Class of 2013
Active: 1985 - 200014 Open Victories
Patty Orozco Dodd came to California from her native Colombia to compete indoors at UCLA, but ended up finding her true passion on the California sand. She certainly wasn't a slouch indoors, lettering all four years at UCLA, winning the 1984 NCAA Championship, being named an All-American her junior and senior years, and playing professionally indoors for a few years after college.
But after she retired her indoor shoes and kneepads, Patty went on to have one of the most consistent professional beach careers of any player of her era. She competed in 143 events with over 20 partners and finished with at least one top four finish in 12 consecutive seasons. In 1989, she teamed up with fellow-South American Jackie Silva and put together one of the best season ever in women's volleyball. The team won an amazing 11 out of the 13 tournaments they played in that year, thoroughly dominating the competition.
At 5' 8" Patty was not one of the taller players on tour, but her ball control, defense, and tenacity more than made up for her lack of height. Her list of partners is a who's-who of that era: Elaine Roque, Karolyn Kirby, Liz Masakayan, Cammy Chalmers, Holly McPeak, Angela Rock, and many others.
In 1986 Patty found a different type of partner and married Hall of Famer Mike Dodd. They became the first married couple to win professional titles on the same weekend and tonight become the second married couple in the CBVA Hall of Fame. Patty and Mike went on to have two daughters, both of whom continue the family volleyball tradition, and Patty continues to be involved in volleyball, coaching juniors and assisting with USA Volleyball's beach program.
From Bogota to the California Beach Volleyball Hall of Fame is a long journey, but Patty Orozco Dodd traveled that road with style.