TicketsCINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati women's volleyball student-athlete Elissa Alcantara has signed a pro contract to play for Valencianas de Juncos in Puerto Rico's Liga de Volibol Superior Femenino.
Alcantara, a native of Tampa, Fla., played her final two seasons of college volleyball for Cincinnati. She set new career highs in kills (183), digs (44) and points (197) as a senior in 2023.
"What an opportunity for Elissa to extend her career into the professional world of volleyball," said head coach Molly Alvey. "As a staff, we cannot be more excited for her. We always encourage our players to think about the possibility of playing overseas. Elissa now gets to continue to grow as an athlete and as a person at the next level. We are going to miss her dearly but will be following along her path."
Through four years of Division I volleyball, Alcantara totaled 526 kills, 85 blocks and 82 digs. She joins a number of former Bearcats in the professional ranks, including Jordan Thompson who currently plays for VakıfBank Istanbul in Turkey's Women's Volleyball League.
"With Pro Volleyball Federation starting in the states, there will be even more opportunity for athletes to play professionally," said Alvey. "The growth of volleyball over the last 10 years has been exponential and it is not slowing down any time soon. As coaches, we have seen this growth at the club level with the number of young athletes getting involved in the sport. The rest of the world has now experienced this growth from record-breaking crowds to television exposure this past fall."
Alcantara earned her bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies in December 2023 and will join Valencianas de Juncos at the beginning of 2024.
Alcantara, a native of Tampa, Fla., played her final two seasons of college volleyball for Cincinnati. She set new career highs in kills (183), digs (44) and points (197) as a senior in 2023.
"What an opportunity for Elissa to extend her career into the professional world of volleyball," said head coach Molly Alvey. "As a staff, we cannot be more excited for her. We always encourage our players to think about the possibility of playing overseas. Elissa now gets to continue to grow as an athlete and as a person at the next level. We are going to miss her dearly but will be following along her path."
Through four years of Division I volleyball, Alcantara totaled 526 kills, 85 blocks and 82 digs. She joins a number of former Bearcats in the professional ranks, including Jordan Thompson who currently plays for VakıfBank Istanbul in Turkey's Women's Volleyball League.
"With Pro Volleyball Federation starting in the states, there will be even more opportunity for athletes to play professionally," said Alvey. "The growth of volleyball over the last 10 years has been exponential and it is not slowing down any time soon. As coaches, we have seen this growth at the club level with the number of young athletes getting involved in the sport. The rest of the world has now experienced this growth from record-breaking crowds to television exposure this past fall."
Alcantara earned her bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies in December 2023 and will join Valencianas de Juncos at the beginning of 2024.