COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Volleyball head coach Dawn Sullivan and her coaching staff announced Tuesday the signing of transfer Kiaraliz Perez Catala.
Perez Catala, a 5-5 libero/defensive specialist from Naranjito, Puerto Rico, heads to Mizzou after spending her junior season at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in 2023.
Perez Catala was crowned the 2023 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Libero of the Year and made the All-WAC First Team, accumulating 470 digs (4.83 digs per set) with 112 assists. She earned three WAC Libero of the Week honors during the campaign.
The junior capped the year with 27 consecutive matches reaching double-digit digs.
The Puerto Rico native recorded a career-high 28 digs with a season-high seven assists at Houston Christian on Sept. 2, 2023. Additionally, she totaled 19 digs and a career-high nine assists against California Baptist (Oct. 14).
Perez Catala registered 841 digs, 579 receptions, 130 assists and 67 aces over her two-year career at Miami Dade College where she helped the Sharks reach the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I national tournament in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons, finishing as the national runner-up in 2022.
Perez Catala was named to the Division I Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) All-State and All-Tournament teams after helping Miami Dade win the FCSAA state championship. She is also a two-time All-Suncoast Conference Selection.
Perez Catala was a decorated player while representing the Puerto Rican Junior National Team. In 2019, she earned Best Libero and Best Digger honors at the U18 and U20 Pan-American Cups. Perez Catala was also dubbed the Best Receiver at the 2019 U18 Pan-American Cup. She was named the Best Libero at the U23 Pan American Games in 2021.
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