Cuban National Teamer Wilma Salas To Play In Italian League

Cuban player Wilma Salas Rosell has made a commitment to play in Italy for UBI Banca San Bernardo Cuneo for the 2018-19 season.

Rossell is leaving Halbank Ankara, a team in the top Turkish volleyball league, after spending two seasons with them. Last year in the championships of the Turkish league, Salas was ranked fifth overall in the category “best scorers.” She managed 209 individual points during the 2017-18 season. Before joining Halbank Ankara for the 2016-17 season she played for Canakkale Belediyespor also in Turkey.

Prior to playing professionally in Turkey, Salas signed her first professional contract with Rabita Baku in Azerbaijan for the 2013-14 season. She played two years there before moving to Canakkale.

Her volleyball roots are in her home nation of Cuba where she grew up playing for the Santiago De Cuba club. She’s represented their national team several times including stints at the World Championships and a silver medal at the Pan American Games in 2011.

The transition to UBI Banca San Bernardo Cuneo marks her first time playing in a European volleyball league.

According to a press release from the UBI Banca San Bernardo Cuneo club, Salas will be arriving in Italy today to join the squad.

“I am very grateful and happy to have this new opportunity in Italy,” said Salas. “I will put all my efforts and my strength at the service of Bosca S. Bernardo Cuneo. I have dedicated a large part of my life to volleyball and today, on the eve of my debut in the prestigious Italian championship, I am ready for a further step in my professional and competitive growth. I’ve always been a big fan of the excellent competitors in Italian clubs: I have great expectations because the most important competitors of the World Championships came from the Serie A1 tricolore [top Italian league], a level that in the last years has become of absolute international level. A sincere thanks to Cuneo Granda Volley for the chance to be part of the team: thanks, see you soon!”

After finishing second in the A2 division if the Italian Superliga, Cuneo will be playing in the A1 league this year. Their first match will take place on November 1st against Chieri.