Press release

Lima, Peru, July 29, 2011 – Floriana Bertone and Valentina Diouf are two of the more representative players of Italy's team competing at the FIVB Volleyball Women's Junior World Championship Peru 2011, and this is not only for their amazing talent, but a height of 2.02 meters which do not let them to be unnoticed wherever they are, especially in the court.
 
Bertone, wearing jersey No. 1, has practiced volleyball since she was 11 and she thinks that “although in some occasions my height does not allow a good reception, it helps to have a better block and a better attack that are determinant for winning a match."

Bertone, who is now 18, believes that her height is also a necessary complement for the team, which in a reciprocal way makes her improve and persevere.

Live scoring, results, news and photos on FIVB Volleyball Women's Junior World Championship Peru 2011.

However, there are not only advantages.

“When I was a child I used to have problems with coordination because my height," said Diouf, who is the best scorer of her team with 112 points in the entire tournament and second among all players competing in the event. "So it was difficult but I managed to take advantage of this situation."

Diouf, who considers that she wouldn’t practice another sport because her maximum ability is destined exclusively for volleyball, said that her attacks had improved a lot during the tournament and this is a way to exploit her height.

On the final day of the second round on July 28, Italy, secured a place of one of the four top teams of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Junior World Championship Peru 2011 after defeating Dominican Republic 3-1. Both Bertone and Diouf want to face Brazil in case of being in the final as a way to get revenge for the match in which Brazil won 3-1 in a head-to-head match in the first match of the tournament on July 22.

For winning, they have a curious superstition – nails painted of blue - to go with a really “high” level of talent.

Photo of the Day selected and written by Gabriela Ramos Traverso, who is serving as the FIVB Young Writers for Young Players representative in Lima.