Senior Stories: All Roads Lead Home for Hjorth

By Dominic Carroll, Special to MSUSpartans.com

After winning a national championship in

soccer as a freshman at Florida State, Michigan State graduate student defender Taya Hjorth and her dad, Tom, hit the road, driving from school to school searching for the right fit.

It was a complicated road, but that journey eventually led her back home and to Michigan State.

Hjorth's journey stretched from Tallahassee, playing with the Seminoles, to Lexington, where she spent two seasons with Kentucky, and now she's in her second season with Michigan State.

She grew up in Commerce Township, Michigan, and played for the Michigan Jaguars elite travel club, meaning a future in big-time college soccer was promising.

Hjorth faced the tough choice in finding the right place to play and go to college.

"I think going through the recruiting process, especially so young, I wanted to challenge myself and kind of go out of state. Being from Michigan, everyone kind of comes to Michigan State, so I thought it would be interesting and a challenging journey to try something new and go somewhere far," Hjorth said.

Hjorth spent her freshman season playing for Florida State, a choice that exposed her to a winning culture. In the 2021 season, her first year, the Seminoles won the national championship.

Unfortunately for Hjorth, playing time was difficult to come by with the depth of talent on a National Championship roster. Hjorth decided it was time for a change prior to the 2022 season.

Taya Hjorth

"I decided to take that step and leave and go to Kentucky. I had known the coach from a previous school he coached at…it was also something different from Michigan. I wasn't quite ready to come back home yet," Hjorth said.

Deciding to go to Kentucky wasn't an easy choice. Taya and Tom hopped in a car and traveled from school to schoolto assess what each had to offer. Ultimately, it came down to Ole Miss and Kentucky.

Those road trips also sparked some difficult conversations.

"(I asked) What's best? What do you feel would be the best place for you? Where do you think you could make an impact, and where do you think you'll be the most comfortable? What would put your heart at ease? And that's where it ultimately landed," Tom said.

He added, "She said if I went to Ole Miss, I would always think, 'You know, what would have happened if I had gone to Kentucky?' But if I go to Kentucky, I don't think I'll look back and wonder what would have happened if I went to Ole Miss."

Hjorth had a big role with the Wildcats, starting in 16 of the 18 games she appeared in. Transferring to Kentucky moved her much closer to home: the 15½-hour drive from Metro Detroit to Tallahassee became only 5½-hours one way to Lexington.

While at Kentucky, Hjorth completed her Bachelor's degree in exercise science. She still wanted to keep playing college soccer while she had eligibility, as she finished her degree in three years.

Enter coming back to Michigan, and playing for the Spartans.

"I like a challenge. I like to keep pushing myself. Honestly, I loved playing all the time. I loved Lexington. I really loved my coaches, but I wanted to come to a program that I knew could compete for something and could really bring something to the next level," Hjorth said.

"When I was talking about leaving Kentucky, they (Hjorth's parents) were like, 'All right, why? Why would you want to do that?' And then when I explained myself, they kind of helped me understand that."

One of those reasons is Hjorth's future outside of Division I soccer: her education. Her mother, Tracy Hjorth, knew school would fall in line no matter where her daughter played.

"Michigan State had a great master's program, and as she was developing academically into wanting to become a PA, we thought of the best situation for her to get the experience and the clinical hours to advance in her academic career as well," Tracy said.

Despite going through the transfer process once already, Michigan State women's soccer Head Coach Jeff Hosler said strong transitions like Hjorth's aren't always as seamless as they may look.

"I think fans expect, 'Oh, this player did this, so they're just going to step in and do that at the next place.' And it's not that easy. You can't just plug and play," Hosler said. "A big part of it is not just evaluating talent, but also the character, the work ethic and whether their non-negotiables align with ours. When those things match up, the transition becomes a lot easier."

For her family, watching Hjorth navigate the challenges of three programs while pursuing both her athletic and academic goals has been a winding road.

"The first word that comes to my head is inspirational," Tracy said. "The highs, the lows, the challenges and the celebrations, and to be able to navigate all of that. When I think of Taya, I just think it's so inspiring not only to us, not just as a mom, but also to a child who wants to become a college athlete."

Players Mentioned

Taya Hjorth

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