When the 16th season of Cardinal volleyball unfolds this fall, it will do so with Paty Figueiredo at the helm.
Figueiredo, who led Missouri State University-West Plains to a 37-6 record and fifth-place finish at the 2024 NJCAA tournament in her second season, has accepted the head coaching position at Trinity Valley Community College. She replaces Aleah Hayes, who resigned earlier this month after a successful six-year tenure.
“We are incredibly excited that Paty and her husband Robson are joining the Cardinal family,” Kite said. “Former head coach Aleah Hayes set a very high standard of excellence for Cardinal volleyball, and we believe Coach Paty is going to continue to carry that standard and push the program to a new level.
“Her track record at MSU-West Plains shows that she can build a program that can compete at a national level and her accomplishments as an NJCAA All American while playing allows her to understand the junior college student-athlete.”
Kite said Figueiredo will begin her duties as the third head coach in the history of the Cardinal program on campus Monday, Feb. 24. An introductory press conference is scheduled Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 11 a.m. in the foyer at Cardinal Gym.
Figueiredo, a former MSU-West Plains player, was named the head coach there in 2023 after having served as an assistant coach the season before. She was 17-18 as head coach her first season before the dramatic turnaround this past season.
She began her MSU-West Plains playing career in 2008, leading the nation in assists as a freshman and helping the Grizzlies to a seventh-place finish at the national tournament. As a sophomore, Figueiredo played a vital role (leading the team in assists and being third in points scored) in the Grizzlies reaching the NJCAA championship match.
After graduating from MSU-WP, she transferred to Florida State University, where she played for the Seminoles and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in business. Figueiredo was an impact player at FSU, helping the Seminoles finish 22-11 in 2010, while advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. They lost to No. 1 overall seed Florida in five sets, losing 17-15 in the fifth.
Coaching opportunities took her to the University of Texas-El Paso, where she earned a master’s degree in leadership and communication, and Montana State University-Northern in Havre.
Before returning to MSU-WP in 2022, she spent a season as the director of volleyball operations and varsity coach at Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla.
The Cardinals, who made a third straight trip to the national tournament, were 24-16 this past season, including a 3-0 loss to Figueiredo’s MSU-West Plains squad.
“We believe Trinity Valley Community College has raised the bar with Coach Paty as the next head volleyball coach,” Kite said.
