Rhodes Athletic Hall of Fame
When Coach Sarah Hatgas recruited Taylor Tarver, she knew Rhodes was getting a player with a strong tennis background. Taylor’s brother Estes was then at Rhodes and was an outstanding player. Nao Kinoshita had just won Rhodes’ first-ever NCAA Division III singles title in May 1995 as a sophomore, so Coach Hatgas felt very good about the #1 singles position on the team. What was missing was a doubles partner for Nao. Then along came Taylor Tarver and the doubles team was complete.
Taylor Tarver and Nao Kinoshita won the 1997 NCAA Division III doubles title, becoming Rhodes’ first doubles team to win a national championship. “Taylor’s doubles instincts, combined with her great touch volleys, were the key to their success in the final two matches. Because of the physical demands on Nao playing both singles and doubles, Taylor knew she must elevate her game for the team to get through the early rounds. Her tennis in the national tournament was amazing,” said Coach Hatgas.
Taylor played #1 doubles and #2 singles from 1995-97, then she played #1 singles her senior year. Taylor was a great singles player in her own right. She earned All Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference honors each of her four years at Rhodes. During her senior year she was ranked #38 in the nation and earned an invitation to the NCAA Division III singles tournament.
When Taylor wasn’t winning national championships, she found time to be a Dean’s List and Honor Roll student in Economics and Mathematics. Taylor’s academic accomplishments earned her entry to the Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Epsilon societies. For her academic and tennis success, she was named NCAA Academic All American from 1995-98.
As Coach Hatgas so fondly stated, “the tennis success Taylor achieved was truly outstanding, but even more important, Taylor was just a neat person to have on your team. We had a blast.” For her accomplishments on the courts and in the classroom, it is an honor for Rhodes College to induct MEREDITH TAYLOR TARVER to the Rhodes Athletic Hall of Fame this 3rd day of October, 2008.
