Former UAlbany Libero Laurie Gonzalez Joins Puerto Rico National Team

OMAHA, Neb. – Former UAlbany volleyball standout Laurie Gonzalez has joined the Puerto Rican National Team for the upcoming NORCECA Championships.

Gonzalez plays libero professionally for the Valencian Juncos, a volleyball league in Puerto Rico.  This past season, she ranked in the top-three among the ten liberos in defensive play.

She played for UAlbany from 2008-11, leading the Great Danes to three America East Tournament championships and four regular season titles.  She earned America East Defensive Player of the Year in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and all-conference honors all four years with the Purple and Gold.  She in the school’s leader with 2,044 digs, the only UAlbany player to earn over 2,000 digs in her career, holds the single season UAlbany record with 583 digs in 2010 and is one of two players to twice earn over 500 digs in a season.

The NORCECA Championship starts on September 16th in Omaha, Nebraska, and will run through the 21st.  Puerto Rico will compete with eight other teams.  It stands in Pool C with Team Canada and Team Saint Lucia.  When Team Puerto Rico hosted the NORCECA Championship in 2011, it won Pool A over Mexico and Costa Rica and finished in fourth place.