Division Advancement and Championship Win for Women's Volleyball

You can say it has been a perfect season – first the championship clinched with back-to-back victories along with the advancement to Serie D, then the triumph in the Poule Scudetto among the 8 group winners from the Milan, Monza and Lecco provinces. At the end of a long yet rewarding season, the Bocconi Sport women's volleyball team was finally able to seize the opportunity for advancement that was not possible last year over a trivial matter. "We deserved this outcome for a while and it is finally here," says Paolo Amendola, former professional coach also in Serie A in Milan, Chieri and Giaveno as well as abroad including in Madrid. "I have been at Bocconi for seven years, coaching both men's and women's teams. When I returned to Italy in 2013, I had decided to stop coaching but a friend introduced me to this wonderful organization. Training professionals is easy since volleyball is their job and priority; for these young women, though, school is their priority and you need to know how to set the team up according to their needs. In return, however, you receive a lot because you can work with very cultured people," continues Coach Amendola, "and together we have created a very professional environment."

That very environment and team spirit are also some of the aspects mentioned by team captain Linda Ceroni, a Business Administration and Management graduate before going on to obtain a Master of Science in Management in 2019. Linda is a 28-year-old professional who currently works at a multinational that specializes in home improvement, but has chosen to continue playing volleyball: "I've been on the team for five years, when we were still in the second division. Volleyball, as with team sports in general, teaches a lot about social discipline, because the team comes first – before personal goals and regardless of whether you like or dislike your teammates. Why was I made captain? It is the coach's decision," continues Linda, "but I believe it is because of my willingness to help the entire team, knowing how to connect with not only my older teammates, but also the new arrivals."

"Being trained by a professional coach is a fantastic experience that helps you grow," explains Alice Bobbera. Alice is a 19-year-old Modena native currently enrolled in her first year in the Bachelor of Science in International Politics and Government, with experience in B2 before starting her university career. "The environment we experience as Bocconi athletes is on par with those where higher divisions' athletes play, in terms of both facilities and staff that supports us for every need. It is because of this, in addition to the value of being part of a team, that I am convinced we will accomplish great things next year in Serie D." Paolo Amendola agrees with Alice's prediction: "The first few months will focus on getting to know this new division, becoming familiar with it, since in Lombardy the level is higher than elsewhere. The actual goal will be to maintain the position, without precluding us from any goals."