RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced Wednesday that Mayda Garcia has been promoted to associate head coach of the Vaqueros volleyball program. 
 
Garcia was hired as an assistant coach in February 2023 and has helped the Vaqueros volleyball team to abundant success in the last three seasons. She was instrumental in UTRGV winning the Southland Conference (SLC) regular season championship in 2025 and earning a postseason berth in the Women's National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) in 2024. 
 
"I'd like to thank head coach Todd Lowery for this promotion and guiding me to this step in my career. I'd also like to thank my parents for their continued support during my journey," Garcia said. "And lastly, I'd like to thank past coaches who have mentored me and continued to help me along the way. I'm excited for this upcoming season and look forward to putting in the work for continued success in this program." 
 
Garcia oversees a multitude of tasks for the volleyball program, including operations, recruiting, and planning practices. She uses her deep knowledge of the game to scout opponents effectively, aiding the setters, hitters and servers with ball location. With Garcia calling spots when UTRGV is at the service line, the Vaqueros were the No. 2 serving team in the SLC last season and ranked 43^rd in the nation averaging 1.74 aces per set. She helped the Vaqueros to a SLC-leading .275 hitting percentage in 2025, which is a new program record for single-season efficiency. 
 
UTRGV has enjoyed two of the five winningest seasons in program history during Garcia's tenure, winning 22 matches in 2025, which is tied for second-most in a season, and 19 in 2023, which is tied for fifth-most in program history. Under her guidance, the Vaqueros led the SLC in All-Conference honorees in 2024 and 2025. Isabella Costantini was a two-time SLC Setter of the Year and First Team All-Conference honoree. Last season, Martina Franco and Dimitra Nanou were named Newcomer of the Year and Freshman of the Year, respectively, while in 2024, Celianiz Cabranes was the Libero of the Year. In 2023, Garcia helped guide Kiaraliz Perez to Western Athletic Conference Libero of the Year honors. 
 
"Mayda has grown tremendously and at an extraordinary rate these last three years. She is extremely hard working and loves what she does. Her passion for the game and love for helping others has been a key piece of what we have been able to accomplish in the last three years. I'm excited to see what the future holds for her as she continues along her coaching journey. We are blessed to have her at UTRGV. The future has never been brighter for our program," Lowery said.
 
A former RGV high school volleyball standout and Div. I student-athlete who made three trips to the NCAA Tournament while competing for Fairfield, Garcia leans on her experiences to relate to and guide the Vaqueros on and off the court. She has served as a mentor to former UTRGV volleyball student-athlete and current graduate assistant Perris Key, helping her transition from the court to the sidelines and showing her the ropes of a young coaching career. 
 
Garcia's passion, intensity and dedication have benefitted the Vaqueros in numerous ways and has the program as a consistent title contender in the SLC.  
 
"It's rewarding knowing I've created bonds with the players to be able to challenge them beyond their limits and celebrate their achievements and I strive to help them build self-discipline so they are set up to succeed on and off the court," Garcia said. 

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