THE FLATS – Rising senior outside hitter Bianca Bertolino is in Manila, The Philippines this week, preparing for one of the most significant international volleyball tournaments in the world. Bertolino is competing with the Argentinian National Team at the 2024 Challenger Cup (July 4-7) for a chance to qualify for the 2025 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League, next summer.
Argentina begins its quest on Friday morning, July 5, at 3 a.m. ET against Czechia in the quarterfinals. There are eight nations competing in the four-day, single-elimination tournament. The tournament consists of a knock-out format (quarterfinals, semifinals and final) with seeding determined by world-ranking. Argentina, being ranked No. 17 in the world, is the fourth-highest ranked team in the competition.
Tournament Schedule
Quarterfinal 1: Philippines (Host/55) vs. Vietnam (34) – July 4 – 3 a.m.
Quarterfinal 2: Belgium (13) vs. Sweden (24) – July 4 – 5:30 a.m.
Quarterfinal 3: Puerto Rico (15) vs. Kenya (20) – July 5 – 5:30 a.m.
Quarterfinal 4: Czechia (16) vs. Argentina (17) – July 5 – 3 a.m.
Semifinal 1: Winner of QF1 vs. Winner of QF4 – July 6 – 3 a.m.
Semifinal 2: Winner of QF2 vs. Winner of QF3 – July 6 – 5:30 a.m.
3rd Place Match: Loser of SF1 vs. Loser of SF2 – July 7 – 3 a.m.
Final: Winner of SF1 vs. Winner of SF2 – July 7 – 5:30 a.m.
All matches throughout the tournament can be streamed live by subscribing to Volleyball TV
Bertolino is playing on the Argentinian National Team for the third summer in a row and first as an outside hitter. She made her first-career start with “Las Panteras” in a friendly against South Korea back in May, leading the team with 20 kills on her way to being named match MVP. The 2024 Challenger Cup will be her first international tournament as a member of the senior team as she looks to earn a place in next summer’s Volleyball Nations League.
Bertolino will return to The Flats following the conclusion of this tournament to prepare for her senior season. She earned her first AVCA All-America honors in 2023 after tallying a career-best 351 kills, 53 blocks, 62 aces and 321 digs while owning the highest passing percentage (97.5) of any non-libero in Division I.
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