From Club Teammates To Freshman Phenoms: Dawson, Newbold’s Journey To North Florida
10/15/2025 1:00:00 PM | Volleyball
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Before North Florida volleyball's 2025 season started, freshmen Sofia Dawson and Kendall Newbold rolled down Myrtle Street to Cap's on the Water in St. Augustine, Fla., to enjoy sunset views from a wooden deck at a waterfront restaurant.Â
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It's a ritual the duo has grown accustomed to in their short time at North Florida, describing it as a setting for the two Atlanta natives to get away from the demanding schedules collegiate volleyball presents.Â
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However, the freshman setter, Dawson, and freshman opposite hitter, Newbold, have a history that dates further than an impromptu trip to watch sunsets and eat sweet treats.
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Dawson and Newbold first met while playing 15U club volleyball together for the A5 Club organization in Atlanta. As two teenagers from the same massive city, they didn't originally know their paths as teammates would remain intertwined for years to come. But while at a team hotel for a club tournament in Indianapolis, Ind., Dawson asked Newbold a question that altered the course of their relationship on and off the court for years to come.
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"How would you feel if we went to the same school together?" Dawson asked. To which Newbold, who was filled with jubilation, responded. "Are you serious?".
Although Dawson and Newbold were in communication about their recruitment processes, it was Newbold's father, Anthony, who consistently suggested to Dawson's father, Dave, that the duo could continue as teammates at North Florida.
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Their families, too, had become close throughout Dawson and Newbold's A5 careers, solidifying an extended support system built over years of shared travel, tournaments and trying new restaurants.Â
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"Both of our parents are really close," Dawson said. "They are really close friends and each of our parents love the other just as much as they would love their own kid. If my parents are here, they're loving on Kendall, and if her parents are here, they're supporting me and loving on me too."
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Moving from one large city to another to join a Division I volleyball program presents various challenges both mentally and physically. However, for Dawson and Newbold, it was made easier by having someone they were deeply familiar with.
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"Knowing that you're [going] to college with somebody that you've known for four years already, it's just a comfort feeling," Newbold said. "Knowing you have somebody to talk to from home just makes you feel so much more safe and comfortable [and that] you're not in it alone."
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Since they were 15 years old, Dawson and Newbold bonded not just through being teammates on the court, but through shared experiences off the court. In club tournaments, they stayed in the same hotels, laughing late into the night, creating memories that went beyond the court.
Â
Moreover, a pivotal moment in their friendship came during a club tournament in Peru. Newbold recounts how she underwent a health incident while traveling, and how Dawson staying by her side the entire time strengthened their relationship.
Â
"It's almost like we're not even friends, it's like we're sisters," Dawson said. "We've been on the court together, we've trauma bonded together, we've gone through all of A5 together which is a really tough time and we also had this big connecting moment in Peru together."
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The dynamic freshman duo were no strangers to finding success on the court prior to North Florida. Dawson and Newbold placed third at AAU Nationals in their first season competing for A5 Club. Newbold was named the 2024 Georgia High School Association (GHSA) 6A Region 2 Player of the Year and Dawson earned a 2024 GHSA 4A Region 5 Player of the Year nod, respectively.
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But when their first collegiate practices began, the step up in intensity, pace and stakes was significant. Nevertheless, the experience felt familiar, reminiscent of the routines Dawson and Newbold had known from attending camps at UNF while they were in high school.
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"I think Coach [Kristen] Wright knew that she had a good two girls coming in because we've just been so connected," Dawson said. "It's honestly helped us so much on the court. As a setter, I just know what Kendall's tendencies are with how fast she's going and where she is on the court."
Â
The freshmen also acknowledged the weight of expectations, given the instant success they've produced just halfway through their first seasons at North Florida. Dawson and Newbold admitted to feeling nervous before matches, but they counteract it by being each other's anchoring presence.Â
Â
As a result, the duo consistently displays sheer dominance on the court for North Florida.
As of Oct. 13, Dawson ranks fifth in the ASUN in total assists and has led the Ospreys in assists in 16 of their 19 matches this season. She boasts team-highs with 481 total assists, 6.49 assists per set and 21 aces. Dawson also ranks second on the team with 141 total digs.
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Newbold has been sensational as well, earning ASUN Freshman of the Week honors on Sept. 29 following back-to-back matches with double-digit kills. She leads the team this season with 469 total attacks, 182 kills, 2.49 kills per set and 2.90 points per set. The freshman opposite also earned All-Tournament recognition in two of North Florida's in-season tournaments in 2025.
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"We've been playing so free this year, and I feel like that's different from club [volleyball]," Newbold said. "This year, we generally haven't had the [pressure] get to us, or at least show that it's gotten to us."
Â
Importantly, there's no jealousy. Only a shared desire to see the other succeed. On a larger scale, when asked what their main goal is for their freshman seasons at North Florida, the answer was concise and direct.
Â
"Win the ASUN Championship," Dawson said.
Â
They pursue that mission not just for themselves, but for the seniors who have laid the foundation for them to follow. Dawson and Newbold emphasized that upon their arrival to UNF in June, it's been the upperclassmen who have consistently reiterated this goal.
Â
On a more personal note, when pressed to sum up their relationship in one word, both struggled, which is fitting for a friendship built over four years. Nevertheless, they landed on descriptions such as genuine, vibrant and loyal.Â
Â
Through shared challenges, travel and close matches, their friendship has evolved, creating a bond that shows no signs of wavering.Â
Â
"Our bond is always going to be there," Dawson said. "We've had times where it could have broken but then we came back and we were both grown ups and talked [it through]. I don't see a world where Kendall is not going to be at my wedding or even in my wedding."
