UTEP Miners

UTEP head coach Holly Watts announced the addition of Patricia Lira Figueiredo as an assistant coach to the Miners’ volleyball program on July 8, 2016.

Figuereido works with the setters and offense, she also coordinates team travel.

Coach Figueiredo was crucial in the development of senior setter Amanda King. In her two seasons with the Miners, King accumulated 1,129 sets, 350 digs, and 5.53 touches per set.
 
King had a career game her senior season against Rice with 55 assists as well as 9.5 points in the victory over the Owls (9/22).

The Rio de Janeiro, Brazil native joins the UTEP volleyball staff after serving as a volunteer assistant coach for Sunnjford Folkehogskule in 2016 in Forde, Norway. She was responsible for organizing and running the beach volleyball practices for both boys and girls up to the age of 20.

Figueiredo also assisted the women’s indoor volleyball team during practices with an emphasis on setter technique and proper volleyball skills.

Prior to her time in Norway, she was an assistant coach for Rio Sports and Tour in her hometown of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

She coached all basic and advanced beach volleyball skills to groups of boys and girls up to 20 years old, as well as organized scrimmage games with local teams and provided support during tourism activities.

Before Rio Sports and Tour, Figueiredo spent a year (2011-2012) as the volunteer head coach for the Tallahassee Juniors Volleyball Club in Tallahassee, Fla.

She taught basic and advanced skills to the 14’s and 15’s youth club team and also organized youth campers in training drills while providing technical feedback.

Figueiredo received her bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in business from Florida State University in 2012, where she played her junior year in 2010. She missed her senior season (2011) due to a back injury that limited her in the preseason.

Before Florida State, she spent two years playing for Missouri State University-West Plains.

In her time with the Grizzlies, she was named to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Women’s All-American team, as well as American Volleyball Coaches Association’s (AVCA) Two-Year College All-American team.