To the Southern Conference, she is the best volleyball player around. To her teammates and coaches, she has always been so much more.

Throughout her career, senior setter Cole Dawley not only dominated every time she stepped on the court, she consistently went out of her way to do everything she possibly could to benefit her team.

“She wants the best for everyone as well as for the team to be successful,” says head coach Jason Kepner. “It’s a great combination.”

Dawley, the 2010 SoCon Player of the Year, was able to make such an impact because of what her coach describes as a maturity beyond her age, a natural ability to connect with people, a willingness to put herself out there, an approachable demeanor and ever-present respect from her teammates.

“Everyone looks to her,” Kepner notes. “You just hope everything she has done rubs off on the next group.”

Cole Dawley, SoCon Player of the Year; photo by Mike Ledford

Dawley, the first Cougar to total at least 3,000 assists, 1,200 digs and 200 blocks, wasn’t always a leader, but grew into the role early in her college career.

“I had to mature and realize that every word that came out of my mouth had an impact,” recalls Dawley, who traces her competitive roots back to her childhood when she was always competing against her older brother. “If someone challenges me, I’m going to fight back.”

Both of Dawley’s parents are coaches, and – because her mother would be her coach – Dawley initially hesitated to play high school volleyball. But after just one practice, the Charleston native fell in love with the sport and went on to win five state championships.

When it came to game day, Dawley insisted on eating the same pre-game meal at Applebee’s (“chicken, cheese has to be on the side, mashed potatoes and a cup of soup”), braiding her hair, placing her jersey on an exact seat on the bench and putting her socks, knee pads and shoes on in that very specific order.

“It’s all about routine, and I’m very superstitious,” Dawley says with a laugh. “It gets me in the mindset of playing.”

And, frankly, the physical education major has had a lot on her mind – balancing sports and upper-level courses hasn’t been easy, though her early morning trips to Starbucks have helped.

Now that she has wrapped up her college playing career, though, she is focusing on graduate school and work with special needs children. Still, she misses the competition more than she ever imagined, and stays close to the sport by coaching a club team alongside her mother.

“The feeling you get on the court is a total rush,” she says. “It’s a feeling that you’re doing something you love to do. I felt lucky every time I was on the court.”

But what motivated Dawley to always go above and beyond?

“My main goal was to be known as someone who wasn’t just a volleyball player,” she says. “I really wanted to touch people’s lives.”

And in that respect, her goal has been met – though the best is yet to come.

– Alex Pellegrino Rogers ’03