Nineteen-year-old Alessandro Alberto Bovolenta would like to be something other than Vigor Bovolenta’s son. He wants to establish his own career and get his own name in volleyball.
Men's U21 World Championship 2023
Alessandro Bovolenta aims to make his own name
The Italian opposite shares his mission of being his own player and not living in the shadow of his legendary father
Published 12:13, 07 Jul 2023
“My father and I, we are similar. This is one thing that I have heard so much about, but I play as Alessandro. My dad is another player, and I would like to remember him, but I also play for myself and my family. This is important for me, and I would like people to also remember me, Alessandro,” he said.
“I would like to be known as Alessandro Bovolenta. This has always been my objective – to be my own player. I also want to play at a higher level and to stay competing at that level for a long time.”
On Friday, Alessandro came into the starting lineup of Italy and led the team with 20 points, including 18 attacks and two service winners, for an impressive 3-0 victory against Mexico in the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Men's U21 World Championship at Isa Sport City Hall in Manama, Bahrain.
“It’s a special match. Since it was the first match, we started off slow. The last time we played was two years ago, so it is still good to win 3-0. This result is good to have at the start of the competition,” the 2.02 metre-tall opposite commented.
Italy are the defending U21 world champions and have also been successful in other continental and world age-group competitions, thanks to the guidance of legendary tactician Julio Velasco, who heads the Italian team youth and junior programmes.
Alessandro believes that amidst the pressure of replicating the achievement of their predecessors, it’s also good to look at the wider picture and put trust in their programme to work its way forward.
“Julio is a big part of the success of our programme. We know him like that, and I won’t elaborate on it, but for me he is the No. 1 architect of success in volleyball. Also, a big part of our success is the group. We stayed and played together all summer. So, the tightness of the group is the secret of Italy for me,” he explained.
Apart from his extraordinary strength and skills on the volleyball court, off the court, Alessandro is experiencing the life of a regular teenager. He finds strength through his family – his mother Federica and his four siblings Arianna, Angelica, Andrea and Aurora.
“They are watching the match today and the other matches. They are the most important part of me. They support me at home and when I am with the team. I like staying with my family and friends. I like to do normal things like play video games, hang out with friends, and watch videos on the internet. I try to use these as my pressure release from the volleyball court.”
