After announcing Monday that the team added middle blocker Lana Radakovic the team announced another new addition in talented international libero Emma Barbero Tuesday via Twitter. 

Barbero, from Asti, Italy, spent two years with Club Italia in the Italia Women’s Serie 2 league, moving up to Serie A1 playing the 2022–23 season for Vallefoglia, according to the post. 

The 19-year-old talented athlete has built a social following of over 18,000 on TikTok and 7,000 on Instagram, focusing primarily on her volleyball and personal life. 

Playing in a volleyball academy before moving to the professional scene, she brings a youthful but highly experienced skillset for the Cougs as she will battle with Karly Basham for the starting spot. 

She was a vital member of an Italy team that finished runner-up at the 2023 U18 FIVB World Championships. For her performance, she was awarded as the best libero of the Championships.

Before that finish, she played in youth championships up to the age of 12, where she moved to Orago to play under Giuseppe Bosetti, according to a translated Instagram post from when she joined Megabox volleyball. 

Winning a U14 Championship under Bosetti, she continued her playing career with teams Piacenza and Sassuolo before joining Club Italia.