Alfie Dodd
A familiar face will be on the sidelines coaching for GPS volleyball matches in the fall. The Bruisers are welcoming back Alfie Dodd to be their head coach for both the upper school and middle school programs next year. Dodd served as the varsity head coach at GPS in 2016 and 2017. During his first stint there, the Bruisers made a state tournament appearance in 2017 and won the Choo Choo City Invitational that year. He left GPS after the 2017 season after accepting a non-coaching position in Maryland.
“GPS is much more than just volleyball to my family.
We have so many amazing memories and are excited to be a part of all the incredible traditions again,” Dodd said. “With over 30 years as a player and a coach, I've been fortunate to obtain a wealth of knowledge that I want to pay forward to our teams, developing them to be the best they can be on and off the court.”
Dodd returns to GPS with a wealth of volleyball experience both as a player and a coach. He was a Division I athlete at the University of Memphis and was recognized as the MVP of the Tigers’ volleyball team in 1997. After graduating from college, he was a part of the USAV indoor men’s program for 15 years and played competitively in a number of club circuits until 2016. He coached locally at Boyd Buchannan in 2014 and 2015, winning two district championships with the Buccaneers and reaching the state quarterfinals in 2014.
GPS’s previous head coach, Bailey Winel, stepped away from her position earlier this month to pursue other professional opportunities. “We are thankful for all of Coach Winel's efforts through two incredibly challenging years,” said GPS Director of Athletics, Jay Watts. “We are fortunate that Alfie had moved back to the Chattanooga area as we were trying to fill this opening. His enthusiasm and expertise will be a great addition to our program. We have a lot of strong talent coming up in the pipeline of our program, and we are so excited about the future for GPS Volleyball.”
GPS returns eight players from its 2021 varsity roster. The Bruisers finished first in their division at the local River City Rumble with wins over Silverdale Baptist, Hutchison, and Sale Creek. Senior Ansley Blevins was named to the All-East Region Squad.