Cowley volleyball signs Italian standout

The Cowley College volleyball team recently signed Italian standout, Rachele Tessari, to the Lady Tiger program for the Fall 2021 season.

Tessari, a 5-foot-9 outside/opposite hitter, prepped at Liceo Statale Guarino Veronese in San Bonifacio, Italy. In volleyball, she began playing for the top volleyball clubs in her region when she was 15 years old. Tessari began playing for EST Volley who selected only the top players of every city.

While playing for them, her team finished second place overall. The next year, she helped lead them to a D League championship and was named captain. Tessari then played for Montecchio in the 18 U junior championships and the C League where they competed several times in the region finals to rise to the national phases.

Last year, she competed for Villafranca Volley. There, Tessari had her best season competing for the playoffs to win the B League but, due to Covid-19, could not finish the season.

"Rachele is an outstanding player who will add a dominant presence to our offense and defense," Cowley head coach Steven Gream said. "Rachele is an outstanding all-around player. She is that five-tool player who can play at a high level and cause problems for our opponents. We are excited to have her as a part of our program at Cowley."

Tessari is the daughter of Lisa Biasin of San Bonifacio, Italy.