Paula Roca

Paula Roca
Paula Roca
  • Title:
    Assistant Coach
Bio

Paula Roca is a former professional volleyball player and the co-founder and co-owner of Bevolley Academy, a beach volleyball club established in January 2013, in St. Petersburg, Fla.

As an avid supporter of this sport, she brings a wealth of coaching and playing experience to the club members and the beach volleyball community. Born and raised in Recife, Brazil, Roca grew up playing beach volleyball and took that passion to play indoor volleyball where she competed professionally for seven years across Brazil.

In 2002, she returned to her first love of playing beach volleyball and began competing in professional tournaments with FIVB in Brazil and Greece, Coop tour in Switzerland, AVP across the US and Puerto Rico, as well as professional tours in Brazil before retiring from the professional circuit in 2009.

Roca obtained her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in finance from the University of South Florida after completing her AA degree from the College of Southern Idaho.

Her coaching accolades range from multiple indoor AAU and Junior Olympic National Championships to coaching beach volleyball AVP professionals and FIVB Pro athletes.

Among her coaching accomplishments are from 2019 to 2020, coaching Kimberly Hildreth and Sarah Schermerhorn to the Top 10 in the AVP. From December 2022 to present, coaching Eunyce Vercosa and Tambre Nobles, along with coaching and developing more the 40 college prospect athletes at the time, since 2013.

Her other pupils include Raelyn White and Brooke Kulhman, FSU beach volleyball player Zeena Khazendar, and Stanford beach volleyball players.

Roca's indoor coaching experience from the Juniors level includes Pro Team Raquel Ferreira and Kristen Batt (2012-14), Junior Olympics U14 Open Division National Champion (2014), AAU U14 Open Division National Champion (2014), AAU U15 Open Division National Champion (2015) and Junior Olympics U15 Open Division 3rd place (2015).

Her junior college accomplishments include playing for the 1994 and 1995 NCJAA National Champion College of Southern Idaho. She was a 1994 NCJAA First Team All-American, 1994 NCJAA National tournament MVP, 1994 NCJAA Region XVIII MVP, 1995 NCJAA First Team All Americans, 1995 NCJAA National tournament MVP, 1994 AVCA All-America Team, 1995 AVCA All-America team and 1995 AVCA National Player of the Year.

At USF, her playing achievements include being the 1996 Bankers Classic All-Tournament 1st team, Conference USA 1996 Volleyball All-tournament team, Conference USA 1997 Volleyball All conference 1st Team, Conference USA 1997 Volleyball player of the year, Conference USA individual Leaders Year by year, 1996 USF Volleyball Invitational All-Tournament Team, 1997 USF Volleyball Sport Award MVP, 1996-97 6-time C-USA Player of the Week winner.

Among her Conference USA accomplishments from 1996-97, she was among the top five in several categories, including kills (680 in 1997), kills per game 5.4 in 1997), aces per game (1997), digs (515 in 1997),  digs (437 in 1996), digs per game (4.12 in 1996), 1996 NCAA tournament appearance, 1997 USF 3x2 FSU first round participant and 1997 USF 0x3 UF Second round competitor.