CONEGLIANO. The first piece of the new Imoco, already known, is official. Conegliano announces that he has signed the American spiker Megan Courtney to replace Kim Hill in the yellow-blue chessboard, who has bid farewell after winning the Champions League.
Courtney was born in Kettering (Ohio) on October 27, 1993, 185 cm tall, plays spiker. In the last three seasons it has been protagonist in the Italian championship with the shirts of Bergamo, Novara and in the Scandicci season that has just ended. She is a specialist in fast play and is particularly gifted in reception (in Team USA she also wore the free shirt), where she was at the top of the standings in the “perfect receptions” of Serie A1 with 2.80 “double plus” receptions. per set and 230 in total. In the rankings of Legavolleyfemminile, Megan was also the first (on a par with C. Bosetti) in the ranking of spikers, ahead of the Panthers Sylla and Hill. He will play with the n ° 3 shirt.
Megan Courtney started in High School with the Archbishop Alter. After high school, she joined the team of the prestigious Penn State college, a breeding ground for US volleyball champions, winning the NCAA title in 2013 and then 2014 (the year in which she was elected MVP of the finals), collecting numerous individual awards during her University career. He graduated in Kiniesology (science of human movement). His first professional contract is in Puerto Rico in spring 2016, with Leonas de Ponce, then Europe in the 2016-17 season in Poland with Wroclaw’s Impel. After a year in Turkey with Çanakkale, in 2018-19 he arrived in the Italian Serie A1 with Foppapedretti Bergamo. In 2019-20 he is at Igor Gorgonzola Novara, before transferring last season to Savino Del Bene Scandicci.
In the summer of 2016 he made his debut in the US national team, winning the bronze medal at the Pan-American Cup, a tournament in which he won the gold medal in the following edition, followed by the bronze medal at the Grand Champions Cup 2017, in which he was employed in the role of free. In 2018 he is in Team USA that reaches fifth place at the World Championships. She then wins the gold medal at the Volleyball Nations League 2019, where she is awarded as the best free, followed by silver at the 2019 World Cup and the 2019 North American championship.
Megan, after Bergamo, Novara and Scandicci you will still be in Italy and you have chosen Conegliano.
“This will be my fourth season in Italy, I really like living in your country and by now I know the environment and the championship well. It is certainly the best championship in the world, every match is a difficult test and there are many battles, all of them the teams are well equipped and there are top-level players in every club. I love putting myself to the test in such a competitive league and I couldn’t ask for more, and doing it with the top club like Imoco is a great pride. “
You will have to replace a top world player like Kim Hill, your compatriot and “monument” of the yellow and blue history.
“Kim Hill is a teammate of mine with the US national team and a friend of mine, I know her well and honestly no one can replace her! I’m thrilled to be the one to take her place and ready for the challenge of receiving her legacy, I want be up to it. “
How did you see Imoco Volley on the other side of the net in the last few seasons in which you faced it as an opponent?
“The strength and talent of Imoco over the years has never been questioned, a very strong team, but in my opinion what really makes the difference is the chemistry and the heart with which the team plays. A lethal combination when you combine talent. , chemistry and heart! “
Do you know coach Santarelli’s game, do you think you can easily enter the team system with your technical characteristics?
“I have faced Imoco several times and coach Daniele Santarelli so I know the system well, it is clear that the main feature of the team is fast play. It is difficult to push and attack quickly without good reception, I feel ready to give my contribution. . I am confident in my playing skills, not just in terms of receiving, to help the team play fast and be effective. “
Do you already know any Panther?
“I have known some girls of the team in the past, but only as opponents. It seems to me that it is a really solid and close-knit group, I am thrilled to know them now no longer as opponents, but as teammates.”
Your personal and team expectations for next season with your new jersey.
“My personal expectations correspond to those of the team. Winning is always the goal, we will fight on every front to win the trophies in which we will be involved. Imoco Volley comes from a fantastic last season, a record year, but not it’s over and next season I hope the successes will continue! Being probably the best club in the world comes with a lot of expectations, but also a lot of competition and constant challenges. The reason why I play volleyball is to play the best tournaments, play the most prestigious stages and with Imoco this will be the normality of the season. It will be exciting to be among the best players, to play at the best at the highest level and … to win! “.
What are your plans for the summer?
“This summer I train with the national team for the VNL and the Olympics! But that’s not all as a summer program, in fact at the end of the summer, on August 27, I will marry my boyfriend, Mitch, before leaving for Conegliano!”
The hope is to play the next championship in front of the wonderful Palaverde audience.
“I am really excited about the idea of being able to play again in front of the fans, in particular the Imoco Conegliano fans, we really hope that next season we can finally play with open doors! I remember that playing at Palaverde full is wonderful, there they are great fans with a lot of passion for the team and for volleyball. It was nice to play in that environment as an opponent, imagine if I’m not happy to be able to experience it as a Pantera, I hope so much! “
.