Although many people may think volleyball is a mere recreational activity to be played on the beach while catching some rays, volleyball head coach Jim Lodes wouldn't agree.
Lodes said that women's volleyball is anything but a walk in the park.
"I think that most readers of The Spectrum need to attend a volleyball match to really be able to understand the athleticism required for what this team is doing right now," Lodes said. "I think that everybody thinks that it's a picnic or a physical education class or a backyard kind of thing and don't understand how athletic our team and our opponents are."
Lodes wants the Buffalo campus to understand his feelings by turning the volleyball program in to a Division I contender and helping the Bulls reach a Mid-American Conference Championship.
Growing up in St. Mary's, Pa., Lodes watched a lot of baseball and looked up to Roberto Clemente as an athlete. In every other aspect of his life besides sports, Lodes found inspiration in his mother.
Lodes started his schooling at Genesee Community College before working towards his bachelor's degree in sports management at Brockport. While at Brockport, Lodes played on the Golden Eagles volleyball team, where he learned many of the skills that he applies to coaching his team today.
Lodes began his coaching career at the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1991 where he spent five total seasons, leading his team to an overall record of 170-59. While at RIT, Lodes earned the NCAA Division III Northeast Region Coach of the Year honors in 1992 and took his team to a third place finish in the nation the following season.
Following RIT, Lodes returned to Brockport as a coach from 1996 until 1999, where he helped put the Golden Eagles back on the SUNYAC volleyball contenders' map.
Lodes then moved up the collegiate ladder to Division II competitor Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C., where he spent two seasons as the head coach of the Bobcats. In both seasons, Lodes took the Bobcats to the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championship titles. In his final season at Lees-McRae in 2001, Lodes led the Bobcats to the Division II national tournament for just the second time in school history.
Before landing in Buffalo, Lodes began his stint in Division I by spending three seasons in Chapel Hill, N.C. where he helped coach the Tar Heels to an overall record of 71-31 throughout his stay there.
Buffalo announced Lodes as the ninth head coach of its program on March 9, 2005. In his first three years, he led the Bulls to a 21-71 overall record.
Lodes said that his favorite thing about being in Buffalo is his job.
"I like where I work," Lodes said. "I like that we're trying to build an [athletic] tradition here."
Lodes is now in his fourth season with the Bulls and has lent quite a hand in establishing the team as a MAC contender. In 2006, Lodes and his team set the school record for most wins in a season since joining the MAC and Division I with 14. Lodes is looking to surpass that mark this year.
When asked what Lodes had left to accomplish in his life, he responded very humbly.
"I think I am pretty fortunate to live what I want to do. I want to coach at this level and be in a competitive situation and hopefully succeed while doing that," he said. "It is fun to be a coach in a Division I school and try to build a program."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
