TOWSON, Md. - Since his arrival on campus prior to the start of the 2010 season, Tiger volleyball coach Bruce Atkinson had brought an international flavor to the roster.

The 2010 roster featured a Tiger from Brazil. Towson will open the 2012 season with two players from Brazil, two from Poland and one from Puerto Rico. Also one of the Tigers' assistant coaches hails from Brazil.

Dayane Van Ass and Bibiany Fonseca joined the Tigers for the 2011 season from Uberlandia, Brazil.

Van Ass appeared in 27 of a possible 32 matches in her first year with the Tigers. She finished third on the team with 223 kills. Van Ass was named to the all-tournament team at the West Virginia Mountaineer Invitational, in the season's opening weekend. There she had 28 kills in four matches, including 22 in the two matches on Sunday. Van Ass had a season-high 19 kills against Northeastern.

Fonseca joined the Tigers after spending the 2010 season at Indian Hills Community College. For the Tigers she appeared in nine matches and earned the start against James Madison. She had 93 assists on the season including a season-high 37 assists in the match against the Dukes. Fonseca added 11 kills and 24 digs on the season.

Marta Machos and Karolina Sawaniewicz came from Poland and played together at Midland Junior College before transferring to Towson.

Machos saw time in 20 matches for the Tigers during the 2011 campaign. She finished the season with 99 kills and 27 blocked shots. Machos had a season-high 13 kills twice during the season.  Sawaniewicz appeared in 25 matches for the Tigers during her first season. She finished the year with 128 kills and recorded a season-high 12 kills in the match against VCU in the CAA Tournament. Sawaniewicz would add 24 blocks and six service aces.

Freshman Aniris Fernandez joined the Tiger roster from Puerto Rico. Fernandez appeared in four matches and had six digs, including three against Howard.

Assistant coach Josi Pinheiro joins Van Ass and Fonseca as members of the Tiger volleyball program that are from Brazil. Pinheiro came to the United States for her collegiate career, playing first at Seminole State College in Oklahoma before transferring to Hawaii-Hilo to play for Atkinson.

The Tigers' returning international players will be joined by players from Maryland, Hawaii, Ohio and Illinois in 2012.