Bovolenta, Hernandez, and Caruso – Will Italy’s youngsters replicate their parents’ success?

Team Italy contesting a #EuroVolleyU18W qualifier this week in Cavalese took to the court with a few players whose family names shall sound quite familiar to anyone that has been following the sport for some time. The trio includes Arianna Bovolenta, Vanessa Hernandez, and Stella Caruso – all stemming from families with a very strong connection with Volleyball. 

Already qualified for this year’s #EuroVolleyU18W even before they were to contest their final matchup with Hungary, Arianna Bovolenta, Vanessa Hernandez, and Stella Caruso are hoping to add another chapter to the success story written by their respective parents. 

Arianna, born in 2008 in Ravenna, but an avid Roma fan (at least when it comes to football), is the daughter of the late Volleyball star Vigor and Federica Lisi, as well as sister of Alessandro Bovolenta, who at just 19 years of age made his debut with the senior national team at last year’s EuroVolley opener against Belgium. 

Vanessa, born in 2008 as well, who plays as a setter and dreams of competing in the elite Serie A, is the daughter of Cuban opposite Osvaldo Hernandez, who after leaving his home country spent more than a decade in Italy’s highest division and won, among other things, a championship title with Piaggio Roma Volley in 2000. 

Stella, born in 2008, who plays for Club Italia and delivered an impressive performance against Slovakia, is the daughter of Mario Caruso (a former basketball player) and Guendalina Buffon. With Italy’s national team, Buffon contested, among other things, the European Championship in 1993 and the World Championship the following year. Stella is also the niece of the former goalkeeper and 2006 FIFA World Cup winner, Gianluigi Buffon. 

Arianna, Vanessa, and Stella are growing together in the national team. Last year, Bovolenta and Caruso crowned themselves U17 European champions under the guidance of Pasquale D’Aniello. At the continental event held in 2023, they received the awards for the Best Middle Blocker and Best Opposite Hitter, respectively. 

Arianna Bovolenta and Vanessa Hernandez played together last year at Volleyrò claiming the U16 national title in Catania. A week earlier, Arianna’s brother (Alessandro Bovolenta) won the U19 Italian national title with Ravenna, the club where his father Vigor started his elite career. Stella Caruso has been playing alongside Bovolenta this year at Club Italia, a project run by the Italian Volleyball Federation for some 28 years now. The young Italian talent, in addition to Volleyball, has a great passion for travelling. 

Being able to follow in the footsteps of their parents is often a dream of many children, especially if driven by the same passion as in the case of these three young girls. Their parents gave so much to Italian and international Volleyball - and it is easy to imagine that their children will carve out their own space in the sport. At this stage, however, they are still and above all teenagers full of life driven by an incredible passion and spirit of sacrifice, supported by their families and guided in their sporting journey by experienced coaches and staff who work alongside them every day.