Volleyball
- Title:
- Athletics Communications
- Email:
- mavanzato@athletics.tamu.edu
Marissa Avanzato is currently the Communications Coordinator for the Athletics Communications office. She moved into this role in July of 2021 after spending the previous two years serving as the Assistant Director of Athletics Communications for Aggie volleyball and softball.
Avanzato served as the media coordinator for the 2022 SEC Indoor Track & Field Championships and was the press conference moderator at the 2022 SEC Women’s Basketball Championships. She also was the media coordinator for the NCAA Division I Volleyball first and second rounds held in Bryan-College Station in 2019, while being the active SID for Aggie volleyball.
In her first two seasons with Aggie volleyball and softball, and with the help of 12th Man Creative, Avanzato made an immediate impact in both team’s social media presence across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. On Instagram, @aggievolleyball had a 90% increase in followers, while @aggiesoftball had an 86% increase.
Avanzato comes to Texas A&M from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee, where she served as the media contact for volleyball, women’s basketball, and the men’s and women’s tennis teams.
In 2018, Avanzato was one of six nationwide who earned the NCAA/CoSIDA Inclusion Grant. The NCAA Inclusion CoSIDA Convention Grant is an annual professional development opportunity geared toward countering the gap of inclusion, advancement and retention within the field of media relations/communications for women and ethnic minorities.
Prior to ETSU, Avanzato spent a year as a media relations intern at Villanova University. At Villanova, she worked directly with the field hockey, rowing, baseball and both tennis teams. She made multiple graphics and managed her teams’ social media accounts. Avanzato also assisted with all home football games, as well as men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, and lacrosse games. For home men’s basketball games, Avanzato worked courtside for the 2016 defending National Championship team, under the leadership of Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright. She provided support at the BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse Championship and the BIG EAST Outdoor Track and Field Championships as well. During her year at Villanova, Avanzato was one of 220 applicants selected to attend the 2017 NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar held in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Before entering media relations, Avanzato held an on-field promotion position with the Pittsfield Suns and various positions with the Pittsfield Colonials baseball teams while working at the historic Wahconah Park. She also spent the summer of 2015 interning for the Chatham Anglers in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Avanzato graduated from Worcester State University in Massachusetts, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication, with a minor in Business Administration in 2016. At Worcester State, she was a member of the softball team, where she helped lead her team to the 2016 Division III MASCAC Championship and was a three-time Spring All-Academic team selection, while a three-year member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Avanzato was also the President of Lambda Pi Eta, Worcester State’s Communication Honor Society, as well as a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma Athletic Honor Society.
She earned her Master's of Science in Kinesiology and Sport Studies, with a Sport Management focus at ETSU in 2019.
Avanzato is an active member of College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and Women Leaders in College Sports. She’s also on CoSIDA’s Job Seekers and Mentorship Committees.
Marissa is a native of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Her older brother Nick, works as Director, Minor League Operations for the New York Yankees.
