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#9 Natalia Valentin
Position: Setter
Height: 5'8"
Year: Senior
Hometown: Caguas, Puerto Rico
High School: Adianez
Experience: 2 Letters
Natalia Valentin Bio
Courtesy: FIUSports.com
Release: 08/29/2007

Junior (2009): Was one of two Golden Panthers to start all 36 games on the season, leading FIU in assists in every contest ... Was responsible for setting up a Sun Belt Conference-leading offense which ended the campaign ranked in the top 15 in the nation in both kills per set (14.52) and assists per set (13.42) ... Individually, ranked consistently in the top 10 in the assists per set category, ending the season with an 11.87 mark to rank first in the conference and ninth in the country ... Registered a team-best and FIU all-time single-season record 1,448 assists on the season en route to becoming the rally scoring era career assists leader with 3,143 assists to-date ... That mark also ranks third on the FIU all-time career assists list ... Also led the Golden Panthers in digs (357) and aces (41) on the season ...  Contributed 66 kills on the year, tallying a season-high four kills on three occasions ... Notched a season-best nine points at Florida Atlantic (11/14) ... Tallied a career-high six aces vs. the Owls as well as on one other occasion in 2009 as both outings marked FIU season bests ... Established a season-high 55 assists on two occasions ... Posted a pair of defensive career-highs vs. Northwestern (8/29) with six total blocks and two solo blocks ... Recorded a career-high-tying 19 digs on two occasions with the last coming against Miami in the first round of the NCAA Tournament (12/3) ... Had 14 double-doubles for the campaign ... Named to the SBC Championship All-Tournament squad for the second straight year ... A first team All-SBC choice ... Earned her first career AVCA All-South Region honor ... Was part of the first trio in FIU volleyball history to receive AVCA All-America honors along with Jovana Bjelica and Yarimar Rosa ... An honorable mention Stellar Spikers selection by College Volleyball Update (CVU.com) ... Was recognized as Team MVP at the FIU Athletic Academic Awards Banquet along with Rosa.

Sophomore (2008): Started 34 of 35 matches played ... Finished the season ranked 29th in the NCAA in assists per set (10.92) and 52nd in service aces per set (0.40) ... Ranks second all-time at FIU with assists in a season with 1,376 ... Ranks fifth in career assists overall and third on the rally scoring era charts with 1,695 ... Ranks third for the most aces in a season during the rally scoring era with 51 ... Recorded at least 30 assists in 29 matches, 40 assists in 16 matches and 50 assists in seven matches... Had 10 or more digs in a match 18 times... Recorded 18 double-doubles on the season... Established a career-high 64 assists and 19 assists in a five-set win over Denver ... Was named to the SBC Championship All-Tournament squad ... Earned SBC Academic Honor Roll accolades.

Freshman (2007): Made seven starts in 21 matches played as FIU went 4-2 in matches with Valentin in the starting lineup ... Led the Golden Panthers to an upset over Missouri (9/2) in her first career start at setter, dishing out what would stand through the rest of the year as a team and personal career-high 64 assists ... Also collected a career-best 19 digs against the Tigers to notch her first career double-double ... Went on to record five double-doubles on the year.

Prior to FIU: Member of the Puerto Rican Junior National Team, along with Yarimar Rosa who competed at the 2007 World Junior Championships in Thailand ... Helped lead the squad to a third place performance at the 2006 North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) Continental Women's Junior Championship in Monterrey, Mexico, which qualified Puerto Rico for the 2007 World Junior Championships.

Personal: Born September 12, 1989 ... Daughter of Raúl Valentín and Norma León ... Has two brothers, Norman and Raúl ... Majoring in environmental studies with a minor in hospitality management.