CHARLOTTE, N.C.- After leading the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers to a 26-1 record and their record third straight NJCAA Division I National Championship, FSW Head Coach Thais Baziquetto-Allen has been named the NJCAA National Coach of the Year for the third consecutive year.
Baziquetto-Allen and the Bucs dominated the competition this season, winning 80 of 87 sets played in route to a 26-1 overall record and Citrus Conference, FCSAA State, and NJCAA National Championships. After their lone loss of the season, FSW rolled off 13 straight sweeps including 3-0 sweeps of rival Miami Dade to clinch both the Conference and State Championships. The Bucs National Title was their third straight, making them the first NJCAA Division I team in the divisional era to win three straight National Championships. FSW defeated 17 ranked teams during their 2024 campaign, including eight Top 10 ranked foes.
"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. "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" he continued.
Baziquetto-Allen and the Bucs have been on a historic run the past three seasons, going 84-3 overall with as many National Championships as losses during the stretch. Since starting the FSW Volleyball program from scratch in 2018, Baziquetto-Allen and the Bucs are 145-25 overall with five Conference Championships, three FCSAA State Championships, five trips to the NJCAA National Tournament, and three NJCAA National Championships in just six seasons.
"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.