboa Bay Volleyball Club and won three Junior Nationals titles while earning two all-tournament team selections.
Hammond is from Mission Viejo in Orange County.