Â
It's a ritual the duo has grown accustomed to in their short time at North Florida, describing it as a setting for the two Atlanta natives to get away from the demanding schedules collegiate volleyball presents.Â
Â
However, the freshman setter, Dawson, and freshman opposite hitter, Newbold, have a history that dates further than an impromptu trip to watch sunsets and eat sweet treats.
Â
Dawson and Newbold first met while playing 15U club volleyball together for the A5 Club organization in Atlanta. As two teenagers from the same massive city, they didn't originally know their paths as teammates would remain intertwined for years to come. But while at a team hotel for a club tournament in Indianapolis, Ind., Dawson asked Newbold a question that altered the course of their relationship on and off the court for years to come.
Â
"How would you feel if we went to the same school together?" Dawson asked. To which Newbold, who was filled with jubilation, responded. "Are you serious?".
Although Dawson and Newbold were in communication about their recruitment processes, it was Newbold's father, Anthony, who consistently suggested to Dawson's father, Dave, that the duo could continue as teammates at North Florida.
Â
Their families, too, had become close throughout Dawson and Newbold's A5 careers, solidifying an extended support system built over years of shared travel, tournaments and trying new restaurants.Â
Â
"Both of our parents are really close," Dawson said. "They are really close friends and each of our parents love the other just as much as they would love their own kid. If my parents are here, they're loving on Kendall, and if her parents are here, they're supporting me and loving on me too."
Â
Moving from one large city to another to join a Division I volleyball program presents various challenges both mentally and physically. However, for Dawson and Newbold, it was made easier by having someone they were deeply familiar with.
Â
"Knowing that you're [going] to college with somebody that you've known for four years already, it's just a comfort feeling," Newbold said. "Knowing you have somebody to talk to from home just makes you feel so much more safe and comfortable [and that] you're not in it alone."
Â
Since they were 15 years old, Dawson and Newbold bonded not just through being teammates on the court, but through shared experiences off the court. In club tournaments, they stayed in the same hotels, laughing late into the night, creating memories that went beyond the court.
Â
Moreover, a pivotal moment in their friendship came during a club tournament in Peru. Newbold recounts how she underwent a health incident while traveling, and how Dawson staying by her side the entire time strengthened their relationship.
Â
"It's almost like we're not even friends, it's like we're sisters," Dawson said. "We've been on the court together, we've trauma bonded together, we've gone through all of A5 together which is a really tough time and we also had this big connecting moment in Peru together."
Â
The dynamic freshman duo were no strangers to finding success on the court prior to North Florida. Dawson and Newbold placed third at AAU Nationals in their first season competing for A5 Club. Newbold was named the 2024 Georgia High School Association (GHSA) 6A Region 2 Player of the Year and Dawson earned a 2024 GHSA 4A Region 5 Player of the Year nod, respectively.
Â
But when their first collegiate practices began, the step up in intensity, pace and stakes was significant. Nevertheless, the experience felt familiar, reminiscent of the routines Dawson and Newbold had known from attending camps at UNF while they were in high school.
Â
"I think Coach [Kristen] Wright knew that she had a good two girls coming in because we've just been so connected," Dawson said. "It's honestly helped us so much on the court. As a setter, I just know what Kendall's tendencies are with how fast she's going and where she is on the court."
Â
The freshmen also acknowledged the weight of expectations, given the instant success they've produced just halfway through their first seasons at North Florida. Dawson and Newbold admitted to feeling nervous before matches, but they counteract it by being each other's anchoring presence.Â
Â
As a result, the duo consistently displays sheer dominance on the court for North Florida.
As of Oct. 13, Dawson ranks fifth in the ASUN in total assists and has led the Ospreys in assists in 16 of their 19 matches this season. She boasts team-highs with 481 total assists, 6.49 assists per set and 21 aces. Dawson also ranks second on the team with 141 total digs.
Â
Newbold has been sensational as well, earning ASUN Freshman of the Week honors on Sept. 29 following back-to-back matches with double-digit kills. She leads the team this season with 469 total attacks, 182 kills, 2.49 kills per set and 2.90 points per set. The freshman opposite also earned All-Tournament recognition in two of North Florida's in-season tournaments in 2025.
Â
"We've been playing so free this year, and I feel like that's different from club [volleyball]," Newbold said. "This year, we generally haven't had the [pressure] get to us, or at least show that it's gotten to us."
Â
Importantly, there's no jealousy. Only a shared desire to see the other succeed. On a larger scale, when asked what their main goal is for their freshman seasons at North Florida, the answer was concise and direct.
Â
"Win the ASUN Championship," Dawson said.
Â
They pursue that mission not just for themselves, but for the seniors who have laid the foundation for them to follow. Dawson and Newbold emphasized that upon their arrival to UNF in June, it's been the upperclassmen who have consistently reiterated this goal.
Â
On a more personal note, when pressed to sum up their relationship in one word, both struggled, which is fitting for a friendship built over four years. Nevertheless, they landed on descriptions such as genuine, vibrant and loyal.Â
Â
Through shared challenges, travel and close matches, their friendship has evolved, creating a bond that shows no signs of wavering.Â
Â
"Our bond is always going to be there," Dawson said. "We've had times where it could have broken but then we came back and we were both grown ups and talked [it through]. I don't see a world where Kendall is not going to be at my wedding or even in my wedding."
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