2022 Florida SouthWestern Volleyball News

Season
Bucs Earn Fourth Straight USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award
Bucs Earn Fourth Straight USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award

The Florida SouthWestern State Volleyball team was not only successful on the court this season, winning the 2022 NJCAA National Championship, but they weren’t too shabby in the classroom either as the Bucs put together a 3.48 Team GPA to earn their fourth consecutive USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award. 

Koehler & Lawrenz Earn CSC Academic All-American Honors
Koehler & Lawrenz Earn CSC Academic All-American Honors

After winning an NJCAA National Championship on the court this Fall, Florida SouthWestern Volleyball players Barbara Koehler and Julia Lawrenz earned the ultimate off the court honor on Monday as the pair was named 2023 CSC Academic All-Americans, an honor that goes to just 11 two-year student-athletes across all sports nationwide.  Furthermore, the duo was the only pair of teammates of any program in the country to receive the honors. 

Nation High 10 Bucs Named CSC Academic All-District
Nation High 10 Bucs Named CSC Academic All-District

For the first time in program history the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) put together an Academic All-District Team for the At-Large College Division, and in it’s first year, 10 different Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneer student-athletes earned their way onto the list.  The 10 Bucs female student-athletes to earn the honors marked the most of any school in the two-year ranks. 

Cecilia Swapping Coasts, Signs With Lynn
Cecilia Swapping Coasts, Signs With Lynn

After winning a National Championship with the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers as a sophomore in 2022, Maria Cecilia has signed with NCAA Division II power Lynn University to continue her academic and athletic career.  

Pratcher Signs With Broncos
Pratcher Signs With Broncos

Florida SouthWestern middle hitter Christina Pratcher has found her home for the final two years of her Volleyball and academic career as the Bucs National Champ will be headed to the Tar Heel State where she will play at Fayetteville State University.

FSW Assistant Gets First Collegiate Head Coaching Position with Cougars
FSW Assistant Gets First Collegiate Head Coaching Position with Cougars

Florida SouthWestern Assistant Volleyball Coach Megan Besecker will have a new title next season, and it won’t be with the Bucs, as Tuesday Besecker was tabbed the 16th Head Coach in the storied history of Barton Community College, where she will lead her first collegiate program, while returning to the conference she competed in as a player in Kansas.

Rossi Signs To Fly With Thunderbirds Next Season
Rossi Signs To Fly With Thunderbirds Next Season

After a record breaking career with the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers, fan favorite Arianna Rossi has signed to play at the Division I level with Southern Utah University next season. 

Coelho Signs With 2020 & 2021 NAIA National Champs
Coelho Signs With 2020 & 2021 NAIA National Champs

Florida SouthWestern sophomore Maiana Coelho will be moving from one National Championship program to another next season as the Buccaneers’ setter has signed her National Letter of Intent to play at Missouri Baptist University in 2023. 

National Player of the Year Koehler Signs with Shockers
National Player of the Year Koehler Signs with Shockers

After leading the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers to the NJCAA National Championship and earning both NJCAA and AVCA National Player of the Year honors, sophomore Barbara Koehler will be taking her talents from the Sunshine State to the Sunflower State next season after signing her National Letter of Intent with Wichita State University. 

Baziquetto-Allen Earns AVCA National Coach of the Year Award
Baziquetto-Allen Earns AVCA National Coach of the Year Award

Florida SouthWestern Head Coach Thais Baziquetto-Allen earned the highest honor of any coach at the two-year level on Wednesday as the Bucs fourth year Head Coach was named the AVCA Two-Year National Coach of the Year.  Baziquetto-Allen was chosen from finalists for the award from all three two-year factions (NJCAA, CCCAA, NWAC), including all three levels of the NJCAA.

Koehler Tabbed AVCA Two-Year National Player of the Year
Koehler Tabbed AVCA Two-Year National Player of the Year

Florida SouthWestern sophomore Barbara Koehler was named the top two-year volleyball player in the country on Wednesday as the Bucs outside hitter earned the prestigious AVCA National Player of the Year award, beating out other candidates from the NJCAA Division I, II, and III ranks, as well as players from the CCCAA and NWAC. 

Koehler, Lawrenz, Baziquetto-Allen Honored With Postseason Awards
Koehler, Lawrenz, Baziquetto-Allen Honored With Postseason Awards

The postseason awards continued to pour in for the Florida SouthWestern State Volleyball team on Monday as Barbara Koehler was named an AVCA and VolleyballMag.com All-American while Julia Lawrenz joined her on the VolleyballMag.com All-American squad, and Head Coach Thais Baziquetto-Allen was named the AVCA Southeast Region Coach of the Year. 

Baziquetto-Allen Named NJCAA National Coach of the Year
Baziquetto-Allen Named NJCAA National Coach of the Year

Guiding the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers to their first National Championship in program history this season, FSW Head Coach Thais Baziquetto-Allen has been named the 2022 NJCAA Division I National Coach of the Year as announced by the National Office on Friday.

Barbara Koehler Earns NJCAA National Player of the Year Honors
Barbara Koehler Earns NJCAA National Player of the Year Honors

Florida SouthWestern sophomore Barbara Koehler put a bow on top of a two week stretch of incredible honors on Friday by earning the ultimate award for an NJCAA player as the Mato Grosso, Brazil native was named the NJCAA Division I National Player of the Year. 

Koehler & Purashaj Named NJCAA All-Americans
Koehler & Purashaj Named NJCAA All-Americans

Fresh off of their first NJCAA National Championship in program history, a pair of Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers were honored individually by the NJCAA on Thursday as sophomore Barbara Koehler and freshman Roberta Purashaj were named to the NJCAA All-American Teams. 

FSW wins their first National Championship (Photo by Nic Ryder)
FSW Wins NJCAA National Championship

The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers are National Champions.  The Bucs secured their first National Championship in just their fourth season of competition Saturday night in West Plains, Missouri, defeating their archrivals, the Miami Dade Sharks 3-1 in the final game of the 2022 NJCAA Volleyball season. FSW's Barbara Koehler was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament while Bucs Head Coach Thais Baziquetto-Allen was named the Heidi Cartisser Coach of the Tournament.