This is the second in a series of features highlighting Razorback coaches and student-athletes as the University of Arkansas celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – For just the second time in program history, the University of Arkansas volleyball program was in search of a head coach and that position was filled when Robert Pulliza was hired into the Razorback Nation on July 11, 2008. With him, the native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, brought a bevy of experience with other top programs in the country and a life-long passion for the sport.

"My first official match where I competed against other schools was in fifth grade," Pulliza said. "I have been playing and coaching ever since, and it has pretty much been my life. I grew up around it and my mom was very supportive. We went from tournament to tournament, from practice to practice.

"I was always playing some sort of volleyball. When volleyball wasn't in season, we'd go to gyms and play pick-up games, like people do with basketball. We would set up nets and would start playing. I grew up through volleyball."

Currently in his fourth season at Arkansas, Pulliza's team enters Southeastern Conference play as one of the hottest teams in the league. The Razorbacks' 8-3 mark heading into conference play was the sixth-best tally in program history. During the non-conference season, the Razorbacks won tournament titles at the Deacon Invitational and West Point Challenge.

Under Pulliza, the Razorbacks have seen the sixth All-American in program history with Jasmine Norton earning Honorable Mention accolades in 2009 and three All-SEC performers in Norton, Amanda Anderson and Raymariely Santos.

Santos, a sophomore setter for Arkansas, is one of three student-athletes on the 2011 roster that hail from Puerto Rico, joining senior Adriana Vazquez and junior Janeliss Torres-Lopez. The Puerto Rico pipeline for Pulliza extended to South America with the 2011 addition of Venezuela native Roslandy Acosta, who competed at the 2008 Olympic Games for her native country and, at the age of 16, was the youngest player in the field.

Pulliza remains actively involved with the Puerto Rico National Team program. During the spring of 2010, he served as an assistant for the Puerto Rico Youth National Team that won bronze at the NORCECA Girls' Youth Continental Championships. The top-three finish secured a trip to the 2011 FIVB Youth World Championship in Turkey. Pulliza was also part of the coaching staff for the Puerto Rico Junior National Team in 2010.

"In Puerto Rico, volleyball is huge," Pulliza said, "When you grow up in Puerto Rico, volleyball is probably the most dominant sport on the island. Sure, baseball and basketball are big, but they're just mostly male sports. With volleyball, you have both men and women playing and there are professional leagues on both sides, so there is so much exposure surrounding the game."

Upon his arrival in Fayetteville, Pulliza sought a way continue outreach to the Hispanic community. Along with his wife, he established the Robert and Jamie Pulliza Opportunity Scholarship. The first recipient of the scholarship was Hayden Herrera of Springdale, Ark. In further show of dedication to the University and community, Pulliza is a member of the Athletic Director's Council on Diversity.

"(My heritage) is very important to me," Pulliza said. "I want to do well just because I have pride as a person, but also because I want to do well for those who are affiliated with me and put them in a good light. I know the whole island of Puerto Rico that is involved in the volleyball community is watching to see how I do and I certainly want to make those people proud. There is pressure and pride involved in that, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated in recognition of the historical and cultural contributions of Hispanic Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, The Caribbean and Central and South America. This national observance was first established in 1968 when Congress authorized the president to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage Week each year. In 1988, Congress extended the observance from a week to a month. The annual observance is now a 31-day period beginning September 15 and ending October 15.