Culver City Observer -

Culver City native Malea Stanton will be taking her volleyball game to the next level this summer in Pula, Croatia, and in New York as an NCAA Division I student-athlete.

Stanton was selected as setter to represent the United States on the 2018 European Global Challenge All-Star Team.

Stanton--the team's captain--and her nine teammates left this week for the start of the volleyball tour in Munich, Germany. They will then travel to Austria and Italy.

Volleyball's Global Challenge begins July 10 in Croatia. The four-day tournament features elite teams from the US and Europe.

Stanton attributes her love of volleyball to her hometown. She was first introduced to the game in fourth grade, playing for the United States Youth Volleyball League (USYVL) while she was attending El Marino Language School.

Although a proclivity to the sport was there, Stanton knew she had a lot to learn and began to take the game more seriously at Culver City Middle School and for Culver Volleyball Club. Her passion, persistent work ethic, and desire to better her game ultimately led her to a commitment as the 2019 setter on scholarship for the University at Albany, State University of New York.