THE FLATS – Rising senior outside hitter Bianca Bertolino has been selected compete on the National Team of Argentina this summer, the Argentine Volleyball Federation announced. Bertolino, fresh off of her first All-American collegiate season on The Flats, made the team as an outside hitter after serving as libero in training the last two summers. She will compete with “Las Panteras” in a series of friendlies before traveling with them to Manila, the Philippines to participate in the Women’s Volleyball Challenger Cup later this summer (July 4 – July 7).
Bertolino started all 31 matches for the Yellow Jackets this past fall, posting a career-high 351 kills, 53 total blocks and 62 aces to go along 321 digs on her way to being named 1st Team All-ACC and Honorable Mention AVCA All-American for the first time in her career. She proved herself to be one of the best defensive pin hitters in the college volleyball, successfully passing 97.5 percent of the serves sent her way (711 of 729 receptions), highest receiving pct. of any non-libero in Division I.
The San Guillermo-Santa Fe, Argentina native will make her 2024 debut with the National Team for a series of friendlies against South Korea in Buenos Aires. The first match will be held on May 22 at the Ferro Carril Oeste stadium before the second game against South Korea, on May 23rd at the Estadio Juan Carmelo Zerillo. Those matches will serve as warmup contests before heading to the Philippines for the Challenger Cup, in July, where Argentina will fight for a spot in the 2025 League of Nations, the largest annual international tournament in world volleyball.
This will be Bertolino’s third summer with the team but her first opportunity to play with the team in an international tournament. Argentina is one of four teams to have already qualified for the Challenger Cup, along with Kenya, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. The remaining teams (two European teams, an Asian team and one at-large selected by world ranking) will earn their spots in the tournament based on results of continental tournaments that have yet to be held.
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