FORT MYERS, Fla.- With their 2019 season commencing Thursday with the first practice in program history , Florida SouthWestern State Head Coach Thais Baziquetto-Allen has finalized the Buccaneers inaugural roster, bringing in 15 players representing six different countries to compete for FSW in 2019.
Marina Alonso | 5'9 | Sophomore | Setter | Sao Paulo, Brazil
Baziquetto-Allen on Alonso- "Marina is one of only two players on our roster this year that have college experience. We are excited for the experience she will bring in to our otherwise very young team."
Yasso Amin | 6'1 | Freshman | Middle Hitter | Cairo, Egypt
Baziquetto-Allen on Amin- "Yasso brings a wealth of international experience to the table for us. She has played all positions across the net so she will be a dynamic player that is able to contribute in every facet of the game for us."
Amy Barley | 5'5 | Sophomore | Defensive Specialist | Alva, Florida
Baziquetto-Allen on Barley- "Along with Marina, Amy is our only other sophomore on the team this season. She has a solid technical base and we look forward to continuing to watch her improve upon that to elevate her game to the next level."
Giovanna Bello | 5'8 | Freshman | Defensive Specialist | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Baziquetto-Allen on Bello- "Gi is a consistent passer and reads the court well. She is also an accomplished sand player which adds diversity to her indoor game."
Raquel Costa e Silva | 6'0 | Freshman | Setter | Parana, Brazil
Baziquetto-Allen on Costa e Silva- "Raquel has good hands and brings solid size to our front row as a setter. We are looking forward to building onto the strong base that she already has, so she can run a dynamic offense at the college level."
Kianie Cummings | 6'4 | Freshman | Middle Hitter | Oceanside, California
Baziquetto-Allen on Cummings- "Kianie is very athletic and has a lot potential. We are looking to develop her as an all-around player and see her become more dynamic. She has great personality and will bring a lot to our overall team chemistry."
Julia de Sa | 5'10 | Freshman | Outside Hitter | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Baziquetto-Allen on de Sa- "Julia is a powerful hitter and brings good experience and a strong volleyball background to our young team."
Laura Ferrao | 6'1 | Freshman | Middle Hitter | Brasilia, Brazil
Baziquetto-Allen on Ferrao- "Laura reads very well in the middle and has an advanced understanding of the game which makes her a great blocker. We are looking forward to adding some tools to her offensive repertoire to make her an all-around middle."
Lexi Hurtado | 5'11 | Freshman | Outside Hitter | Aurora, Colorado
Baziquetto-Allen on Hurtado- "Lexi is a solid all-around player and finished her club career with a very strong showing. We are looking forward to what she is going to bring to FSW over the next two years."
Viktoria Ivanova | 5'6 | Freshman | Defensive Specialist | Sofia, Bulgaria
Baziquetto-Allen on Ivanova- "Viktoria will add strength to our back row. She is quick and is a good passer in serve receive. She will help us in our goal of being a good ball control team."
Anna Leweling | 5'11 | Freshman | Outside Hitter | Paderborn, Germany
Baziquetto-Allen on Leweling- "Anna is a six rotation outside hitter and has a powerful backrow attack. She has good ball control and has an advanced understanding of the game."
Kellen Martins | 6'2 | Freshman | Outside Hitter | Minas Gerais, Brazil
Baziquetto-Allen on Martins- "Kellen is a dynamic player that can play on either pin and brings good size to our roster. She will help us put up a solid block against our opponents and should also contribute on the offensive side of the net as well."
Amanda Mendes | 6'0 | Freshman | Right Side Hitter | Minas Gerais, Brazil
Baziquetto-Allen on Mendes- "Amanda is a left-handed right side hitter that has a quick arm swing and has a variety of shots in her arsenal. She has played in high level competitions since a young age and will bring that experience to our young roster."
Hannah Pabon | 5'11 | Freshman | Right Side Hitter | Fort Myers, Florida
Baziquetto-Allen on Pabon- "We are happy to have Hannah as a local product on our roster. She is a strong hitter with a heavy arm swing. Our coaching staff is looking forward to working with her and continuing to develop her skill set."
Mailys Silvestre | 5'8 | Freshman | Setter | Tours, France
Baziquetto-Allen on Silvestre- "Mailys brings very consistent setting techniques to the table for us and we look forward to working with her to develop her game to an even higher level."
The Bucs began their preseason slate on Thursday morning and will see their first outside competition on August 16th with a trio of scrimmages at Central Florida. They open their home schedule with an exhibition against Ave Maria on Monday, August 19th at Suncoast Credit Union Arena, with first serve set for 6 PM. Before their opening match, the FSW Foundation will hold an unveiling of a new floor sponsor in the Arena, that will begin at 3 PM and is open to the public.