KATJA ECKL – Bolzano 6 May 2003 – 188 cm – Central – #7
Prosecco DOC Imoco Volley proudly announces that it has included the third “pearl” from the youth sector in the first team roster, the South Tyrolean central Katja Eckl who from being a “panther” will be promoted to the Pantera first team.
After the youth sector with Imoco Volley San Donà, the South Tyrolean central defender made her debut in senior volleyball in A2 in Martignacco, where she played for two seasons from 2021 to 2023, before wearing the Talmassons shirt with which she was the protagonist of a Historic year for the Friulians which culminated with promotion to Serie A1. An important season for her with 322 points scored, 100 of which were blocks, first in the specialty rankings of the entire A2 series. With the “senior” Panthers Katja has already had an important experience as a very young girl, often being part of the first team bench in 2020/21 when, due to Fahr’s injury, she was integrated into the group, entering the field on two occasions, of which a special one in the 2021 championship final (then won) in game 2 against Novara. The very first experience with the senior team had already been anticipated in December 2019 in Perugia, called up by coach Santarelli together with other young people in the return match from the Club World Cup in China where the holders of the world championship were given rest, but on the occasion he did not enter the field.
She took her first steps in Ssv Bozen, when she was still in primary school, until 2018 when she joined Imoco Volley San Donà, the yellow-blue youth team, where she played in the Under 16s (best central defender in the 2019 category finals ) and the Under 18s, with which he won the Junior scudetto in 2021. With the Italian youth team Katja Eckl has a silver medal won last year at the Under 21 World Championships in Mexico. She is currently involved with the National Under 22 team preparing for the European Championships scheduled for July in Lecce.
She graduated from linguistic high school and is attending the Faculty of Motor Sciences. He will play with number 7.
With today’s announcement by Eckl, the Panthers in the first team become three, coming from the yellow-blue youth sector. In fact, with Katja Eckl, born in 2003, there is also the other debutant Merit Adiwge (born in 2006) and the confirmed Anna Bardaro (2005), confirming the great work at youth level carried out in recent years by the staff coordinated by Silvia Giovanardi. In fact, in parallel with the activity of the first team, Prosecco DOC Imoco Volley has invested and worked incessantly on the base over the years, with the double aim of on the one hand spreading the passion for this beautiful sport among young people as much as possible and on the other of creating a reservoir of talent for the first team and for the development of the high-level national volleyball movement.
STATEMENTS
“When I received the call from Imoco I was very surprised, I didn’t believe it, then when I realized it wasn’t a dream it was beautiful, I realized my greatest desire, to be part of the Panthers! The emotions I feel are many and irrepressible as happiness, pride and personal satisfaction. This year at Talmassons I have grown a lot, not only on the pitch but also in character, I feel matured and ready to take on this great opportunity. It is a privilege to have the honor of wearing a shirt so important, to play for a top club and share the pitch and the dressing room with incredible champions, I will do my best to deserve it. I will work with a great coach, one of the best in the world, in an organization that is the best in this sport In the past I have already had the opportunity to experience the world of the Panthers first-hand, but this time it will be different, I will in all respects be part of the team and I am preparing for the idea, from A2 to a team like this it is a big leap, but I am ready to get to work and learn as much as I can. It will be exciting to play at the Palaverde with the Gialloblù fans supporting us, to be part of that energy, I can’t wait.”