Texas Border Business
EDINBURG, Texas – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros head volleyball coach Todd Lowery announced on Monday the addition of 5-9 outside hitter Ilana de Assis for the 2023 season.
Assis comes to UTRGV after playing two seasons for Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). In 67 matches with the Grizzlies, Assis accumulated 915 kills with a .294 hitting percentage and 3.83 kills per set, 698 digs, 54 service aces and 44 blocks. She averaged 4.2 points per set in her career at MSU-WP.
Assis helped the Grizzlies to back-to-back third place finishes at the NJCAA Division I Women’s National Volleyball Championship Tournament and to the 2021 and 2022 Region XVI Championship titles. In 2022, she was an NJCAA All-American honorable mention and a member of the All-Region XVI First Team. She led MSU-WP with 571 kills – the second most of all NJCAA Division I players – while averaging 4.68 kills per set with a .310 hitting percentage that season, adding 324 digs, 26 aces and 22 blocks.
As a freshman in 2021, the Chapadao do Ceu, Brazil native recorded 344 kills and 2.94 kills per set, 374 digs, 28 aces and 22 blocks while averaging 3.3 points per set. Assis made great strides from Year 1 to Year 2, leading to longtime MSU-WP head coach Paula Wiedemann calling Assis “one of the best six-rotation outside hitters” in program history.
“Ilana will be a great ball control outside hitter for us. She is a very good defender and passer and will add some depth on the outside,” Lowery said. “She is an experienced player that has carried a heavy load the last couple of years as one of the primary attackers on her team. We look forward to having her with us in the gym.”
