For the second time, USA Volleyball has selected WSU junior outside hitter McKenna Woodford to compete on one of its summer teams.

USA Volleyball announced on April 3 that Woodford is one of 12 players who will play for the U.S. Women’s Collegiate National Volleyball Team (CNT) from May 19-30 in Thailand. Woodford will compete for the Thailand Tour (CNT-Thailand) roster in matches against some of Thailand’s top volleyball teams, including the Bangkok Glass. The 11-day tournament will take place at the FIVB Development Center in Bangkok.

Woodford was a member of USA Volleyball’s CNT-Europe team last summer, which placed 12th in its tour in Pula, Croatia.

“It was pretty incredible,” Woodford said of the experience.

One step up in competition from last year, Woodford made the more competitive team this time around. The 12-player roster consists of some of the best collegiate volleyball stars from around the country. USA Volleyball uses these teams as a way of funneling highly talented players into its program.

“I am still in shock,” Woodford said. “There are so many good volleyball players there that the chance of you making the team is pretty low.”

The U.S. Women’s CNT will be led by Jerritt Elliot, the University of Texas (UT) head coach. While Elliot coaches a successful volleyball program at UT, playing for Elliot is something Woodford is looking forward to.

“I am excited to see what I can learn [from Elliot],” Woodford said.

Woodford grew up in Sedona, Arizona, and won the Division IV Volleyball State Championship her sophomore year of high school. Making the jump to the state of Arizona’s highest classification for high school athletics in search of a more competitive team, Woodford transferred to Hamilton High School in Chandler for her junior and senior years.

During those two years, Woodford played a huge role in Hamilton High’s back-to-back runner-up finishes in the state tournament.

Combining her success on the court with her academic performance, Woodford received many scholarship offers from division one colleges with strong volleyball programs, such as Mississippi, Auburn, Pepperdine and Pac-12 members Arizona State, Oregon State and Washington State.

Out of all the opportunities presented, Woodford decided WSU was the right place for her to continue her volleyball career.

“I decided I wanted to get away,” Woodford said. “I loved the coaches here because they took the time to pursue me. [WSU] felt like more of a family than a business.”

Due to the Cougars’ struggles, WSU finished with a 1-19 conference record at the time Woodford signed her letter of intent, making the four-star recruit’s decision seem ill-advised.

However, Woodford did not mind committing to a school that was struggling to win, because it provided her with the opportunity to improve a program.

“I have always been an underdog kind of person,” Woodford said.

Currently undecided on a major, Woodford is interested in studying medical sciences at WSU. While maintaining a 4.0 GPA in high school and earning AP credits, Woodford continued her success in the classroom with a selection to the Pac-12 All-Academic First Team her sophomore year.

“I take everything pretty seriously,” Woodford said. “I see everything as a great opportunity.”

Woodford comes from an athletic family that gave her the opportunity to be the “more mature” middle child. Woodford loves to inspire her siblings and receives a lot of attention from them in return.

Britton, Woodford’s younger brother, is a high school basketball player who frequently congratulates her on social media.

“I see myself as an example for him, and it is pretty cool that he looks up to me,” Woodford said.

Woodford’s family mindset translates to her teammates, and she finds herself leading by example. She focuses on arriving at the gym earlier and making the extra effort to connect with her teammates.

“It is in the nature of my position as an outside hitter to be a leader,” Woodford said. “I want to be consistent and stable for my team.”

The WSU coaching staff preaches the idea of having a “growth mindset,” and Woodford wants to gain experience and knowledge through playing for other coaches and alongside some of the NCAA’s best players next month. In return, Woodford hopes to come back to Pullman this summer and use her newfound growth to lead her team to a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.