MIAMI– A proven winner and one with two decades of experience building winning cultures, Flavia Siqueira has been named the next head coach of FIU volleyball, Director of Athletics Scott Carr announced.

“I am incredibly grateful and excited to accept the opportunity to serve as head coach at FIU. I want to sincerely thank the athletic directors and the administration for their belief and trust in me,” Siqueira said. “FIU has tremendous potential, and I am honored to be a part of this program. I embrace the strength of Conference USA and I am committed to the growth of our student-athletes, developing them as competitors, students, and people. I am eager to get to work and build something special together.”

Siqueira, who spent the last two seasons at Georgia State of the Sun Belt, led the Panthers, who hadn’t won more than 15 games since 2009 and 10 games since 2019, to consecutive 17+ win seasons as the head coach. In 2025, the Panthers went 18-10 and 9-7 in conference play, their best record since joining the Sun Belt.

“On behalf of everyone with FIU Athletics I’d like to welcome Flavia to the Panther Family,” said FIU Director of Athletics Scott Carr. “Flavia has a tremendous amount of head coaching experience at various collegiate levels, but regardless of where she has been the one constant is that she’s a proven winner. Her teams not only win on the court, but they win off it as well. Flavia has established a strong program culture built on relationships with her student-athletes and an emphasis on academics. We cannot wait for her to get started and we’re excited about the future. Paws Up!”

Under her guidance, Marta Lazzarin won Sun Belt Libero of the Year and Maria Cecilia De Pinho was named to the All-Conference Second Team. In addition, Lazzarin was tabbed an AVCA Southeast Region Honorable Mention for her performance during the 2025 campaign.

2024 was also strong for Siqueira’s Panthers, who went 17-10 and won their opening-round game in the conference tournament in five sets and nearly upset top-seeded App State in the semifinals.

Before her time in Atlanta, Siqueira guided Auburn Montgomery, an NCAA Division II school, to a 24-9 mark, setting the program record for victories in 2023. AUM was ranked as high as No. 10 in the NCAA South Region rankings in 2023, the school’s first-ever appearance in the poll, and the Warhawks notched the program’s first-ever win over a ranked opponent, a 3-2 victory over then-no. 16 West Florida.

 

With a record of 81-59, including four winning seasons in five years at AUM, Siquera led the Warhawks to three consecutive appearances in the Gulf South Conference postseason tournament, reaching the semifinals the last two years.

 

She coached four AUM student-athletes to all-conference honors, and Kaleigh Fitzgerald earned the program’s first-ever AVCA All-Region nod in 2023.

No stranger to South Florida, Siqueira two seasons as the top assistant coach at Lynn University.

 

Before going to Lynn, Siqueira had tremendous success in the junior college ranks, compiling a record of 278-97 in nine seasons as a head coach in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). In 2009 she earned the ’30 Under 30′ Award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association, one of two coaches from two-year programs to garner the honor.

 

Siqueira served as the inaugural head coach of the College of Central Florida’s volleyball program in Ocala, Fla., from 2011-16. During her tenure, the Patriots went 188-59 overall and 47-3 in the Mid-Florida Conference. The program also claimed a FCSAA State Championship, two runner-up finishes and one NJCAA District P Championship.

 

For her efforts she was named the league’s Coach of the Year in each of her six seasons while winning the MFC Championship six years in a row. Known for her player development, Siqueira helped produce five NJCAA All-Americans, three Mid-Florida Conference Players of the Year, two FCSAA State Players of the Year and one NCJAA National Player of the Year during her time at CCF.

 

Before starting the program at CCF Siqueira spent three seasons as head coach at Northwest College in Powell, Wyo., where she led the Trappers to a 90-38 overall record. While at Northwest her squad won a regional championship while also earning a berth in the NJCAA National Tournament in 2009.

 

She served as the head coach of Team Florida of USA Volleyball High Performance Girls Select volleyball club, which won five consecutive national titles.

 

Siqueira began her coaching career in 2007 as the head coach at the University of the Southwest in Hobbs, N.M.

 

As a player, Siqueira was part of two top four national finishes at Western Nebraska Community College, where she earned All-Region and Academic All-American honors. She went on to become a NCAA Division II All-American at the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D., leading the program to its first ever national top-10 ranking.

 

A three-time All-Conference and All-Region selection in college, Siqueira played Confederation Volleyball in Brazil for Sao Paulo from 1997-1999 prior to her arrival in the U.S.

