Cardinal Mooney dual-sport star Jordyn Byrd wins Gatorade volleyball award
SARASOTA, Fla. (BVM) – Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School junior Jordyn Byrd proved just how dedicated she is to her academics and athletics and brought home Florida’s Gatorade Player of the Year title in volleyball while she gears up for the upcoming basketball season.
A dual-sport athlete, Byrd plays both volleyball and basketball for the Cougars and is a leading force on both teams. A 6-foot-5 varsity power forward, Byrd averaged 14.7 points, 11.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks through 26 games her sophomore year. On the volleyball court, Byrd holds down the outside-hitter position and has collected 258 digs, 56 blocks and leads her team with 551 kills through three seasons.
“I started playing volleyball in seventh grade,” Byrd said. “And started basketball in fourth grade. My first year playing both was stressful and hectic, but as the years went on and I continued to do it, it got easier. The hardest part was balancing both sports and school at the same time. But now that I’ve become more mature, I know what my priorities are and school always comes first.”
A force to be reckoned with in both sports, volleyball has always been front and center for Byrd. She has seen a successful run at Cardinal Mooney, with a state championship title her freshman season, and regional appearances her sophomore and junior years. Both regional losses came at the hands of Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School, sparking a drive for Byrd to come out on top in her next and final season.
“Our team is really close and we do a lot together,” Byrd said. “Before games we would go and eat together and afterwards we would hang out and do TikToks and stuff like that. We always try to keep our bond tight because when you are close to the people you play with, it’s easier to play with them. For next year, I think we have a really good chance of making it with the people returning and the incoming freshmen. I am actually really excited for next year’s season.”
Byrd excels in math and science and maintains a 3.7 GPA, so her dream of becoming a pediatrician falls perfectly in line with her academic talents. And with more athletic goals lined up, Byrd is gearing up for a notable future.
“One of my main goals for volleyball is to make it to the Olympics,” Byrd said. “So if I am able to do that, I’ll do that. After the Olympics is when I will focus mainly on medical school and becoming a pediatrician.”
With the Olympics in the back of her mind, Byrd also has to focus on her upcoming collegiate career. The junior received mass amounts of college offers and said that narrowing those schools down was one of the hardest parts about her recruitment process.
“My decision was hard – like really, really hard,” Byrd said. “The first day that colleges were allowed to talk to me, I had a lot. At 12AM that day my phone started going off and I had to power it all the way down because it wouldn’t stop dinging. After that I had Zoom meeting after Zoom meeting after Zoom meeting. The process was really stressful.”
In the end, her top schools were Texas, Florida and Wisconsin. And with a need for warmer weather and a bit of distance from her current home, Texas quickly became the clear front-runner.
“I really liked the area,” Byrd said. “Austin is beautiful and it reminded me of where I live in Sarasota a little bit. The coaching staff is very helpful too – they’re like your parents away from home – and the girls are very supportive.”
Byrd has yet to allocate her Gatorade POY grant money to a deserving organization in her community but is diligently working and researching to make sure the gift goes to the best place. As a member of the National Honors Society at Cardinal Mooney, Byrd is accustomed to participating in various community service projects. Unlike some who participate to better their resume, the junior said she genuinely has a passion for helping others.
“I am the type of person that likes to help without getting rewarded,” Byrd said. “I just want to help. I enjoy helping people in any way that I can, even watching other people’s kids – I do that for fun and never ask for payment. I just really enjoy giving back.”
With two more basketball seasons and one volleyball season left to play as a Cougar, Byrd has time to continue her bid for greatness and take home a few more awards before becoming a Longhorn. And with so much excitement around the possibilities in her future, the momentum she carries with her is sure to last a lifetime.
