New head coach appointed for FGCU’s highly successful volleyball team
4 – minute read
Thais Baziquetto-Allen has been named the new head coach for Florida Gulf Coast University’s volleyball program.
“I am thrilled to announce the addition of Thais Baziquetto-Allen as the next leader of our volleyball program,” said Colin Hargis, director of athletics.
“Thais’ passion, experience, commitment to excellence and connection to the Southwest Florida community will champion FGCU volleyball’s continued success.”
“I’m beyond excited to start at FGCU,” said Baziquetto-Allen. “I want to thank Colin Hargis and sport supervisor Matt Ring for the opportunity. FGCU has a great volleyball tradition. [Former head coach] Matt Botsford did a tremendous job with the program, and I look forward to helping the program reach new heights.”
Botsford announced in December he was stepping down to become head volleyball coach at the University of Central Florida. During his 11 years at FGCU, he built the program into the dominant force in the Atlantic Sun Conference. FGCU became the first ASUN program since 1997 to win four-straight conference tournaments when it won the 2024 championship on its home floor. The Eagles would win five tournament championships under Botsford in addition to four regular season championships and two division championships.
No stranger to the sidelines in the Southwest Florida area, Baziquetto-Allen won three consecutive National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championships at Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers, capping the run in 2024 with an impressive 26-1 record and a 3-0 sweep of Miami Dade College in the championship match. She departs FSW with a 145-25 (.853) overall record and a 65-5 (.929) mark in conference play.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity I had at FSW,” Baziquetto-Allen said. “The success there helped me prepare to be successful at FGCU. I’m excited to stay in the area and bring the fans and community closer to FGCU volleyball.”
FGCU’s newest head coach has already started contacting the current Eagles roster. “I spoke with them briefly, but I’m excited to get on campus and start our spring training,” she said.
The Eagles have made four trips to the NCAA Tournament in as many years. After winning the regular season championship last season, the Eagles will host the ASUN Tournament this year.
During her time at FSW, Baziquetto-Allen was named the NJCAA National Coach of the Year for three consecutive seasons from 2022-24 and recruited and coached the NJCAA National Player of the Year during those three years as well.
Baziquetto-Allen also had a proven track record at FSW of sending players to the next level, with 25 players moving to Division I and 32 continuing their careers at the four-year level. FGCU’s new head coach went to FSW after spending three seasons as the head coach at Seward County Community College in Liberal, Kansas. She amassed an overall record there of 86-28 (.754).
She began her coaching career as an assistant coach at Lamar Community College in Colorado. In her only season there, Baziquetto-Allen helped LCC to a 26-win season, which included recruiting three All-Conference players.
Baziquetto-Allen was one of just three NJCAA coaches to receive an American Volleyball Coaches Association Thirty Under 30 Award in 2017. The award honors up-and-coming coaching talent at all levels of the sport of volleyball. To qualify for the award, nominees had to be 30 years old or younger in 2016.
As a player, Baziquetto-Allen starred at Western New Mexico University and St. Petersburg College.
As a senior at Western New Mexico, she was named to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference All-Academic Team and graduated with honors from WNMU. As a student-athlete at St. Pete, she helped the Titans to a 26-9 record during her sophomore season and was on the President’s Honor Roll.
A native of Guarulhos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Baziquetto-Allen played at the highest club level of amateur volleyball in Brazil and still maintains strong connections in the Sao Paulo area.
She is married to Roy Allen and resides in Cape Coral.