Christa Harmotto facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Christa Harmotto
Personal information
Full name	Christa Deanne Harmotto
Born	(1986-10-12) October 12, 1986 (age 38) Sewickley, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	174 lb (79 kg)
Spike	124 in (315 cm)
Block	121 in (307 cm)
College(s)	Penn State University
Volleyball information
Position	Middle blocker
Current club	Fenerbahce Grundig
Number	13
Career
Years Teams 2009–2010 2010–2013 2013–2015 2015–2016 Guangdong Evergrande LIU•JO Volley Modena Eczacıbaşı VitrA Fenerbahce Grundig
National team
2009–2016  USA
Honours Women's volleyball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Silver 2012 London Team Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team World Championship Gold 2014 Italy Team World Cup Bronze 2015 Japan Team World Grand Prix Gold 2012 Ningbo Team Gold 2015 Omaha Team Silver 2016 Bangkok Team Pan American Cup Bronze 2010 Rosarito & Tijuana Team Bronze 2011 Ciudad Juárez Team

Christa Deanne Harmotto Dietzen, born on October 12, 1986, is a former professional volleyball player from the United States. She was a key player for the United States women's national volleyball team. Christa played college volleyball at Penn State University, where her team won two national championships in a row in 2007 and 2008. She also won a gold medal with the national team at the 2014 World Championship. Christa earned a silver medal at the 2012 London Summer Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Christa Harmotto's Amazing Volleyball Journey

Starting Strong: High School Days

Christa Harmotto grew up in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. She went to Hopewell High School in Aliquippa. There, she was a talented athlete, playing volleyball for three years and basketball for two years.

In 2004, during her senior year of high school, Christa was named the Pennsylvania State Gatorade Player of the Year. This award recognizes top high school athletes. She was also chosen as an All-American, meaning she was one of the best players in the country.

Christa was part of the USA Women's Junior National Team in 2004. This team won the NORCECA Championship in Canada. She also joined the 2005 USA Junior National Team, which competed in Turkey at the FIVB Under-20 World Championships.

She set a school record with 183 blocks in her junior year. In her senior year, she set another record for hitting percentage at .595. Christa helped her high school team achieve a perfect 59–0 record against local opponents. She also played club volleyball for Pittsburgh Renaissance. Experts considered her one of the top 15 recruits for college volleyball in 2005.

College Superstar: Penn State

Christa played college volleyball for Penn State University. She was known as a middle hitter, famous for her fast and powerful kills. She had a very high hitting percentage, which means she scored points often. Christa was also one of the best blockers in the nation. She had 200 blocks in 2007 and 166 in 2008.

Christa studied education at Penn State. She was named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American of the Year in 2008. This award shows she was excellent both in sports and in her studies. She was also named Academic All-Big Ten for three years. Her dream after college was to play volleyball professionally and compete in the Olympics.

Freshman Year (2005)

In her first year, Christa set a Penn State record with 13 blocks in one match. She led her team in blocks per game. She scored at least six kills in almost every match she played. Sadly, she tore her ACL (a knee ligament) near the end of the season. This injury made her miss the NCAA matches. Even with the injury, she was recognized as an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American.

Sophomore Year (2006)

Christa recovered well from her injury. She played in most of her team's games. She led the team in blocks per game and was second in hitting percentage. She also had a career-high 17 kills in a game against Minnesota. Her strong performance helped Penn State reach the NCAA Regional Final.

Junior Year (2007)

As a junior, Christa had an amazing year. She was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and an AVCA First Team All-American. She was even nominated for the Honda Award, which honors the top player in the country.

She played in almost all of Penn State's games and started every match. She finished the year with 375 kills and an incredible .492 hitting percentage. This was one of the best percentages in NCAA history. She also had 200 blocks. Christa helped her team achieve a 20–0 record in the Big Ten conference. Overall, they had a fantastic 34–2 record.

Christa helped her team win the 2007 NCAA national championship against Stanford. She was named to the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team for her great play in the championship match.

Senior Year (2008)

Christa continued her impressive performance in her senior year. She led the nation in hitting percentage for most of the season. She finished with a .486 percentage and 275 kills. She also had 166 blocks and was third in the nation for blocks per set. Christa was again named an AVCA First Team All-American and nominated for the Honda Award.

She helped Penn State win their second straight Big Ten season with a perfect 20–0 record. They didn't lose a single set to any Big Ten team! In the 2008 NCAA Tournament, she helped her team reach the Final Four.

In the national championship game against Stanford, Christa had 8 kills and 6 blocks. Her efforts helped Penn State achieve a perfect 38–0 record and win their second straight NCAA Championship. Christa ended her college career with a .433 hitting percentage, which is the second-best in NCAA history.

Playing for Team USA

In 2009, Christa was chosen to join the U.S. National Team. She traveled to Egypt and played in matches there. In her first match against Egypt, she scored a team-high 18 points.

Later in 2009, Christa began training full-time with the U.S. National Team. She played in several international tournaments, including the Pan-American Volleyball Cup and the FIVB World Grand Prix. At the 2009 Final Four Cup in Peru, Christa was a starter in all five matches. She was named the tournament's "Best Blocker" for her amazing defense. She helped Team USA reach the gold medal match.

Christa was a key part of the USA national team that won the gold medal at the 2014 World Championship. They defeated China 3-1 in the final match.

Awards and Achievements

Christa Harmotto won many awards throughout her volleyball career. Here are some of her major achievements:

• 2009 Final Four Cup
• 2010 Pan-American Volleyball Cup
• 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix
• 2011 Pan-American Volleyball Cup
• 2011 Women's NORCECA Volleyball Continental Championship
• 2011 FIVB World Grand Prix
• 2012 FIVB World Grand Prix
• 2012 Summer Olympics
• 2013 FIVB World Grand Champions Cup
• 2013 Women's NORCECA Volleyball Continental Championship
• 2014 FIVB World Championship
• 2015 FIVB World Grand Prix
• 2015 FIVB Women's World Cup
• 2015 Women's NORCECA Volleyball Continental Championship
• 2016 Women's NORCECA Olympic Qualification Tournament
• 2016 FIVB World Grand Prix
• 2016 Summer Olympics

• College Awards:

* Four-time AVCA All-American (2005–08) * Four-time First Team All-Big Ten (2005–08) * 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American of the Year * 2007 Big Ten Player of the Year * 2007 NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team * Two-time Honda Award nominee (2007, 2008)

• High School Awards:

* Two-time Prepvolleyball.com All-American (2004–05) * 2005 Pennsylvania State Gatorade Player of the Year * 2005 Dapper Dan High School Female Athlete of the Year

More About Volleyball

• Penn State Nittany Lions women's volleyball
• List of Pennsylvania State University Olympians