The Italian volleyball club Megabox Ondulati del Savio Vallefoglia continues its ambitious squad building for the new season in Serie A, attracting Croatian national team player and Champions League winnerBožana Butigan,the Italian media report. Even more pleasing for Bulgarian fans is that the 24-year-old middle blocker will be a teammate with two of the brightest young hopes of Bulgarian volleyball – Tsvetomira Mitkova and Mikaela Stoyanova, who also signed with Vallefoglia in the spring.

Serious international track record

Born in 2000 and standing 1.92 m tall, Božana Butigan has an impressive career behind her, both in her native Croatia and in Italy – Europe's strongest women's club championship. After four seasons with HAOK Mladost Zagreb, she was recruited by powerhouse Imoco Conegliano, with whom she won the Champions League, the Italian championship title, the Italian Cup, and two Supercups.

After that, the Croatian player moved through Bergamo and Bisonte Firenze, and last season she ranked third in the number of blocks in Serie A – directly behind stars like Anna Danesi and Sonia Candi.

Vallefoglia builds with ambition – and with Bulgarian participation

With the arrival of Butigan, the club demonstrates serious ambitions for the new season. Sports director Alessio Simone describes her as “a strong blocker with experience and positive energy – exactly what we need after Weitzel's departure.”

Butigan will join the squad, which already includes the names of Tsvetomira Mitkova and Mikaela Stoyanova, coming from Levski Sofia and considered among the most promising Bulgarian players. Thus, Vallefoglia not only invests in experience and international trophies but also provides a stage for young talents from the Balkans.

First words and goals

“My choice was not difficult – Vallefoglia is a club that is developing very quickly and gaining respect. My goal is to give 100% of myself – energy, positivity, and a smile,” Božana Butigan shared at her presentation.