Raised in a family steeped in the sport, the 16-year-old is now carrying that volleyball legacy into a World Championship of her own
Published 09:00, 15 Aug 2026
Alba Vicente is making her first appearance at the FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship, representing Spain at 16 in a sport that has been part of her life since childhood.
Volleyball was never unfamiliar territory at home. Both of Vicente’s parents played professionally, and she began playing from an early age, first in school volleyball before joining Valladolid Club Voleibol.
Her mother, Eva Štěpánčíková, also knows what it means to compete at this level. The former Czech Republic setter played at the 1994 and 2002 FIVB World Championships during a professional career that took her through leagues in Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Spain.
But Vicente’s connection with the national team is distinctly her own.
“Ever since I was little, I’ve always wanted the chance to represent my country someday, but I thought it was just a dream,” Vicente said. “I used to watch the girls on the national team and always wanted to be there.”
“I feel incredibly lucky to be able to live out and fulfill a dream like this at this age, and it means so much to me.”
Vicente celebrates with her Spain teammates during the Girls’ U17 World Championship.
Her family has been closely involved as that ambition became a reality. Vicente singles out her parents and sister as the people who have stayed beside her throughout.
“My family has always been my greatest source of support,” she said. “Whether during tough times or moments of joy, they’ve always been by my side throughout the entire process. I’d especially like to mention my parents and my sister, who have traveled anywhere to see me and have believed in me from the very beginning, encouraging me never to give up.”
Her first opportunity with Spain came when she was 13.
“I was at a camp in Lousa and my father sent me a message about the national team,” Vicente recalled. “I opened it and it said that they had called me. So I was super happy, and it was another achievement.”
Vicente signals during Spain’s match at the Girls’ U17 World Championship.
Vicente was the only player from Castilla y León selected for that training camp. She spent two weeks there, training in the morning and afternoon and working alongside players who came from different regions and different training environments.
She remembers the experience as a chance to learn from players who were accustomed to different ways of training, as well as from the coaches.
“The people were very different because everyone trained in a different way, but in the end, it was fun and I learned,” Vicente said at the time. “The coaches also helped me a lot.”
Three years later, Vicente is representing Spain at the U17 World Championship, an experience she is determined not to allow expectations to overshadow.
She admits that what people say can affect her and that the thought of disappointing others sometimes enters her mind. Her way of dealing with that pressure is to remember how few people have the opportunity she has now.
“In the end, even though sometimes what people say will affect you, or you won't want to let anyone down, few people get to experience this, and you're the one who has to enjoy it,” Vicente said. “So, I always try to remember that a few years ago I never thought I'd make it this far, which is why I have to enjoy it to the fullest and give it my all.”
Vicente shows her intensity on court during Spain’s Girls’ U17 World Championship campaign in Chile.
That determination is also behind what Vicente considers the most important lesson volleyball has taught her.
“I think the most important thing I’ve learned from volleyball is perseverance,” she said. “You’ll never achieve anything unless you give it your all every day, and that’s something I wouldn’t have learned anywhere else if not for volleyball.”
For Vicente, perseverance also means accepting that not every day will be a good one and that progress can take time.
“Every day you have to give it your all, even when you’re not having a good day or would rather be doing something else,” she said. “And even if things don’t go your way, another very important thing is patience and never giving up, because everything works out in the end, but it takes time to get there.”
Vicente grew up watching other players wear Spain’s jersey. Now that she is the one wearing it, she has thought about what younger girls with the same ambition might see when they watch her play.
“I hope they see someone who never gives up, who works as part of a team and tries to help everyone, and someone who enjoys playing, whether she wins or loses, but who shows that joy and that smile,” Vicente said.
Her message to them draws on an experience she is still living herself.
“I’d like to tell them to give it their all every day, but not to put pressure on themselves. It’ll all work out, and to really enjoy what they do and keep dreaming, because one day they’ll make it happen.”
