A native of Italy and a player of 30 years of experience, Tullia played semi-professionally (“Serie C”): her success as an all-around player was due to mental toughness, high energy, and ability to read the game and anticipate the play. As a coach in Italy, she coached mini-volley (10-12U), developing athletes that eventually played professionally and/or for the Italian Youth and Women’s National team.

In the Austin area, Tullia has coached girls at several clubs for 13 years and boys for four years. Her teams have consistently exceeded expectations, finishing the season with a higher ranking than they started with. As a club coach, she has qualified three teams for Nationals and has won a National Title at AAU in 2022.

Currently, Tullia is the head coach for both JV and the 7th-8th grade team at St. Stephen’s Episcopal. This is her 3rd year at St. Stephen’s, where she’s also coached high school soccer and middle school and high school tennis. Previously, Tullia was also head coach of Round Rock Christian Junior High.

In addition to coaching club and school volleyball, Tullia has managed several youth programs, coaching over 400 athletes aged 9 to 13 to prepare them for club volleyball.

Tullia holds USAV, IMPACT, CAP I, and CAP II certifications. She keeps updating her training constantly, and her mentors include present and former coaching staff of the US Women’s National Team and the Italian Women’s National Team.

Tullia’s coaching philosophy and methods are based on solid, scientific learning principles: 1) the “game teaches the game”: practices based on real game-like situations, with players developing a high volleyball IQ and a solid competitive spirit; 2) “playful approach”: it is scientifically proven that athletes learn faster and retain better when having fun and being emotionally engaged; 3) ” players as people”: the bond she’s able to create with her athletes and their families is strong and long-lasting.

In her non-volleyball-related life, Tullia is the Manager of a US-Italian Food Company, a certified translator, and a Certified Life Coach committed to empowering players to grow in the life skills acquired through playing the game. She lives in Leander with the apple of her eyes, her son Brian (13), and her ever-supportive husband, Rick.