Otavio Souza is in his second season with the Griffon Volleyball as the Graduate Assistant. He works with the Missouri Western hitters and blockers and coordinates all video breakdown and exchange.His duties also include director for all tournaments held on-campus.
Souza helped guide MWSUÂ to one of its most historic seasons in 2017. The Griffons won a NCAA tournament match, share of the MIAAÂ Regular Season Championship and advance to the MIAAÂ Championship final for the first time in program history. Missouri Western also won 25 matches for the first time since 1997 and qualified for its first NCAA Tournament in 17 seasons.Â
In his two seasons, Souza helped coach 11 players to All-MIAA honors with Rachel Friedrichs being named first team All-MIAA in 2016 and Ali Tauchen selected as MIAA Freshman of the Year in 2017. Souza helped Friedrichs rank in the top 10 of the MIAA in hitting efficiency and kills.  MWSU finished sixth as a team in the MIAA for hitting efficiency and kills as a team for the 2016 season. His coaching in 2017 led Ali Tauchen to be second in blocks, Stephanie Doak to rank third in kills and Rachel Losch to be ninth in hitting percentage for the MIAA. As a team, MWSU led the conference in kills, finished second in total blocks and ranked fourth in hitting percentage, kills per set and blocks per set.
Before coming to Missouri Western, he was an assistant coach at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. At Georgetown, Souza coached Middle Blocker Danielle White to back-to-back All-Big East Second Team selections in 2013 and 2014.
As a division I Volleyball player for Brigham Young University, he finished his senior year with 22 starts,119 kills, 94 blocks, 35 digs, 16 assist, and seven service aces while hitting .431. Â
Souza coached the Gold Medal Squared Volleyball team and Aces Volleyball Club for the 18's team, where his team won the Utah 18's Regional Championship.
He earned a degree from BYU in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Portuguese in 2013. He his working towards a masters in sport and fitness management at Missouri Western.
