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Taylor Pischke is a Canadian volleyball player. She is also the girlfriend of Washington Capitals right winger, Tom Wilson.
Pischke was born and raised in Canada. Her mom is Cindy Shepherd, and her dad, Garth Pischke, was a two-time Olympian. She has one older brother named Dane.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. She’s Super Proud of Wilson & the Capitals
Pischke and Wilson have been dating for a few years now, with reports of them dating mentioned as far back as 2013.
She isn’t shy when it comes to supporting her guy. In fact, she took to Instagram on May 24 to share a photo of them together, captioning the shot with a congratulatory message after Wilson and the Capitals beat the Tampa Bay Lighting in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
“He’s going to the Cup. Congrats, love and the Capitals!” Pischke wrote, filling the post with appropriate emojis and hashtags.
Pischke gets along super well with Wilson and his teammates, and even dressed up with them for Halloween last year. A few of the players and their WAGs got together for some Disney fun, dressing up as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Check out the photo below; Pischke is dressed as Snow White and Wilson is Doc.
Happy Halloween !!!!!
Since she lives in Canada, Pischke doesn’t get out to too many games, but she is expected to be on-hand at Capital One Arena to watch Wilson and his team take on the Las Vegas Golden Knights in one of the upcoming matches. The series is currently tied 1-1.
2. She’s a Professional Beach Volleyball Player & She’s Been Playing With Kristina May Since 2017
Pischke started playing volleyball when she was 14, perhaps encouraged by her parents, who were both athletes.
In 2012, she played on Team Canada’s beach volleyball squad. At the time, she was paired with Melissa Humana-Paredes. The two competed in the World Championship in 2013 and 2014, winning a bronze medal both years. Pischke and Humana-Paredes also competed in the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit, winning three gold medals, 3 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal, between 2013 and 2015.
Pischke and Humana-Paredes competed together through 2016. In their last match together, they lost to Team Brazil and Team USA. The following year, Pischke got a new volleyball partner, 2016 Canadian Olympic athlete, Kristina May.
Interestingly, when asked her favorite sports team as part of her college bio, she answered “Misty May-Kerri Walsh beach volleyball team.”
3. Her Dad, Garth Pischke, Is a 2-Time Olympian & Currently Coaches Men’s Volleyball at the University of Manitoba
Taylor Pischke’s father, Garth, currently serves as the head coach of the men’s volleyball team for the University of Manitoba Bisons. His bio on the team’s official site mentions that he was selected for the Canadian National Team for both the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal and the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. The site lists numerous achievements, including being inducted to several halls of fame.
“Pischke was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 1989, the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1999, the Canadian Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2000, the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2009; honored with the Royal Canadian Legion Sports Foundation C.A.P. award, and his greatest accomplishment was being named MANITOBA’S AMATEUR ATHLETE OF THE 20th CENTURY in the fall of 2000. In 2000, True North Volleyball Magazine named Pischke as ‘Canada’s Best Male Volleyball Player’ of all time,” the site reads.
A page dedicated to Garth Pischke on the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association Hall of Fame’s website mentions that he was the MVP of every team he was a part of at Silver Heights Collegiate, now known as Sturgeon Heights. He was also a three time Canadian Interuniversity Sport (now U Sports) champion. The MHSAA site details that he also competed in basketball, track and field and baseball while in high school.
“As a professional Garth was the International Volleyball League Rookie of the year (El Paso) in 1978 and league MVP (Denver) in 1979. At various levels of Canadian championships he has been an All Star twelve times and MVP six times,” the MHSAA site reads.
4. She Graduated From the University of Manitoba
Pischke attended Fort Richmond High School, where her love for volleyball was fostered. After graduating, she enrolled at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Although she was on the school’s indoor volleyball team, she wanted to play beach volleyball — which wasn’t an option at the university — and decided to leave the school after one semester.
Pischke transferred to the University of Manitoba, where she was able to excel in both her studies and her sport of choice. She decided to major in biology, hoping to one day work in pharmaceuticals or the optometry field, according to her college bio.
While attending Manitoba, Pischke received the Sport Manitoba’s prestigious Princess Royal Pan Am Scholarships and the Milt Stegall Scholarship for community service, athletics, and a cumulative GPA above 4.0. In 2014, she won the CIS National Championship Title.
5. Selena Gomez Flirted With Wilson on Social Media Back in 2015
Back in 2015, there were reports that Wilson had been hooking up with Selena Gomez. The chatter all started when Gomez “liked” a couple of Wilson’s social media posts — and he may have liked a few of hers, too.
According to the New York Post’s Page Six, Gomez was introduced to Wilson by her good pal, Julianne Hough. The former Dancing With The Stars judge was engaged to Caps center Brooks Laich at the time (Laich is currently a free agent).
The rumors died down fairly quickly, once Pischke’s name popped up. Most media outlets reported that Wilson was “taken,” and that any supposed contact with Selena Gomez was likely fabricated. Wilson didn’t respond to the Gomez dating rumors — and, these days, he and Pischke are still very much together.
