Natalia Cristina Valentín León, also known as Natalia Valentín-Anderson (born September 12, 1989) is a Puerto Rican volleyball player. She is a member of the Dallas Pulse of Major League Volleyball[2] and a former captain of the Puerto Rican national team.[3][1]
| Natalia Valentín-Anderson | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||||
| Full name | Natalia Cristina Valentín León[1] | ||||
| Nickname | Naty | ||||
| Nationality | Puerto Rican | ||||
| Born | December 9, 1989 Río Piedras, Puerto Rico | ||||
| Hometown | Caguas, Puerto Rico | ||||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||
| Weight | 61 kg (134 lb) | ||||
| Spike | 244 cm (96 in) | ||||
| Block | 240 cm (94 in) | ||||
| College / University | FIU | ||||
| Volleyball information | |||||
| Position | Setter | ||||
| Current club | Dallas Pulse | ||||
| Number | 1 | ||||
| Career | |||||
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| National team | |||||
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Early life
editValentín-Anderson was born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico to Raúl Valentín and Norma León.[1] She originally was a runner until her mother encouraged her to try volleyball.[4] She earned a scholarship to Florida International University, where she received All-Sun Belt Conference honors three times and became the program's all-time assists leader.[5]
Professional career
editValentín-Anderson has played professionally in more than five countries. In 2024, she joined the Omaha Supernovas, with whom she won the inaugural championship.[4] For the 2026 season, she joined expansion team Dallas Pulse.[6]
At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Valentín-Anderson competed with the Puerto Rican national team.[7]
Clubs
edit
Leonas de Ponce (2014–2015)
Azerrail Baku (2015–2016)
Saint-Raphael Var Volley-Ball (2017–2019)
Skyres Rzeszow (2019–2020)
Volley Bergamo 1991 (2020–2021)
Athletes Unlimited (2022)- Omaha Supernovas (2024–2025)
- Dallas Pulse (2026–)
Awards
editIndividual
editClub
edit- 2015–2016 Azerbaijan Super League –
Champion, with Azerrail Baku
References
edit- 1 2 3 http://fedpurvoli.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/NATALIA-CRISTINA-VALENTIN-LEON.pdf [dead link]
- ↑ Moon, Emma (January 7, 2026). "With the Dallas Pulse, can professional volleyball find success in North Texas?". Dallas News. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
- ↑ "Team Roster – Puerto Rico". italy2014.fivb.org. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
- 1 2 Behning, Anna (July 23, 2025). "'Divine intervention': Volleyball journey from Puerto Rico to Omaha". KETV. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
- ↑ "Natalia Valentin-Anderson". Athletes Unlimited. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
- ↑ Jones, Siera (December 22, 2025). "9 Key Roster Updates for AU Stars Entering the 2026 MLV Season". Athletes Unlimited. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
- ↑ Delgado, Joel. "Alumnae lift Puerto Rican volleyball team to Olympic heights". Florida International University. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
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