Isabel Cox

“A big girl who plays big.” That’s how UNC Women’s Soccer coach Anson Dorrance describes freshman player Isabel “Izzy” Cox. But it’s not her 5-foot-10 frame that makes her the stellar player she is. It’s not her wicked speed, impeccable crossing or game-changing finishing, either. No, it’s her desire to be the best.

In the summer of 2019, with the brutal North Carolina sun blazing down on the fields of Chapel Hill, Isabel Cox sprinted 30 meters back and forth across the pitch. It was the start of a new soccer season for the University of North Carolina women’s soccer team, for whom Izzy Cox was part of the newest recruiting class. 

A seemingly simple drill that plays a critical role for UNC’s team, the beep test is Coach Dorrance’s first impression of a player. Aside from just skill or fitness, Dorrance uses the beep test as an indicator of work ethic.

“Did the kid take the summer workout packet that we send them and line the bottom of her parrots cage with it, or did she actually open it, do it and come in fit.” said Dorrance. “A girl coming from a culture like the culture she was coming from, just had never done any work to get to their potential, so when she passed the beep, I was shocked in the most positive way and kind of excited”

While the team standard was set at 40 laps to start, Cox was able to hit that or clear it. She had taken Dorrance’s first test and passed with flying colors. As the drills progressed, Dorrance upped the difficulty. He placed her in a group with some of the most elite players on the roster and told her "You've got just wonderful potential so show me that I didn't pick wrong, that you should be here with the greatest players on the roster doing this exercise."

She did.

Cox continued to overachieve, trying to prove to Coach Dorrance that she wanted a starting spot. And when the time came, he gave it to her. While her raw talent had earned her a spot on the roster, it was her conviction and determination to not only succeed, but to excel, that caught Dorrance’s eye during practice.

“She’s kind of cocky but not cocky in a negative way. I thought she was wonderfully cocky in a positive way which showed me that she had this basically wonderful self-belief.” said Dorrance.

Coach Dorrance saw that Cox had the trifecta: talent, technique, and tenacity. She could outpace just about any defender in the nation, she knew how to use her height to win balls, she wasn’t afraid to ward off pressure by being physical, she complimented her fellow attacker, Alessia Russo, and most critically, she had a desire to be the best.

It may come as no surprise, then, that when Coach Dorrance asked the freshman players to memorize four quotes about character, the one that came easiest to Cox was “You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage - pleasantly, smilingly, nonapologetically, to say “no” to other things. And the way to do that is by having a bigger yes burning inside.” Cox feels that that quote mirrors her focus on her dreams.

So where does that drive come from? It starts at home.

* * *

Cox’s home in Greensboro, North Carolina was defined by athletics and the competitive nature that that breeds. Her parents had both been college athletes: her dad a defensive end for Wake Forest’s football team and her mom a heptathlete on the track and field team at Alabama. Their legacy wore off on Cox’s sister’s as well. Clare Cox grew up to play tennis for Appalachian State while Rachel Cox became a starting forward for NC State’s women’s soccer team.

Surrounded by this competitive environment, Izzy Cox grew up in the sports world, first running across the soccer field at age three and soon adding basketball and tennis to her plate. For Grimsley High School, Cox played as both a soccer and basketball player, switching off with each season. Her love for both sports was strong, but her skills on the soccer field proved unmatched.

Skills for which Cox can thank her sister, Rachel. From a young age, Izzy felt compelled to take her on.

“It's kind of bad to say, but I would always want to try to be better than her, because we were very competitive” said Cox of the rivalry between the two sisters.

Izzy desired not only to impress her sister, but to show her up. Ultimately, this competition became critical to Cox’s later success. Izzy credits Rachel with teaching her the ropes, saying, “She kind of told me how the ropes were going to be when I would become a college athlete. Just like how it's not a joke and how you need to work hard every day.”

Even Coach Dorrance credits Rachel with giving Izzy something that can’t be taught: grit. “Basically, her older sister tortured her on a regular basis, beat her to death constantly and competed with her. That made her a heck of a lot tougher. She comes from a gilded background except her older sister made sure she was tough.” said Dorrance. “At my stage I can't teach a player to be tough. If she doesn't come in tough there's very little I can do to really transform her.”

In fact, it was at one of her sisters soccer games that Cox made a move that solidified her motivation to play elite level soccer. At a soccer showcase in Florida, an eight year old Izzy Cox sat on the sidelines with her mom watching her sisters team play. Cox spotted the famed Coach Anson Dorrance and decided to make her move. With her mom dying of laughter as she watched her young daughter approach this soccer icon, Izzy walked confidently up to him.

“I told him that I was going to play for him one day. And I remember he said, ‘I hope I'm still alive when you're there.’ And ever since then I came to camps and continued talking to him, I got really close with him.” said Cox.

With the hope of playing under one of the world’s greatest women’s soccer coaches in the back of her mind, Cox continued to play soccer as she grew up. She played for a club team called the NC Fusion and stuck with them through high school. 

This is where she and Coach Dorrance finally crossed paths again. Dorrance had made an exception in his recruiting process that normally limits the players he considers to those playing for elite teams in places like Texas or Southern California.

But one lucky day in North Carolina, Dorrance made his way to a below-average youth soccer team’s match. Cox attracted his attention as she was easily the best player on the team; she had impressive foot skills for such a tall player coupled with the tremendous pace granted by her long legs.

“I honestly grew up hating Carolina. I was an ‘anything but Carolina’ fan.” said Cox. But when decision day finally came, she knew where she belonged. 

“It's one of the best soccer schools. I couldn't say no.”

* * *

With her raw talent and the tenacity drilled into her by Rachel, Cox had earned her spot on Carolina’s roster. Beyond that, she got the start and became a key player for the fall season. 

Though she didn’t expect to play much her freshman year, Cox ended up with 1,547 minutes. She played in all 24 games, and started 21 of them. She scored 5 goals, the two most important ones coming in the third round match of the 2019 NCAA tournament against Michigan.

This was Carolina’s third year in a row earning a spot in the final four, but the previous three years they had returned without the trophy. Cox was determined to give the seniors their victory, and she almost did. Almost.

Cox came on in the second half. The game was tied 0-0 and Carolina was desperately searching for a breakthrough goal. Teammate Julia Dorsey earned the ball from Stanford’s goalkeeper and sent it wide to Cox. All she could think about were the words of Coach Dorrance, “Anson always just tells me whenever I get the ball just run, like just run like the wind and I remember I had one person to beat. So, I just took her on and went all the way down to the 18-yard box.”

She crossed it to Alessia Russo. It skipped across the field. Russo was on the run. But she couldn’t quite reach it.

The game finished regular time tied and was sent into overtime, and then penalty kicks. History repeated itself, and Carolina once again fell just short of the title. The seniors in particular were devastated, but Cox found her resolve.

With her freshman season over, Cox set her mind on the next three years, saying “I really want to get that 23rd national championship and add on more to the legacy for the girls that come in.”

Cox is a big girl who plays big, with big dreams and a bigger “yes” inside.