Baziquetto-Allen named NJCAA Division I Volleyball Coach of the Year

Charlotte, NC: Florida SouthWestern (FSW) head coach Thais Baziquetto-Allen has been named the 2024 NJCAA Division I Volleyball Coach of the Year for the third consecutive year.

The Buccaneers won their third consecutive national championship this season after defeating Miami Dade (FL) in straight sets. Baziquetto-Allen's teams at FSW have gone on one of the most memorable runs in NJCAA Volleyball history. They became the first team to three-peat since Southern Idaho, which won titles from 1993 to 1998. The Bucs under Baziquetto-Allen have achieved a record of 84-3 during these three years.

This season, Florida Southwestern finished the regular season 26-1 and ended the year on a 16-game winning streak. The Bucs only lost seven sets this season while defeating 17 ranked opponents throughout the 2024 campaign. FSW finished third in the nation in kills per set while leading the country in hitting percentage and points per set.

"FSW and our community as a whole are blessed to have Thais leading this program. When the decision was made to have Volleyball in our relaunch of Athletics, we did a nationwide search to find the right person to lead it. Thais rose to the top of the search, took the position, and has not looked back since she moved to Fort Myers six years ago," FSW Athletic Director George Sanders said. 

At the national tournament, the Bucs were named the top overall seed and had a hard-fought path to win the program's third consecutive title. After defeating Eastern Wyoming in straight sets, No. 8 seed Utah State Eastern would prove a significant challenge. The Bucs defeated the Lady Eagles 3-2 in what would be the best volleyball match of the tournament. FSW would defeat Colby (KS) and conference rival Miami Dade for the national championship crown. Baziquetto-Allen was named the Heidi Cartisser Coach of the Tournament. Two Bucs were named to the All-Tournament team, and Julija Grubisic Cabo was named the Championship's Most Valuable Player. 

"She continues to make the team, department, administration, and the College synonymous with excellence on the court and in the classroom. I could not be more proud to be associated with such an outstanding person and coach. Coach of the Year does not begin to describe the impact she has on these young women," Sanders said.

Since starting the volleyball program in 2018, Baziquetto-Allen has earned a record of 145-25 (.853), three NJCAA Division I National Coach of the Year awards, and 13 former players have moved on to play NCAA Division I Volleyball.

"One of Coach B's strongest qualities as a coach is adjusting to each one of  her players individual ways of learning.  She has the ability to customize the message and her coaching style for each player so they understand the best and can perform to the best of their ability.  She doesn't just worry about you as a player but as a person, she understands our challenges, and finds a way to help. She is honest and tells the truth, even when it's difficult. That is why her players build strong relationships with her that will last a lifetime. I feel truly blessed to have been one of her players," 2022 NJCAA Division I Volleyball Player of the Year Barbara Koehler said.