Versatile Rosamaria delivers when it counts

Back with Brazil’s national team for the first time since 2018, Rosamaria Montibeller patiently waited for an opportunity to get on the court during the 2021 FIVB Volleyball Nations League.

She was one of just three athletes in the Brazilian 18-player roster not to be used in week 1 in Rimini, Italy. On Wednesday, however, her time arrived and she had her name called by head coach Jose ‘Ze Roberto’ Guimaraes during the team’s sixth match in the tournament.

She was ready for the occasion and came off the bench during the first set to be Brazil’s top scorer in the team’s 3-1 victory against Italy that lifted the team to third place in the standings.

“It was great to have the opportunity to play,” she said after the match, in which she scored 17 points. “I’ve been waiting for it and preparing for it. I felt I played well and managed to help the team in a difficult moment, but there’s still a lot I can improve on and I hope it only gets better from now on. It’s been a long time since I had last played for the national team and I hope I can take advantage of the next opportunities I’ll have in the VNL.”

The 27-year-old player wasn’t part of Brazil’s roster during the 2019 season but reappeared this year thanks to a strong club season with Casalmaggiore, in which she was the second-best scorer of the Italian League with 408 points.

Rosamaria did that as an opposite while with Brazil she has been used as an outside hitter. The ability to play in multiple positions has helped her earn playing time during the VNL and hopefully be selected for her country’s roster for the Tokyo Olympics.

“I try to always practice both positions, either at the club or the national team,” she explained. “I think it’s important to give my coach that option and Ze Roberto was one of the first who told me it would be interesting for me to do it if I could. I feel like this versatility is a nice thing to have and it increases my chances of playing, but it’s challenging because it’s not only about playing two positions, it’s about performing at this level in both. That’s why I’m always learning and working to be better in both positions.”