Your size does not really matter if your heart is big and you put in your best effort on the court. That could be the conclusion to Volleyball World’s short talk with the FIVB Volleyball U20 Women’s World Championship’s tallest and shortest players.
Women u20 2021
Dream big regardless of your size
U20 World Championship’s tallest and shortest athletes dream of playing at the Olympics
Published 10:40, 18 Jul 2021
Geraldine Gonzalez, a middle blocker and the captain of the Dominican Republic, is two metres tall, while Brazil’s libero Leticia Moura stands at just 1.59 metres. The two players, however, have very similar thoughts on the importance of size.
First of all, they were both very surprised to find out that they were the tallest and the shortest players of the tournament, because they feel absolutely comfortable among the other athletes competing at the World Championship.
Geraldine’s first reaction was, “I am very surprised by that! I don’t know what to say...”
“No! Really? Impossible! I’m very surprised! I am even upset now!” Leticia joked.
“It doesn’t matter how tall you are. Every athlete works hard on the court and no matter how tall you are, you can be good,” the Dominican captain continued.
“For the position of libero, size doesn’t matter. The most important thing is what you can do on the court. What matters is how big your heart is,” the South American athlete said.
Both players are enjoying their time at the U20 World Championship, which is taking place in the Netherlands and Belgium.
“This is the third World Championship for me and I would like to play again and again… It’s good to see the other teams. It’s great to play against other countries. The atmosphere here is very nice. I like it a lot!” Leticia said.
“I am feeling very well here. People are treating us very nicely,” said Geraldine.
Geraldine Sthefany Gonzalez is 19 years old. She plays professionally for her country’s most renowned club, Mirador Santo Domingo. With her youth and junior national teams she has earned a number of medals and Best Middle Blocker awards at continental tournaments. At the U18 World Championship in 2017, Geraldine and her Dominican teammates won the silver medals.
Leticia Araujo Almeida Holanda Moura is 18 years old. She plays professionally for one of Brazil’s elite Superliga clubs, Fluminense FC Rio de Janeiro. She earned a bronze and a Best Libero award at the 2018 CSV U18 South American Championship. At the U18 World Championship in 2019, Leticia and her Brazilian teammates won the bronze medals.
The list of similarities between the two players could go on, but let’s finish it with their answers about what they dream about in volleyball.
“I dream to be part of the women’s national team and represent my country at the Olympic Games,” Geraldine Gonzalez answered.
“My dream is to play at the Olympic Games,” said Leticia Moura.
