University of West Florida

When UWF started sponsoring women's volleyball in 2000, the leadership knew success wouldn't happen overnight. Skip ahead to the fall of 2003 with the arrival of first-year head coach Melissa Wolter. After having coached at Wisconsin-Parkside before coming to the warmth of Pensacola, she knew she would need to get a difference-maker to get the program to where it needed to be.
 
Enter Naiara Fernandes.
 
The 5-foot-11 outside hitter from Brazil transferred to UWF and made an immediate impact on the young program. 
 
She became a 2-time First Team All-Gulf South Conference selection and ended her career among the leaders in the UWF record book where she is currently seventh in school history in kills (962), 11th in digs (706) and fifth in aces (101).
 

In 2005, the volleyball program tied the school record of 24 wins but was upset in the Gulf South Conference Tournament quarterfinal. Not to let that define the program, Fernandes came back as a senior in 2006 and laid the groundwork for what has become one of the most consistent programs in the country.
 
The 2006 team broke through and made the first NCAA Regional appearance and advanced to the regional semifinal.
 
"I'll never forget the last match of my senior year against Central Missouri," she said. "We lost 3-2 in the semifinals (of the Regional Tournament), fighting incredibly hard until the last point. It was such an emotional match for us and everyone watching it. It was one of those matches that stays forever in your memory."
 
Fernandes left everything she had on the court in Kirksville, Missouri that November day. She followed a season-best 26 kills in the first round with a school-record 34 winners a day later against the 17th-ranked Jennies. Her season kill total of 598 is also the top mark in UWF history to this day.
 
She credits Wolter for shaping her into the strong person she is today.
 
"All of this would have never happened if wasn't for coach Wolter. She is one of the most inspiring people I have ever met. When I think back about my last season I remember thinking, 'we can do this, we need to do this for her.' But who was actually doing a lot for us was her, with everything she was going thru at the time, she was teaching us the biggest lesson of all, fight for your life with all of your heart and never give up."
 
Since retiring from professional volleyball, where she played in Europe after graduation, she has become a physical therapist and lives in Italy with Pier Damiano Bertini, her husband of almost nine years and their 18-month-old son, Julian.
 
"Volleyball gave me everything I have! Being a student-athlete allowed me to have a career after I was done playing volleyball."