Trento, 28 June 2024

SuperLega, here comes Puerto Rican opposite player Gabi Garcia

June holds one more purchase for the market of the European Champion, Itas Trentino. With the goal of strengthening its battery of high ball attackers, the yellow-blue Club has finalised the two-year signing of Puerto Rican opposite player Gabriel "Gabi" Garcia Fernandez.
The 25-year-old hammer, a native of San Juan (Carolina) but with a US passport, will be the alternative to Kamil Rychlicki in a roster built to be even more competitive and high-level. Gabi Garcia is an athlete with great physical and technical qualities, who knows the Italian top league well having played there in the last three seasons, first with Civitanova and then with Padua. With Cucine Lube he immediately won the Scudetto, in 2022, putting his signature on the score sheet with 240 personal points, 28 of them directly on serve, one of the best fundamentals in his repertoire. Even in the following years he was able to make an important contribution, and last season he was among the protagonists in the salvation of the historic Club of Padua. Before coming to Italy, he played in the courts of the American NCAA, being the best player in the 2020-2021 season when he defended the colours of Brigham Young University. He wore the jersey of the Puerto Rican National Team between 2019 and 2022, winning the Norceca Championship in 2021, before changing federation and playing in the United States since last March, debuting in the VNL 2024.
“It’s great to be able to be part of a Club with a great history like Trentino Volley - were the first words of Gabi Garcia as a Trentino Volley player - ; wearing the yellow-blue jersey will be one of the most important challenges of my career, I consider it a decisive turning point. As an opponent in the last three seasons, I have been able to appreciate the quality, competitiveness and environment that one breathes in this prestigious Club. I’m coming to Trento to offer peace of mind and confidence; together with Rychlicki we will form a pair of opposite players of the highest level, which will guarantee the team many points and the security of always having a player on court in that role suited to its ambitions. I know very well what kind of role I will have in the team and I am happy to play it because we will be engaged on several fronts, always with the sole goal of winning”.
“Gabi Garcia is an opposite player of great quality; further confirmation of this is the fact that he is working with the US National Team – commented Trentino Volley coach Fabio Soli - . In the Italian Championship he has demonstrated his value on several occasions and after his season in Padua he strongly wanted to come to Trento. This pleases us immensely because it gives us the impression of a player who wants to grow and be part of a group that greatly values hard work. I am convinced that he will be able to offer us a considerable contribution and have a year full of satisfaction. From a technical point of view, he has two really strong fundamentals in attack and serve; he made them count in both Civitanova and Padua, even in delicate moments of decisive matches”.
With Trento he will wear the jersey number 10, which had already been used in the past by two other players in his role, the Slovakian Chocholak and the Italian Pinali. He is the first Puerto Rican player in the history of Trentino Volley, the fourth athlete of the US National Team to wear the yellow-blue jersey after Millar, Suxho and Russell.

Identikit
GABI GARCIA FERNANDEZ
born in San Juan (Puerto Rico) on 8 January 1999
200 cm, role: Opposite player
2011/13 Borinquen Coquí - Puerto Rico
2013/16 Saint Francis School - Puerto Rico
2016/17 Changos de Naranjito - Puerto Rico
2017/18 Brigham Young University - Usa
2018/19 Brigham Young University - Usa
2019/20 Brigham Young University - Usa
2020/21 Brigham Young University - Usa
2021/22 Cucine Lube Civitanova SuperLega
2022/23 Cucine Lube Civitanova SuperLega
2023/24 Pallavolo Padova SuperLega
2024/26 Itas Trentino SuperLega
 
Palmares
1 Italian Championship (2022)
2 US MPSF Conference Championships (2018, 2021)
National Player of the Year (2020)
Best NCAA Player (2021)

In the National Team
60 appearances with the Puerto Rican National Team
Gold Medal Norceca Championship 2021
Bronze Medal Pan American Cup 2017
Best scorer Pan American Cup 2017
Best Opposite Pan American Cup 2017

Trentino Volley Srl
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