Bittinger Signs Pro Contract with Austrian Club
7/6/2018 4:01:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
KENT, Ohio – Recent Kent State graduate Kelsey Bittinger will continue her volleyball career after recently signing a professional contract with PSVBG Salzburg in Austria.
"We couldn't be happier for Kelsey to have this opportunity to continue playing the sport she loves," Kent State head coach Don Gromala said. "Volleyball is a big part of her life. If she isn't helping local volleyball clubs, you can find her at a sand tournament somewhere across the state. Kelsey made a huge impact on this program, and we're excited to see where her professional career continues to take her."
The Strongsville, Ohio will be the first Kent State volleyball product born in the United States to compete at the professional level.
Bittinger will begin her professional career in August following a distinguished four-year career for the Golden Flashes. The only three-time All-MAC First Team honoree in Kent State history, she concluded her career with 1,472 kills and 1,332 digs to rank third and fourth, respectively, in program history. She posted a career-best 3.88 kills per set as a senior last fall, which is ninth on Kent State's single-season record list.
The epitome of a student-athlete, Bittinger was recognized as a 2017 Senior CLASS Award First Team All-American for her notable achievements in four areas of excellence: classroom, community, character and competition. A 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Third Team selection, she completed her degree in applied physics with just under a 4.00 cumulative GPA.
Bittinger got a taste of international volleyball last summer when she competed at the 2017 European Global Challenge in Pula, Croatia. The European Global Challenge is designed to provide American players experience playing against international teams with FIVB rules prior to beginning their professional careers.
In recent years, former Golden Flashes Liva Brivule (Riga, Latvia), Aleksandra Nowak (Damnica, Poland) and Arjola Prenga (Tirana, Albania) have embarked on professional careers in Europe.
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