When Cody Dodd tried out for the U.S. national volleyball team this summer, she swapped purple and gold for red, white and blue. But Tech’s standout player still had some purple with her: the ring her mother, who died in March, wore always. Dodd wears the ring every day on a chain around her neck.
She is not superstitious, but that small silver ring may help Dodd as she pursues the Olympics’ five multicolored rings.
“My mom was so proud of me, so that’s hard. I know she’s still proud of me,” the Cookeville native said. “I want to see how far I can make it. My coach always says I could go professional, but my ultimate goal is to be an Olympian.”
The tryouts do not qualify athletes for the Olympics. They offer chances to play on one of the USA volleyball high-performance pipeline teams, from which Olympians are selected.
“If I get picked, it helps me because my name is out there,” Dodd said before she left. “It might help me get to the Olympics.”
The senior exercise science, physical education and wellness major was among 36 women – of 250 – to make the cut for this summer’s second round of tryouts. The first was in Colorado in February.
“Cody has 100 percent of the physical skills. This is going to be good for her game IQ. If she can get these mental tricks up, I think she stands a good shot of making the national team someday,” said Tech volleyball coach Dave Zelenock. “She gets to work with the best coaches for a week and play with some of the best players in the country.”
In overall season play at Tech, Dodd led the Ohio Valley Conference in points and service aces and was second in kills. The season was the team’s best in years; the Golden Eagles made it to the second round of the OVC tournament.
“I just want to surround myself with volleyball,” Dodd said. “I love it so much. I love playing and helping people get better. I love it all, but the best part is winning.” V
Update: Dodd was not selected to play on one of the USA high-performance pipeline volleyball teams.