Utah Tech University Athletics

Career Awards and Milestones

• 2023 CSC Academic All-District selection
• 2022 Second Team All-WAC selection
• Three-time Academic All-WAC selection (2021-23)

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At Utah Tech 2023 (Redshirt Senior): Appeared in 24 matches ... played in 86 sets ... made 20 starts ... led the Trailblazers with 580 assists ... finished sixth in the WAC averaging 6.74 assists per set ... added 65 kills and tallied a .266 hitting percentage ... finished second on the team with 23 service aces for an average of 0.27 aces per set ... ranked fourth on the team with 163 digs averaging 1.90 digs per set ... added 18.0 blocks with one solo block and 17 block assists ... totaled a season-high 52 assists vs. Marshall (9/16) ... led the Blazers in assists in 17 matches ... set a career high with five service aces vs. Marshall (9/16) ... recorded seven matches with double-figure digs totaling a season high of 16 at Abilene Christian (10/7) ... went up for a season-best four blocks at Tarleton State (10/5) ... earned Academic All-WAC honors.

At Utah Tech 2022 (Senior): Earned Second Team All-WAC honors after she played in a team-high 89 sets and started in all 23 matches overall ... led the team with 759 assists and wound up third with 43 total blocks … posted a career-high .778 hitting percentage in a three set victory over Old Dominion (9/26) ... recorded career highs of 54 assists and 20 digs vs. UT Arlington (11/10) … tallied 217 digs … earned Academic all-WAC honors. 

At Utah Tech Fall 2021 (Junior): Played in 15 matches and finished with 13 kills, 156 assists and 54 digs … registered a career-high 36 assists and 11 digs against Southern Utah (9/17) … earned Academic all-WAC honors.

At Utah Tech Spring 2021 (Sophomore): Saw time in seven matches with three starts … registered three kills, 94 assists, 21 digs and six block assists in 17 sets … posted double figures in assists four times, highlighted by a career-high 35 dimes in a four-set win at Tarleton State (3/9) … also had two kills and notched a double-double in the Tarleton win with a career-best 10 digs … dished out 15 assists twice in road matches at New Mexico State (1/26) and at Grand Canyon (2/8). 
 
Before Utah Tech: Played one season at Snow College in the 2019 season and averaged nearly 5.2 assists and 1.7 digs per set ... started in 30 of 32 matches played ... tallied 20 or more assists 12 times, highlighted by a season-high 29 dimes in a five-set match at Salt Lake CC ... finished with 19 kills, 36 aces and 194 digs … won three varsity letters in volleyball at Copper Hills HS and helped lead the Grizzlies to a region crown in 2018 ... was a three-year team captain, earned Region MVP honors and was a three-time all-state selection ... also lettered in basketball and was a two-year varsity team captain and all-state pick ... 2017 CHHS Female Athlete of the Year … was a member of the National Honor Society and National High School Scholars Society ... named the 2017 Female Leadership Representative for CHHS ... earned academic all-state honors … played club volleyball for Club V. 

More on Taela: Born in Rexburg, Idaho ... parents are Atina and Jessica Laufiso ... both parents were former student-athletes at Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho) ... younger sister Mya is her Utah Tech teammate, and younger brother Kailer is a member of the Utah Tech football team … also recruited by Westminster College and Salt Lake CC … favorite team is the Utah Jazz … favorite athlete is Kobe Bryant … favorite singer is Chris Singleton … biggest influence as an athlete is her former high school teammate Roni-Jones Perry … currently majoring in English.

Why Taela chose Utah Tech: “I chose Utah Tech because I wanted to be a part of building a name for Utah Tech as the program transitioned from Division II to Division I. The team was known for their energy and passionate play and the coaches supported my same values.”