YELLOW
JACKETS
Ready for Her Close-up Attention shines on volleyball star Talisa Kellogg By Van Jensen Photography: Stanley Leary
The spotlight is focused on Talisa Kellogg during her senior season as the star outside hitter for the Georgia Tech volleyball team.
Shymansky calls Kellogg a "star" with "a magnetic personality."
But spotlights are nothing new for Kellogg. She grew up around the bright lights of TV crews, watching her dad, Clark Kellogg, work as a basketball analyst for ESPN and CBS Sports.
Kellogg is poised to claim school records in kills and block assists, but her focus is entirely on the team. Tech has an experienced group this year, with Kellogg and four other seniors leading the way.
While Clark Kellogg is known for basketball, having been a star at Ohio State and for the Indiana Pacers of the NBA and now broadcasting the NCAA men's tournament, Talisa says she opted instead for volleyball. "I didn't play basketball ever in my life," she says. "Never." On the volleyball court, her height and athleticism made her an all-state player at St. Francis DeSales High School in Columbus, Ohio, and her strong focus on academics — she finished with a 3.89 GPA — pushed her toward Georgia Tech. "I always loved Atlanta and loved the South," she says. "I loved the city, loved the school, loved the value of the degree. It was easy for me to pick." And once Kellogg was a Yellow Jacket, she had immediate success, being named an ACC All-Freshman team member after finishing the 2005 season with 457 kills. By her junior season she made the AII-ACC team. Volleyball coach Bond
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"She will be the pulse of our team," he says.
"We have five seniors on the floor, five seniors who can play," she says. "We've all been together since we were freshmen, seasoned together. We know how each other plays. It's our year. We have to lead the team." With that experience, the team has high expectations. "One thing we've got to do is win the ACC," Kellogg says. "Flat out, first place. That gives us an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, and that's something we haven't done yet. I think this is the year we're going to do great things." After her volleyball career at Tech ends, Kellogg isn't sure she wants to give up the spotlight. She started out at the Institute as a management major but has since switched to science, technology and culture. While she might not have followed her dad into basketball, she's considering trying out his other career. "I don't know; it's a possibility. I'd love to be on TV," she says. GT
Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine • Fall 2008