Prosecco DOC A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano announces the arrival of Anastasia Cekulaev: the 191 cm German midfielder born in 2003 will be Pantera in the 2026-27 season, she will wear the number 16 jersey. The yellow-blue central department is now complete, with Cekulaev joining three Italians in the roster: the certainty Sarah Fahr, the young Italian Linda Manfredini and the returning Raphaela Folie. “Ceku” becomes the third German player in history after Berit Kauffeldt and Jennifer Geerties.
FILE- Born in Wiesbaden on July 1, 2003, in the Land of Hesse, from a family of Russian and Kazakh origin, Anastasia Cekulaev began playing volleyball in the youth teams of the local team. At the age of 14 she moved to Rotation Prenzlauer Berg in the youth team, while 2 years later she was chosen by the federal club of Olympia Berlin to play in the 2.Bundesliga, the German second division. At the age of 17 he made his Bundesliga debut for Potsdam, with whom he won the German Super Cup in 2022. After 3 years at the highest level in her homeland, she made the leap to the Italian championship by settling in Perugia, then the upgrade to Chieri in the last season in which she established herself as one of the revelations of the championship in the role of central player, also shining in the CEV Cup.
HIS SEASON- Fast and block, centimeters under the net and personality: “Ceku” was one of the best central players of last season in A1. In 26 Regular Season matches she scored 208 points with 149 winning attacks (56.2%) and 11 aces: with 48 blocks she is 8th among the “top blockers” of the championship, placing 1.85 per set. In the CEV Cup in which she reached the final with Galatasaray she was the best protagonist on the block with 44 “blocks”, first in the special ranking.
NATIONAL- Cekulaev after youth experiences with the U17s, with whom he participated in the European Championships, and the German U18s, at the age of 18 earned his first call from the senior national team. In 2023 she is the youngest of the group at the European Championship, while she is a protagonist in the Volleyball Nations League 2025. This summer he will still be a protagonist in the VNL and at the European Championship with Germany.
STATEMENTS ANASTASIA CEKULAEV
“Arriving in Conegliano for a young player like me is a fantastic feeling and a great opportunity for growth, I have to get used to it, now I’m a Panther, I almost didn’t believe it until today! I couldn’t be happier to be part of such an extraordinary team: Prosecco DOC Imoco has always been one of the best teams, proving season after season its absolute value in the national and international arena. With the help of my manager, Costantino Tontarelli, I was able to arrive in Italy, to prove my worth and to grow year after year, turning all this into a great opportunity. I am very grateful to him for that.
Now I have arrived in the best possible team, I can’t wait to get to know my new team, the technical staff and all the people who revolve around the club, I want to settle in well and get used to this completely new reality for me. It will be a year to grow and learn a lot on and off the pitch, in an exciting context.
I can’t forget the fans, who have always been incredibly present and very warm during the games I played at the Palaverde as an opponent, the atmosphere there is unique, it will be a dream to play for them and feel all the passion they transmit to the players on the court.
They also spoke well of the city and the quality of life in Conegliano, I want to discover the area and get to know the people, especially the Panthers fans.
I am very curious to get to know all the girls on the team up close after having them as opponents, because I am sure that in addition to champions they are fantastic people. Among all the top players on the roster, I am particularly curious to meet Sarah Fahr who is a model for me in the role of central and Gabi, a super athlete that I have always admired. In your free time? We players have little of it and what I have I use for my passions: I love to get lost in books, I also like to write poetry and write, I keep a diary in the evening to relax. Also, I love traveling with my friends during my days off and seeing new places, in Italy there are many. Panthers fans, see you in September!”
(photo VolleyballWorld)