Aussies Abroad #12 – Cassie Dodd
In this instalment of Aussies Abroad, Volleyball Australia caught up with Cassie Dodd – who is currently studying at the University of California (UCLA) while balancing beach and indoor commitments.
Growing up in Perth, Western Australia – Cassie came from a passionate sporting family with netball being her first passion, alongside watching many sporting codes.
“My family was really big in netball, and I started playing that when I was 7 years old,” Dodd said.
“I also played at the national level representing WA at 12, 14 and 15 years old.
“I come from a very sporty family, and love watching sports on the weekends with my parents – NBL, AFL (go crows!), Netball, Tennis, F1 – you name it we probably watched it!
“My parents weren’t volleyball players, but we did go to the London Olympics in 2012 and managed to get tickets to both indoor and beach volleyball, however, at that point in time I hadn’t started playing.
“My sister started playing volleyball when she was in highschool and got to go to Australian Volleyball Schools Cup (AVSC) in Melbourne at the time, and I wanted to go to Melbourne, and volleyball seemed fun so I started playing for Penrhos College in Year 7.”
Once beginning her volleyball journey at AVSC, Cassie began to take up more volleyball opportunities and by 2018 had been invited to her first Junior Australian Camp.
“In 2018, I got selected for my first Junior Aus Camp in Churchill, I remember being so nervous,” she said.
“Then I continued playing both beach and indoor volleyball and progressing through my junior state teams, and by the end of 2020, I got an invite to the Australian Volleyball Academy.
“In 2021, I accepted the invite and joined the full time program at the AIS in Canberra whilst also studying full time at University of Canberra Senior Secondary College – Lake Ginninderra.
“After being a part of the senior indoor team for a year, I got selected to go on my first senior Women’s Volleyroos trip to Thailand.
“I remember writing the date which Russ told me I would be travelling on a sticky note and put it up on the wall cause I was so excited and never wanted to forget the date – the 6th of May – that I had officially become a Volleyroo.
“Being a Volleyroo is an absolute honour and I cannot express how much pride I have to be a part of an elite group of women who work tirelessly to represent our country in volleyball.”
As a Volleyroo with plenty of beach and indoor volleyball experience, Cassie has memorable moments in both disciplines, with her passion to play overseas only continuing to grow throughout the years.
“In indoor, my proudest moment has to be playing an important role in helping Australia to get 4th at the 2024 AVC Challenger Cup in Philippines,” she said.
“While in beach, it is clinching the dual in the Southland Conference Tournament for Texas A&M – Corpus Christi which led to me becoming the first international (outside of North America) to get a beach only scholarship at UCLA.
“I have always dreamt about going to the Olympics, and I remember when I was younger I was upset that netball wasn’t in the Olympics as that was always my dream, so I was happy to hear I could try and go for volleyball instead.
“I have always wanted to play at a high level, regardless of the sport, and being offered a position at AVA, made me realise that there is a possibility of playing volleyball at a high level and representing Australia.
“I first played internationally for Australia in 2022, where I represented Australia in both beach and indoor volleyball, and I moved to America in August of 2023 and played beach volleyball for Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi.
“After a year in Corpus, I entered the transfer portal and am now at University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) playing beach volleyball.
“I think the ability to get your education whilst playing overseas is an amazing opportunity which more young aspiring Australian volleyballers should look into.”
Unlike some of her fellow Aussies Abroad, Cassie found the transition to life overseas seamless – thanks to many years of experience in Canberra
“Having been at AVA since I was 16 definitely made the transition easier as I was used to living away from my parents and being independent,” she said.
“But, I did find the move was quite isolating – being on the other side of the country compared to the other side of the world is a big jump.
“The time zone made it challenging to communicate with friends and family back home, as I first moved to Corpus Christi Texas, and there was a big cultural change – new school, new volleyball style.
“It was very overwhelming, definitely had an adjustment period of a couple months, but I realised I have to embrace the experience given to me and that I needed to make the most of it – including learning to line dancing, which was a new one for me.
“Even though at times I struggled with homesickness I could always turn to volleyball.
“Moving to LA, there are a lot of similarities between the Australian and California lifestyle, the time zone difference was easier as well.
“Since playing abroad, I have enjoyed the depth and high level of competition and playing against the best young beach volleyballers in the world each weekend.
“Being coached by former USA and Brazilian Olympians – Jenny Johnson Jordan & Jose Loiola and former AVP player Kelly Reeves – is invaluable, providing a different style of perspective on the game compared to Australian volleyball.
“The big following of volleyball in the USA is awesome, it’s great having people assume you play volleyball instead of netball or basketball.”
Proud to be an Australian Volleyroo, Cassie is grateful for the journey and the opportunity to travel the world while playing the sport she loves – and her eyes are set on the Olympics.
“Being able to represent my country is a massive honour and it’s something not many people get the privilege to do,” Dodd said.
“The sport has taken me around the world, experiencing different cultures and environments, and allows me to connect with a variety of people while doing my passion everyday.
“I want to go to the Olympics, that has always been a dream of mine – to represent Australia at the highest level.
“I would love to be a coach as well after my volleyball career. I don’t think I could walk away from this sport, without wanting to give the future generations some of the knowledge I have gained from playing.
“To anyone starting their volleyball journey, I say – ‘take every opportunity you have if you can’.
“Embrace the journey because that’s when you are going to grow the most.
“Most importantly, have fun! We play volleyball because we love it. Sometimes we can get wrapped up in performance and selection, but ultimately we wouldn’t be pouring our heart into the sport if we didn’t enjoy it.”
