COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri libero Kiaraliz Perez Catala has signed a professional contract with Las Changas de Naranjito in Puerto Rico.
Perez Catala, a Naranjito, Puerto Rico, native, will play for her hometown team in her first career professional season. Las Changas de Naranjito compete in la Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino in Puerto Rico.
Perez Catala competed in all 31 matches over the 2024 season with Mizzou as a defensive specialist. She made 24 starts, totaling 210 digs with 19 service aces and 18 assists as an integral part of the 2024 NCAA Sweet 16 team.
She finished in double-figure digs seven times including three-straight matches from Nov. 15 through Nov. 24.
Perez Catala recorded a season-best 19 digs and three assists at Mississippi State on Nov. 24.
She compiled 11 digs in her first career NCAA Tournament match against Texas State (Dec. 5).
Perez Catala also had seven digs at SMU (Dec. 6) in the NCAA Second Round before wrapping her collegiate career with a personal-best matching three aces to go with eight digs against Kentucky (Dec. 12) in the NCAA Sweet 16.
Perez Catala transferred to Mizzou after earning 2023 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Libero of the Year and All-WAC First Team honors at UTRGV (The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley).
Perez Catala is the third professional player for head coach Dawn Sullivan at Missouri after Dilara Gedikoglu returned to her home country of Turkey to play for Shining Stars following the 2023 campaign and Mychael Vernon signed with Akademia Sant’Anna Messina (Italy) in January.
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