New FIU volleyball coach is adventurous, unique … and a winner
When Flavia Siqueira was a poor 14-year-old kid in her native Brazil, she would usually have just enough money for either the bus ride home from school/volleyball practice … or a sandwich.
But because she loved volleyball so much, she would stay on the court for as many as eight hours. When that happened, she would use her bus money for a much-needed meal before taking the 80-minute walk home.
Not that she was complaining.
“Growing up, I didn’t have a lot,” said Siqueira, who was raised by a single mother in Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo. “But I had what I needed, and I was happy to walk home if that meant I got to play volleyball for a great club surrounded by amazing people.”
On Dec. 23, Siqueira was hired as FIU’s new volleyball coach, and it stands to reason that she is searching for talented players who share her passion for the sport. She also wants players who are disciplined and appreciative of their opportunities.
“She’s a proven winner,” FIU athletic director Scott Carr said of Siqueira. “Her teams not only win on the court, but they win off it as well.”
Siqueira said FIU’s administration is the reason she took the job.
“They have a vision to improve the program,” she said. “They have a plan to walk alongside me, and you can see that they care.”
Siqueira, 43, cares deeply also, even if she is a bit different than most U.S. volleyball coaches.
First of all, she drives around in a motorcycle, she surfs and sky-dives, and, really, how cool is that?
Secondly, she speaks Portuguese and also perfect English, a language she has worked hard to master over the past couple of decades. She also speaks some Spanish.
Third, Siqueira has more than 50 tattoos, including both arm sleeves.
Siqueira was 15 when she got her first tattoo – the words “girl power” in Chinese on her left ankle. Siqueira said her most meaningful tattoo is a depiction of a phoenix.
“I got that in honor of my mother on her 60th birthday,” Sequeira said of Ana Maria Guarnieri, now 65. “She’s had a tough life, but it never stopped her from raising three kids. She’s my role model.”
Siqueira said her tattoos are often conversation starters with her players, and that can lead to breaking down barriers and creating deeper bonds.
Building connections is gratifying to Siqueira, who has poured much of her life into volleyball.
Her American journey started at age 17, when coaches at Western Nebraska Community College contacted Siqueira’s club team in Brazil, looking for players.
When the offer came, it took Siqueira, who is 5-foot-9, just 10 minutes to switch positions and make the decision to become an outside hitter in the U.S., knowing absolutely nothing about the frigid winters that awaited her.
She arrived in Scottsbluff, Nebraska in January of 2000. She knew no English, and there was snow on the ground, but Siqueira made it work.
“When I got there, it was 10 degrees, and I was wearing a huge men’s jacket that my coach in Brazil had given me,” Siqueira said. “It was very big on me.
“But it was great because the people in Nebraska love volleyball, and I got a lot of community support, including host families who would treat me to home-cooked meals on the weekends.”
In two years at Scottsbluff, Siqueira and Silvia Galli – who came with her from Brazil – helped Western Nebraska finished top-four in the nation twice. Siqueira earned All-Region and Academic All-America honors.
From there, Siqueira got even colder as she transferred to the University of Mary, a Division II program in Bismarck, North Dakota. Siqueira earned All-America honors leading Mary to its first-ever national top-10 ranking.
Siqueira, who earned a Master’s degree in college teaching at Mary, started her post-player career in 2007 as the head coach at the University of the Southwest in Hobbs, New Mexico.
Her breakthrough into the Division I ranks came over the past two years as she went 17-10 and then 18-10 in two years at Georgia State.
At FIU, Siqueira takes over a program that went 20-12 overall last season, including 12-4 in Conference USA. However, only two players from last season return to FIU.
That means that Siqueira, recruiting coordinator Camilo Guerci and assistant coach Chen Abramovich are determined to sign as many as 16 new players by the time the 2026 season starts in August.
Then again, those who know Siqueira – including Charlotte associate head coach Gio Delevry and Oregon associate head coach Giovana Melo – are confident she will win at FIU.
“She’s going to have more resources at FIU than she’s had previously,” Delevry said. “But even when she had less, she still won because she is competitive and creative.”
Melo said Siqueira is a dedicated coach.
“Flavia has outstanding international connections, and she leads her athletes with genuine passion and care,” Melo said. “She has proven she can win at any level, and I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes at FIU.”