Fabiana de Abreu has starred at almost every level of volleyball. She’ll try to help Texas-Pan American’s volleyball team continue its recent success as she enters her second year as a member of the UTPA coaching staff.

Prior to joining the Lady Broncs, de Abreu was a student assistant at Iowa after finishing her playing career there.

One of two sisters exposed to volleyball as a youngster since her mother was a volleyball player, de Abreu played for both her school (Colegio Objetivo) and various clubs in Brazil. A setter and a hitter in a 6-2 offense, de Abreu played for the Brazilian National Team, earning recognition for being the best hitter at both the South American and World Championships and earning first team All-Tournament honors at the South American Championships.

Heading north, de Abreu had a stellar playing career at the College of Southern Idaho, leading the Golden Eagles to the National Junior College Athletic Association championship as a freshman. De Abreu was named NJCAA Player of the Year twice, was twice named a first team All-American, was chosen for the All-Tournament team at both the Region 18 and NJCAA Championships, and was named Most Valuable Player of the NJCAA Championships in 1998 and MVP of the Region 18 Tournament in 1999. She was also selected as one of the members of the NJCAA Volleyball Team of the Century.

At Iowa, de Abreu was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week, was selected as Most Valuable Player of the Iowa Tournament, and earned All-Tournament Team honors at the Hawaii Tournament. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies in May, 2002.

“I’m excited, and I’m like the the challenge of being an assistant coach,” said de Abreu. “When I came to UTPA, I liked everything about it, the community, the weather, the program, and working with Dave Thorn. I like the fact that it’s closer to Brazil, so my family can fly there. As a coach, I’m looking to give back what volleyball gave me.”

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