Biography
By Jim Hague
All it took was a promise. Luckily, Pedro Trevino is a man of his word.
When Cody Chidsey was a high school senior in his hometown of Bath, Pennsylvania, he was being recruited by some top-level Division I volleyball programs. At that same time, Rutgers-Newark had already started the descent from the Division I ranks to Division III.
But Trevino, the head men’s volleyball coach and coordinator of volleyball operations at Rutgers-Newark, gave Chidsey a verbal commitment before Chidsey made his decision.
“Pedro basically told me that I had a chance to play right away as a freshman,” Chidsey said. “I really wanted to play as a freshman. I played four years of high school and wanted to keep playing. Pedro gave me the opportunity.”
So Chidsey tossed aside the Division I offers and headed to R-N.
“I wanted a chance to go to school in a city,” Chidsey said. “The campus was nice. The academics were perfect. I was glad to get the chance.”
With that chance, Trevino got the backbone and the lifeline of his program for the years to come.
“Cody has been fantastic for us since he got here,” Trevino said. “He’s one of the hardest workers we have. He came in as an athlete and now he’s a true middle hitter. He has started every single game for us since his freshman year.”
But the transformation from high school standout to top-flight college volleyball player didn’t come easy, as the Scarlet Raiders first struggled, dropping down from Division I to Division III while still playing a top schedule.
“My freshman year, it was pretty rough,” Chidsey said. “It was hard competing against Division I teams starting juniors and seniors. It was crazy. Here I was, a kid out of high school, going up against programs like Penn State. It was like, ‘Who am I to be playing against teams like that?’ But in the end, it made me a better player. It forced me to watch other players, see how others played.”
Chidsey started and played every game in a tough 4-21 season, averaging 1.92 points and 1.49 kills per game, totaling 161 points.
But the learning process Chidsey had as a freshman stayed with him. Chidsey has become a huge student of the game.
“Cody is a very intelligent kid,” Trevino said. “He is watching videos all the time. He watches others and watches himself, so he doesn’t make the same mistake twice.”
“I do watch a lot of film,” Chidsey said. “I look up other teams on the Internet and watch highlights. I scout the other teams to see who the best players are. I think it helps me a lot.”
Chidsey also has a step up on the competition. He is a dedicated athlete who enjoys working out.
“I think it started when I was in middle school and watched my stepdad and my older brother,” Chidsey said. “They would work out together and that got me interested. They worked out and lifted all the time, so that got me started. I started reading books about working out and it became something that I loved to do. It became a passion for me.”
Chidsey has evolved into a dedicated workout fanatic.
“It’s something I do every day,” Chidsey said. “It’s something I have to do every day. I can’t see myself taking a day off.”
Chidsey started every match last year for the Scarlet Raiders, leading the team to a 9-17 record, so there was marketable improvement. He also finished third on the team in overall points (223) and had 171 kills, 50 digs and 50 assists.
In preparation for Chidsey’s junior year, he became even more dedicated with his workout regimen, including a rigorous cardiovascular approach.
“I wanted to be the best player I could be,” Chidsey said. “I worked on my footwork, my vertical leap, my strength. I have a more powerful swing now. It’s really helped a lot.”
The Scarlet Raiders have a 7-5 record thus far this season, with prospects looking good for the best season since Chidsey’s arrival. Chidsey has established himself as a productive middle hitter, leading the team in practically every statistical category, including points (123).
“He’s so athletic,” Trevino said. “He can get to balls that most players can’t, especially defensively. It’s not all just offense.”
Trevino also likes what intangibles Chidsey brings.
“He is funny and has a good sense of humor, but once the whistle blows, he’s into it and is all business,” Trevino said. “He just wants to win. He brings some of those leadership skills everywhere he goes. He knows what’s important and what’s expected of those in this program. The younger kids really look up to him. In the fall, he’s the one who gets the others in the gym to work out together. All he wants is to win. Before this year, he really didn’t have the chance to win much. Now, he’s getting that chance.”
Chidsey is impressed with the dramatic turnaround the Scarlet Raiders have enjoyed this season.
“The transformation has been awesome,” Chidsey said. “I came here wanting to win, but now, I know we can win. It helps to get everyone excited. That was the hardest thing the last two years. I came from a club team (Club Lehigh in Pennsylvania) that won everything (including two trips to the junior nationals) and came to a college team that lost more than it won. I always have that passion to win and passion for the sport.”
Chidsey has a busy schedule, juggling his class work with volleyball and his responsibilities as a resident advisor in the school dormitory. He is also a teaching assistant in the geology department.
“It is a lot, but it keeps my mind focused,” Chidsey said. “The kids in the dorm know me as a volleyball player.”
Chidsey is a geology major with biomedical science background. Eventually, he hopes to work with the Environmental Protection Agency or do work with environmental science.
“Everything is starting to come together,” Chidsey said. “Everything is going well for us right now.”’
A good reason for the Scarlet Raiders’ success is right in the middle of the lineup, right in the middle of the front line named Cody Chidsey.
“I’ll take 100 more just like him,” Trevino said. “He does it all the right way.”
