Trento, 28 July 2024
The month of June reserves a further incoming operation for the European Champion men’s Itas Trentino market. With the aim of significantly strengthening the battery of high-ball attackers, the yellow-blue club has in fact completed the two-year signing of the Puerto Rican opposite Gabriel “Gabi” Garcia Fernandez.
The twenty-five year old hammer native of San Juan (Carolina) but with a US passport will be the alternative to Kamil Rychlicki in a squad built to be even more competitive and of a high level. Gabi Garcia is an athlete with great physical and technical qualities, who knows the top Italian championship well having played there in the last three seasons, first with Civitanova and then with Padova. With the Cucine Lube shirt he immediately won the Scudetto in 2022, highlighting his signature with 240 personal points, 28 of these directly in the serve, fundamental among the most interesting in his repertoire. Even in subsequent years he was able to offer an important contribution and in particular in the last one he was among the protagonists of the salvation of the historic Paduan Club. Before arriving in Italy he had played in the American NCAA fields, becoming the best player in the 2020-2021 season when he defended the colors of Brigham Young University. He wore the shirt of the Puerto Rican national team between 2019 and 2022, winning the Norceca Championship in 2021 before changing Federation and becoming a United States player since last March, with whom he has already made his debut in the ongoing 2024 VNL.
“It’s great to be part of a club with a great tradition like Trentino Volley – were the first words of Gabi Garcia as a Trentino Volley player – ; wearing the yellow and 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, the competitiveness and the atmosphere that you breathe in this prestigious Club. I arrive in Trento to offer tranquility and confidence; together with Rychlicki we will form a pair of opposites of level, which will guarantee the team many points and the security of always having on the field a player of that role suited to its ambitions. I know well what type of role I will have within the team and I am happy to cover it because we will be engaged on several fronts, always and only with the aim of winning”.
“Gabi Garcia is a great opposite hitter; this is further confirmed by the fact that she is currently working with the US National Team. – underlined the coach of Trentino Volley Fabio Soli – . In the Italian championship you demonstrated his value on several occasions and after the season spent in Padua she strongly wanted to come to Trento. This pleases us immensely, because it gives the idea of a player who wants to grow and be part of a group that makes work culture one of its great values. I am convinced that he will be able to offer us a notable contribution and experience a year full of satisfactions. From a technical point of view you have two really important fundamentals such as attack and serve; he showed them off both in Civitanova and Padua, even in delicate moments of decisive matches.”
In Trento he will wear the number 10 jersey, which in the past had already been used by two other players of his role such as the Slovakian Chocholak and the Italian Pinali. He is the first Puerto Rican in the history of Trentino Volley, the fourth athlete of the US National Team to wear the yellow and blue jersey after Millar, Suxho and Russell.
The board
GABI GARCIA FERNANDEZ
born in San Juan (Puerto Rico), January 8, 1999
200 cm, opposite role
2011/13 Borinquen Coquí – Puerto Rico
2013/16 Saint Francis School – Puerto Rico
2016/17 Monkeys from Naranjito – Portorico
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 Lube Kitchens Civitanova Super League
2022/23 Lube Kitchens Civitanova Super League
2023/24 Volleyball Padova Super League
2024/26 Itas Trentino Super League
Palmares
1 Italian Championship (2022)
2 US MPSF Conference Championships (2018, 2021)
National Player of the Year (2020)
NCAA Best Player (2021)
In the national team
60 appearances with the Puerto Rican national team
Norceca Championship 2021 Gold Medal
Bronze medal Pan American Cup 2017
Top Scorer Pan American Cup 2017
Best Opposite Pan American Cup 2017
4 appearances for the US National Team
Trentino Volley Srl
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