 

Siqueira graduated from the University of Mary with a B.S. in physical education with a minor in coaching before earning her master’s degree in college teaching.

PROVO, Utah — BYU Director of Athletics Brian Santiago has announced the hiring of Rob Neilson as the seventh head women’s volleyball coach in BYU history.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rob Neilson back to BYU as our head women’s volleyball coach,” Santiago said. “Rob has been a part of a rich history at BYU, both as a player and coach on the men’s side, highlighted by winning a national championship. He is a proven winner, as evidenced by his experience as a head coach at Utah State and as an assistant coach for the USA National Team. We are excited to have Rob lead our BYU women’s volleyball program and exceptional student-athletes into the future.”

A setter at BYU from 2003-06, Neilson was part of the Cougars’ 2004 national championship team. He compiled a 91-31 record in his collegiate career. He tallied 2,790 assists, ranking fifth in BYU’s rally-scoring era record book upon graduation, and finished eighth in solo blocks with 28.

“Coaching at BYU is a dream come true,” Neilson said. “This is a distinguished university, with storied volleyball programs, built by amazing student-athletes, incredible coaches and a community that’s all in. I’m honored to continue that legacy with our women’s team. Thank you to the board of trustees, President Reese, Brian Santiago, Chad Lewis and the search committee. I’m excited to get to work preparing for great things as we hurl our challenge to all foes. Rise and shout. Let’s go.”

Neilson has spent the past six seasons as head coach at Utah State, posting a 112-59 (.655) record in Logan. Most recently, he led the Aggies to a historic 2025 campaign, finishing 24-8 overall with an 18-0 mark in Mountain West Conference play, winning the Mountain West Tournament title and recording a first-round upset of No. 7 seed Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament, Utah State’s first tournament win since 2001.

During his tenure, the Aggies captured three Mountain West regular-season championships (2021, 2023, 2025) and two Mountain West Tournament titles (2022, 2025). Neilson was named Mountain West Coach of the Year three times (2021, 2023, 2025) and earned AVCA Pacific North Region Coach of the Year honors in 2023.

Neilson coached 12 all-conference honorees, three all-region selections and one All-American, while guiding Utah State to winning records in five of his six seasons and three NCAA Tournament appearances. He is just the third coach in program history to reach the 100-win milestone and the first to do so since 1978.

Prior to his time in Logan, Neilson served as the first assistant coach with the U.S. Men’s National Team, helping Team USA earn a bronze medal at the 2018 World Championships and a silver medal at the 2019 Volleyball Nations League.

Before joining USA Volleyball, Neilson spent 10 seasons on the BYU men’s volleyball staff. He served as an assistant coach from 2006-10, acting as recruiting coordinator and overseeing player development. Neilson was BYU’s interim head coach in 2011, returned as an assistant in 2012 and was named associate head coach in 2014. During that span, he helped lead the Cougars to two conference championships and a national runner-up finish in 2013.

Neilson earned a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from BYU in 2006 and completed an MBA in 2013. He and his wife, Sarah, have five children.

Wisconsin volleyball has quickly pivoted from postseason mode to offseason roster-building mode.

On Dec. 18, the Badgers lost in the NCAA Final Four in a five-set heartbreaker to Kentucky. On Dec. 19, five UW players announced plans to enter the transfer portal. Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield then picked up his first transfer portal commitment a day after that.

The Wisconsin Badgers moved quickly in the transfer portal, landing UC Santa Barbara outside hitter Eva Travis after losing starter Una Vajagic to the transfer portal on Monday.

Travis, a redshirt sophomore in 2025, had a strong season this past year, averaging 3.93 kills per set for the Gauchos, while recording a career-high 30 kills in a win over UC Irvine. She had 20+ kills in six matches this year and 19 matches with double-digit kills.

She’ll join an outside hitter group that includes returners Grace Egan (sophomore) and Madison Quest (freshman), as well as touted incoming freshmen Audrey Flanagan and Halle Thompson.

Travis was the 2024 Big West Freshman of the Year after redshirting in 2023. She earned All-Big West 2nd Team Honors this year.

Against some top competition in USC and Creighton this year, Travis had 21 and 19 kills, respectively. She now becomes the second transfer to commit to Wisconsin from the portal in this cycle, joining Florida middle blocker Jaela Auguste.