May 5, 2009

LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech's volleyball standout Amanda Dowdy was recently chosen to represent the United States as she competes for the USA Volleyball 2009 Women's Junior National Team (WJNT), which begins competition in Tijuana on July 16.

Unlike past years where the national team was selected from an 18-person training team, a team that Dowdy was a part of last year, the squad was selected directly from the tryout process.

"To make the USA Junior National Team is such an honor and an amazing opportunity," said Dowdy. "It is definitely a dream come true."

Tryouts were held Feb. 20-22 in Colorado Springs at the US Olympic Training Center. Dowdy said the tryouts were very competitive and consisted of over 100 of the top athletes from around the country.

"Since the tryout was so competitive it made the practice sessions intense and forced you play at your best," said Dowdy.

Playing at a top level is nothing new to Dowdy, a middle blocker from Lexington, Texas, who has been a dominant force in her short amount of time on the Red Raider volleyball team. After her freshman campaign, Dowdy became the first Tech volleyball player named to the All-Big 12 Freshman team.

Last season, Dowdy led the Red Raiders with 301 kills, 66 total blocks, a .286 hitting percentage on the season, and recorded a career-high 20 kills in two separate matches.

Tech volleyball's newly acquired head coach, Trish Knight, was thrilled to hear of Dowdy's accomplishment and believes the experience will impact the Red Raiders next season.

"She is going have great training and get international experience," said Knight. "She is going to excel in the program and it will help her bring her game to the next level and help our team."

For this ambitious athlete, simply being named to the prestigious national team isn't enough. Dowdy has her sights set to accomplish much more in her career and hopes to use this experience as a stepping stone to reach that goal.

"My goal is to try out for the Olympic Games in 2012, so I will continue to tryout each year to work towards that goal and to gain the experience and competitiveness I need to compete at the professional level," said Dowdy.

Dowdy is a two-sport athlete for Tech and when not on the volleyball court she finds herself training and competing in the high jump for head coach Wes Kittley's indoor track and field team. In the high jump, Dowdy collected three top-five finishes and has cleared a career-best mark of 5'-7.75" in just one season.

Her work ethic and motivation is something Knight has noticed in just a short time at Tech.

"She works extremely hard and to see her want to be that good and see her hard work pay off is a proud moment as her coach," said Knight.

The WJNT is led by head coach Paula Weishoff-Hanold, a two-time Olympic medalist and former long-time member of the U.S. Women's National Team who is currently the head coach of Concordia University in Irvine, Calif. The members of the WJNT are scheduled to arrive in Chula Vista beginning on July 5, for training for nine days until the squad makes their transfer to Tijuana via bus on July 14. Competition will begin July 16, in Tijuana and will go through the 25th.

Dowdy says that having the opportunity to represent her country by playing the game she loves is what makes all the hard work and tryout experience worth it. She looks forward to her commitment to the WJNT, and hopes that it pays off for both her and the Red Raiders volleyball program as she leaves her teammates behind for the summer.

"I hope to gain experience and leadership through this opportunity and contribute everything I have to my team next season at Texas Tech," said Dowdy.