Volleyball: Women's

After four years in Happy Valley, former Nittany Lion libero Alyssa D'Errico is going to Alcobendas, Spain after signing a one-year contract to play for the Spanish second-division Superliga 2 club Feel Volley Alcobendas running from August 31 to early March.

Playing professionally will be a new challenge for D'Errico after she led Penn State to four consecutive national volleyball championships.

D'Errico originally signed a contract to play in France, but the team that signed the former Lion almost immediately released her, citing a rule limiting the number of foreigners on the team.

Penn State coach Russ Rose wrote a letter to the owner of Feel Volley Alcobendas highlighting some of D'Errico's best attributes.

"I said [in the letter] what it is that she did really well," Rose said. "She's a great teammate, she's plays the game hard, and she's low maintenance."

When Feel Volly Alcobendas offered her a contract, she jumped at the opportunity.

“I was reaching and hoping, but not having a ton of belief that that was actually going to happen," D'Errico told The Daily News in Batvia, NY. "And now that it has, it’s just like (I’m) ecstatic."

D'Errico played libero in college, but in Spain she will be more of a "passer/hitter," Rose said.

But her former coach is confident that she will be able to adapt to the new role, and that she will be a valuable asset Feel Volley Alcobendas.

"One of the most important things in sports is the ability to make other people better," Rose said. "I think that's one of the things Alyssa is very in tune to."