ODESSA, TX (KWES) - UTPB Volleyball seniors agree that their final season seems a little more special. Not just because it's their last but because they'll be playing in honor of their former coach.
"Our freshman year our motto was 'Find the Reason' so we are trying to bring that back because he created it and so he is kind of our motto this year," said Rachel Dixon, UTPB Volleyball senior.
Darren Taylor passed away after a car accident earlier this month. 3 years ago, he was an assistant coach for UTPB volleyball.
"He was an amazing, not just coach but a person. He had a way of connecting with us all in our way. He knew how to talk to us. He knew how to motivate us," said Caitlyn Guajardo, UTPB Volleyball senior.
His former players say his passion for the game and positivity always stood out to them.
"I wanna be a coach one day and that's something that I would wanna be like because the girls all responded to him so well," said Dixon.
This weekend, they were joined by several former Falcons for an alumni game, which became a celebration of the life of Darren Taylor.
"It was difficult whenever our teammates would hug, it was emotional, like we kind of broke down. Then we saw his daughter in the stands and that was great because it's not like he's just gone, we have her here with us," said Dixon.
They know how much she was a part of him.
"If you listen to anyone talk, they will talk about how much he loved her and that was evident from the moment he found out he was going to be a dad," said Dixon.
The Falcons have found a reason and will remember it, all season long.
