From Costa Rica to the World: Volleyball Players Taking Their Game Abroad

Costa Rica may be a relatively small country, but its volleyball players are increasingly finding opportunities far beyond its borders.

From NCAA programs in the United States to professional clubs in Europe, Costa Rican athletes are showing younger players that volleyball can provide a pathway to an international education, higher levels of competition, and experiences around the world.

For American volleyball players visiting Costa Rica, these athletes also offer an important reminder: the Costa Rican players they meet and train with are part of a volleyball system capable of developing athletes who can compete internationally.

Rashanny Solano Smith — St. John’s University

One of the most successful current examples is Rashanny Solano Smith, a libero from Limón who plays NCAA Division I volleyball at St. John’s University in New York.

Solano Smith developed with Limón Volleyball Club before representing Costa Rica internationally. At the U19 Central American Championship, she earned honors including Best Libero, Best Digger, Best Receiver and tournament MVP.

Her success continued in the United States.

During the 2025 season at St. John’s, Solano Smith was named BIG EAST Libero of the Year and First-Team All-BIG EAST after recording 443 digs.

She has continued representing Costa Rica while competing collegiately. At the 2026 NORCECA Women’s Final Four, she was recognized as both the tournament’s Best Libero and Best Defender.

Her story demonstrates how development in Costa Rica can lead directly to high-level NCAA volleyball.

Angelica Rodriguez — St. John’s University

Solano Smith now has another Costa Rican joining her at St. John’s.

Angelica Rodriguez, an opposite hitter from San Carlos, is listed on the St. John’s 2026 roster after previously competing at Miami Dade College.

Rodriguez helped Miami Dade win the 2025 NJCAA National Championship and earned a place on the NJCAA National All-Tournament Team.

She also has extensive experience representing Costa Rica. A member of the national-team program since 2018, Rodriguez has won multiple Central American championship gold medals and earned individual recognition including MVP and Best Opposite Hitter at the 2019 Central American U18 Championship.

Having two Costa Rican athletes on a Division I roster is another indication of the opportunities becoming available to the country’s leading players.

Sofía Vega Barrantes — Tusculum University

Beach volleyball is creating another route into American college athletics.

Costa Rican national-team player Sofía Vega Barrantes received a full scholarship to compete in NCAA Division II beach volleyball at Tusculum University in Tennessee.

Vega arrived in the United States with considerable international experience representing Costa Rica in both indoor and beach volleyball.

She quickly made an impact.

During her first collegiate season in 2026, Vega was named South Atlantic Conference Freshman of the Year, earned First-Team All-Conference honors and was selected to the conference’s First-Team All-Tournament team.

For young Costa Rican beach players, Vega provides a particularly interesting example of how international competition can lead to an American college scholarship.

Chiara Boninsegna — From Costa Rica to European Volleyball

The international pathway isn’t limited to the United States.

Chiara Boninsegna, a Costa Rican-Italian outside hitter born in Costa Rica, has competed with clubs in several European countries.

Her volleyball journey has included stops in Spain, Sweden and Italy. Her recent club history includes Lindesberg Volley in Sweden and Demmalight Sommatino in Italy, with ASD Real Volley Ugento in Italy listed for the 2026–27 season.

Boninsegna has also represented Costa Rica internationally, including with the senior national-team program and Costa Rica’s U23 team.

Her career illustrates another potential pathway for talented Costa Rican players: using the sport to pursue opportunities in European club volleyball.

A Pathway Beyond Costa Rica

These players are part of a larger story.

Costa Rica’s volleyball system begins with young athletes competing through community programs, clubs and national age-group competitions. The best players can progress into higher-level domestic competition and Costa Rican youth and senior national teams.

International tournaments then provide exposure to competition outside Central America.

For some athletes, the next step can be a scholarship in the United States. Others may pursue club opportunities internationally.

Costa Rica’s 2026 domestic volleyball picture provides evidence that this movement is affecting local teams as well. Coverage of the national championship noted that Limón’s successful generation of young female players had seen several athletes leave the country for scholarship opportunities in the United States and Mexico.

What This Means for Visiting American Players

This international connection makes a volleyball trip to Costa Rica particularly interesting.

An American teenager might arrive expecting simply to play a few matches against local competition. Instead, she may find herself practicing alongside a Costa Rican player who hopes to follow the same pathway as Rashanny Solano Smith, Angelica Rodriguez or Sofía Vega.

Some may eventually play NCAA volleyball. Others may represent Costa Rica internationally or pursue opportunities with clubs abroad.

That changes the nature of an international volleyball trip.

It isn’t simply an American team traveling somewhere warm to play volleyball. It is an opportunity for athletes from two countries to train together, learn from one another and discover that they may have many of the same ambitions.

Volleyball Can Open Doors

The stories of Costa Rican players competing abroad demonstrate one of the greatest strengths of international sports.

Volleyball can open doors.

It can take an athlete from Limón to New York, from San Carlos to an American national championship, from Costa Rica’s beaches to an NCAA campus in Tennessee, or from Central America to volleyball clubs in Europe.

For young Costa Rican athletes, those journeys provide examples of what may be possible.

For visiting American athletes, they provide something equally valuable: a chance to recognize that the players standing across the net aren’t simply opponents from another country.

They’re fellow athletes pursuing many of the same dreams.

And sometimes, a volleyball court in Costa Rica is where those two worlds meet.