Sara Anzanello Makes Emotional Return To VB

On Tuesday an emotional press conference was organised in Novara to celebrate the return to competitive sport of a player, Sara Anzanello, who has one of the most impressive resumes around. Sara underwent liver transplantation two and a half years ago after a life-threatening illness suddenly stopped her career.

The Italian middle blocker, who was born in 1980 in San Donà di Piave (Venice), has a long-term bond with the city of Novara, where she arrived at the tender age of 19 (when the club was still performing in the second division of the Italian national league) and where she remained for ten years, until 2009, winning various titles in Italy and in the European Cups as well.

During her stay in Novara, she also won a historic gold medal at the 2002 World Championship in Berlin with the Italian national team. On September 15, 2002, Sara helped Italy claim their only world championship gold medal to date and exactly 13 years later she announced her return to competitive Volleyball after a long break. Her life changed in March 2013 when she was diagnosed with life-threatening hepatitis and as a result she had to undergo liver transplantation. One year ago, she joined the staff of the Italian junior national team (she was an assistant to the Team Manager) but she actually never lost the hope she would be able to play Volleyball again.

On Tuesday she shared her wish and her challenge with the same club that offered her the first contract as a “pro” back in 1999.

Sara Anzanello will be working hard to be ready to play and will be on the roster of the second team of Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA, which is composed solely of U18 players and will play in the B1 league (the third division of the Italian national league). She will also be a testimonial for the club in all charity and promotional events and, moreover, she will be an important role model, as a player and as a person, for all the young girls of the club’s junior teams.