FORT MYERS, Fla. — FSW volleyball has dominated every game this season, sweeping each opponent. Their victory over Daytona State on Wednesday brought the Bucs to 13-0, but their record isn’t the only thing that sets them apart. They’re reigning national champs, are currently ranked number one in the country, and they’ve got quite a unique roster.

“We have six returners from last year and we added a big diverse group,” said FSW head volleyball coach Thais Baziquetto-Allen. “We knew that we always have a big group of incoming freshmen, but this year is just like they came from all over the world.”

FSW’s seven starters are all from seven different countries — Italy, Serbia, Argentina Peru, Brazil, Slovakia and the United States. Portugal is also represented on the 2023 roster, bringing many different cultures and styles of volleyball into one locker room. 

“It’s pretty interesting seeing how different people from different countries play,” said Izzy Collier, FSW sophomore from Jacksonville, Florida. “I’m from here, so everyone doesn’t play the same as me. But being around them and learning how they play is really an incredible experience for me.”

“It’s just like kind of bringing it all together and creating a unique style for FSW volleyball because of what they bring from their own country,” said Baziquetto-Allen.

There is an adjustment period at the start, like teaching English to foreign players and adapting to how each other plays.

“I think it’s balance,” said Baziquetto-Allen. “The understanding that they need to kind of buy into what we do in our culture and all the new things, but also keeping their own characteristics and their own culture and everything like that. So keeping that balance where they bring that in with them, but also adjust to the new culture and the new things we’re talking about.”

The team said once they are all acclimated, it’s like one big family in Southwest Florida.

“We do a lot of team bonding,” said Collier. “So, we get together and just do a bunch of activities, a bunch of fun things.”

“I think this team, we adapt so fast with the newcomers,” said FSW sophomore Alondra Alarcon of Peru. “When you see us on the court, we look like just a team, you know, we don’t look like we’re from different countries. We are just like FSW.”

They all know that whatever differences they bring to the court, they have one main goal in common — to bring home another national championship.

“Maybe it’s going to be a little different because we have a new team,” said Alarcon. “But we have the same goal.”