Cristina Cruzado, a Malaga woman in the volleyball elite

When she was a child, she focused solely on enjoying volleyball, she looked forward to going to the pavilion every afternoon, but never imagined that one day she would become part of the elite.

Now, 23-year-old outside hitter Cristina Cruzado has just become the first player from Pizarra to be promoted to the highest national category, the Women's Superliga or Liga Iberdrola de Voleibol. She's still on a high after last weekend's achievement, when she won a ticket to the play-off for promotion with CV Melilla, where she has just completed her third season.

Cruzado fully immersed herself in this discipline from a very young age, as the star sport of her town Pizarra, which has had both men's and women's teams in the second national league for years.

Her lifelong dream was to compete with Pizarra, her home team, and reach as high as possible. However, another club came knocking on her door and she couldn't turn it down.

"Melilla signed me because one year we played together in the first national league. At first it was hard because I really wanted to play Superliga 2 with my home team, but that's how things turned out. I started physiotherapy here in Melilla and they offered to hire me and pay me to play the sport I love, so I couldn't refuse," said Cristina.

Both teams were promoted to the second division that season, but only Melilla made the major commitment to get their women's team into the elite, something they have reached within three years.

"We have been raising the bar every year. The first year I was here we were runners-up in the Copa Princesa and went to the play-off for promotion, the second year we were also runners-up in the Copa and this year we have been promoted," explained the player, still amazed at what she has achieved: "I can't believe I'm going to play in the top league, they still have to renew me, but I hope to be part of this, it would be a dream."

The young player is overflowing with joy, especially because being a part of this feat wasn't straightforward (only the two best teams in a Superliga 2 made up of 36 teams have been promoted).

Looking back, she explained that the road has not been easy: "This means fulfilling the dream I have been fighting for since I was little, it's like reaping what I have been sowing since childhood. I have experienced many ups and downs, many seasons and bad times, and in the end all the effort was worth it. I have never thrown in the towel because this is what I love most in the world. This promotion is dedicated to my parents," she said, emotionally.

This season in Melilla has not been easy either, they faced a restructuring of the squad and the difficult news that their coach was diagnosed with cancer - he had to step aside and, until his replacement arrived, they spent several days without a leader. After all that effort from the club and the players, the reward has been well worth it.

Now in the top category, the team could be in line for new challenges such as the Copa de la Reina (only for the best eight of the 12 teams in the competition) or even a call up to the national team, something Cruzado dreams of.

Cristina Cruzado will be the third player from Malaga in the Spanish Superliga next season, as Paula Miguel from Torremolinos and Paula García from Alhaurin both play for Ocisa Haro Rioja Vóley, a team that has had a great season, reaching the semi-finals of the play-off for the title.

Of course, it is worth mentioning that the most outstanding volleyball player in the province is currently playing abroad. Raquel Lázaro, from Benalmádena, is competing with Béziers in France, in one of the highest leagues in Europe, and has played for the Spanish national team for years.