Bonifacio Playing Professional Volleyball in Portugal

VILA NOVA DE FAMALICÃO, Portugal – The CSU Bakersfield volleyball program enjoyed exciting news recently as recent alumna Rafa Bonifacio is now playing professionally overseas. The former Roadrunner signed a contract with AVC Famalicão, a professional team that competes in Campeonato Nacional de Voleibol (Volleyball National Championship), the country's highest-level league.

"I am so excited for this new journey in Portugal," said Bonifacio. "Playing pro was my goal since I started to play volleyball. I leaned a lot of things at CSUB that helped me to be where I am today."

"We couldn't be more proud of Rafa," said Giovana Melo, CSUB's Director of Volleyball. "We are so excited for her and this next chapter of her life. She has grown so much as a player and as a person in the short two years she was at CSUB."

After two standout seasons at Miami Dade College, Bonifacio came to CSUB ready to make an immediate impact. As an outside hitter, she was an effective weapon in the CSUB offensive rotation, averaging 1.23 kills per set on a .120 hitting clip in her time as a `Runner.

But it was not until late in her senior year that Bonifacio proved the versatility of her game. The native of Sao Paulo, Brazil made a personal sacrifice to help her team, moving into the Libero roll for Melo's `Runners. After the switch, Bonifacio averaged 4.93 digs per set, third-best in the Western Athletic Conference over that span.

Melo continued on to describe what makes Bonifacio well-suited for the next level: "Rafa is a fighter and an amazing competitor! We have no doubts she is going to do great things. We can't wait to get a message from her when she wins a championship there."

~GoRunners.com~

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Players Mentioned

#21 Rafa Bonifacio: 5' 11"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#21 Rafa Bonifacio
: 5' 11"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#21 Rafa Bonifacio

Players Mentioned

#21 Rafa Bonifacio