University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
A Phone Call From Florida Helps Bulldog Volleyball
08.27.2009 | Women's Volleyball
All because of a phone call that Bulldog coach Julie Torbett got from legendary Florida coach Mary Wise.
Four years ago, while playing in Brazil, Miotto decided she wanted to come to America to get a college education and play collegiate volleyball. Heading her list of schools to attend was the University of Florida, which has one of the nation's top volleyball programs.
Florida was very interested in Miotto. She was ranked as one of the top junior players in Brazil, and a potential pro career was awaiting if she decided to stay home.
Miotto wanted to come to Florida in the spring of 2006. However, the Gator program didn't have a scholarship at the time. Wise called Torbett, and the Bulldogs took Miotto sight unseen.
"Raquel has impressed Mary Wise, and she wanted Raquel to play at Florida but they just didn't have a scholarship," admitted Torbett. "Coach Wise called me and asked me if we would be interested in Raquel and we were. I hadn't seen her play or had a tape but believed that if a program like Florida was interested in her then she could play for us.
"It's worked out pretty good," smiled Torbett.
Miotto is just 30 digs shy of becoming only the second player in Big South history to reach the 2,000 milestone for her career. The only other player to do it, Elissa Steffen (1991-94), also played at UNC Asheville. Steffen's conference record of 2,179 career digs doesn't stand much of a chance considering Miotto has not had fewer than 580 digs in any of her first three seasons. Miotto needs 364 this season to move into the top 10 in NCAA history.
"Raquel played at a high level in Brazil and just knows the game so well," commented Torbett. "She's like a coach on the floor and knows how to process information during a match like no one I've ever coached. Raquel is never out of position and always in the right place at the right time."
Miotto began playing volleyball at the age of eight and immediately fell in love with game that is extremely popular in Brazil.
"I began playing when I was eight and my mom was playing, too," said Miotto. "When I turned 10, she stopped playing to allow me to play. She would drive me to practice and worked with me on my game.
"Volleyball in Brazil is pretty intense. We would practice six hours a day but I really loved it," added Miotto. "I was lucky enough to be invited to train with the national team as one of the top 64 players in Brazil."
When she finished high school, she had a decision to make. Play pro volleyball or come to America and play college volleyball.
"I decided it would be better to continue my education and play volleyball in America," said Miotto. "I was excited about the chance to go to Florida but then that didn't work out. Luckily, Coach Wise recommended me to UNC Asheville."
Brazil to Asheville in January was a bit of change for Miotto, but she quickly fell in love with the "Paris of the South."
"There's not much in common between Brazil and Asheville, but I just love Asheville and its amazing culture," declared Miotto. "The school is wonderful and it has been a great experience to come here.
"I do miss the beaches of Brazil at times, but that's OK because of how much I like Asheville," added Miotto.
Miotto has put up some amazing statistics during her time at UNC Asheville. She says the simple fact of keeping stats is one of the big differences from playing in Brazil and in America.
"We really don't keep stats in Brazil. I remember after one of my first matches as a freshman they told me how many digs I had, and I didn't realize that stats were being kept," commented Miotto. "I'm glad we do here because that has helped drive me to be a better player and allowed me to set goals for where I want to be."
Since Miotto came to UNC Asheville, she has been recognized as the top libero in the Big South. She was named a first team all-conference selection as a freshman and junior and made the second team her sophomore year. The Brazilian native has high hopes for her team in her senior season.
"We have five seniors and I think we have the chance to be a great team," stated Miotto. "Our chemistry is sensational and we all do a great job of pushing each other to get better. I think we have a real chance to win conference and go the NCAA Tournament. That would be a great way to end my college career."
