Itas Trentino Trento will be reinforced by new American international Gabriel Garcia Fernandez. The former Puerto Rican national team opposite, who made his debut for the US national team during the 2024 Volleyball Nations League, signed a two-year contract with the club that won the Italian SuperLega Credem Banca 2023-2024 regular season, but then finished below expectations, in fourth place, while celebrating the continental club title in Europe’s CEV Champions League. This way, with Luxembourgish star Kamil Rychicki also staying with the team, Trentino will have two high-level options in the opposite position on the squad.

“It is a stimulating challenge, the biggest I have ever accepted in my career, and I consider it a step beyond the one I took three years ago when I arrived in Italy for the first time to play with Cucine Lube Civitanova,” Gabi Garcia told trentinovolley.it. “At the time, I had no idea of ​​the level of the Italian championship and I was curious to see if I could handle it. Now I am more comfortable in the SuperLega and I feel ready to try to take another step forward, joining a club with great tradition and always very competitive. I am happy to be part of it and I consider this opportunity a real blessing for me and my family.”

Garcia has already spent three seasons in the Italian SuperLega. In 2023-2024, he competed for Pallavolo Padova Padua and, in the previous two seasons, he defended the Lube colours and celebrated the Italian title in his very first season in the league, while also earning a 2021 FIVB Volleyball Men’s Club Word Championship silver. Gabi started his volleyball career in his native Puerto Rico and then excelled in the United States’ college championships playing for Brigham Young University for four years. Within his 60 caps with the national team of Puerto Rico, the 2.00m-tall opposite triumphed with the continental title at the 2021 NORCECA Championship. Later on, he changed his federation and joined the US national team, making his debut during the first week of VNL 2024. In his first match for USA, he came in as a substitution, but became the team’s best scorer, putting away 11 points against defending champions Poland.

“Even as an opponent, I had the opportunity to appreciate the atmosphere in Trento and in particular the support of the fans, who have always shown themselves to be very passionate and with a great culture of sports and volleyball,” the 25-year-old striker added. “I know well what kind of role I will have within the team and I am happy to take it because we will be busy on several fronts. We will have many opportunities to play, always and only with the aim of winning. Trentino should aim to win every competition we take part in, because we will be a very strong team in all roles.”

Gabi Garcia is one of several incoming transfers already announced by Trentino during this off-season. 23-year-old Romanian middle blocker Bela Bartha, who arrives from Dinamo Bucharest, is another foreign addition to Fabio Soli’s roster. Three Italians – 33-year-old libero Nicola Pesaresi coming in from Consoli Sferc Brescia, and two 19-year-old talents from the club’s youth sector, middle blocker Marco Pellacani and outside hitter Alessandro Bristot – will also join Trentino’s main squad next season.

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