Whitley Moody

San Jose, CA

Coaching Philosophy:
Taking the words straight from my mentor in my previous entry, the ‘right’ coach is the one who can walk the fine line between being challenging and empowering, with the intention of finding the potential that an athlete and human has to become the wholest and most complete version of themself in their pursuit of “being great” at a sport.  As a coach, I would seek to target the motivations and the “why” of each athlete with the love for the game at the center of my coaching. So many coaches forget to remind athletes that we play sports to remain fulfilled, physically and emotionally healthy, relieve stress, and create relationships.  Of course, there are layers of pressure, preparation, discipline, and competition to be considered, but the fun of sports comes from the raw love and emotion that comes from moments of greatness that only sports can create. 

Playing experience and awards: 

College:
– Division 1 Volleyball Player and Student at Fordham University
– International Political Economy Major, French and Francophone Studies and Political Science Minors (3.89 GPA)
– Fordham Volleyball Team Captain
– Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll 2021-2024
– Student Athlete Advisory Committee Community Service Coordinator and Marketing Director
– Atlantic 10 Conference 2021 Women’s Volleyball Rookie-of-the-Year for Athletic Excellence – 2020 A10 All-Rookie Team, A10 First Team All-Conference, AVCA All-American Honorable   Mention.
– 2021 A10 Second Team All-Conference.
– 2022 A10 Second Team All-Conference, Fordham Volleyball Most Valuable Player.
– 2023 A10 First Team All-Conference, A10 All-Academic Team. 

HS:
– Willow Glen Varsity Volleyball MVP: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Year
– 2016 Junior National Championships National Gold Medalist
– Northern California Regional Champion: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019

What I like to do in my free time:
I am a fashion/vintage/lifestyle/travel/fine dining/cooking enthusiast and self-proclaimed blogger (WhitAboutWhat on Substack) who loves to research new restaurants, vintage stores, bookstores, and small businesses wherever I go (especially NYC).  Being on a college student budget, I love to find ways to try as many new experiences as possible without making huge financial commitments, meaning I hunt down deals, shop secondhand, and try to cook/create meals that scratch my itch for fine (ish) dining. 

My dream is to travel, cook yummy food, and listen to house music all around the world, where I might constantly have opportunities to experience new cultures, cities, and people. 

My favorite volleyball memory:
During my 17s club volleyball season, I was playing under a coach that I absolutely adored and deeply respected, and after losing in a final match at a qualifying tournament, our coach introduced our team to Cassidy Lichtman.  She was a former Stanford Volleyball player and (almost) Olympian who is dedicated to advocacy and development of our sport (now the Director of Volleyball for Aupro Volleyball) and who spent her entire athletic career balancing a chronic illness that caused severe, activity-limiting pain in both legs.  She enjoyed our team so much that she decided to finish out the season as an assistant coach (more like a mentor), and my experience playing under both her and my head coach formed the most transformative period of volleyball in my career, and I often look back to this time as my favorite volleyball experience. She was empowering, supportive, and immensely challenging and I believe I owe my commitment to developing strong team culture, discipline, and calm competitiveness to her and my 17s coach. 

Honorable mentions to an incredible Atlantic 10 tournament run with my amazing teammates in 2022 and our wonderful trip to Japan last summer where we enjoyed great food, culture, nature, and volleyball!!