| Intro | Great Britain Women’s Volleyball Team libero, Olympian London 2012, professional volleyball player, semi-professional footballer Charlton Athletic |
| Is |
Athlete Football player Association football player Volleyball player |
| From | United Kingdom |
| Type | Sports |
| Gender | female |
| Birth | 6 October 1977, Ashton-under-Lyne |
| Age: | 42 years |
Maria Catherine Bertelli (born 6 October 1977) is a British volleyball player and former footballer. She competed for the Great Britain volleyball team at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Football career
Bertelli played football for Wimbledon and Charlton Athletic in the FA Women’s Premier League. In 2005 she was signed by Charlton coach Keith Boanas. That season she played in Charlton’s 2–1 Premier League Cup final win over Arsenal. In 2006–07 Charlton were beaten 4–1 by quadruple-winning Arsenal in the FA Women’s Cup final, before a record crowd of 24,529 at the City Ground in Nottingham. Bertelli was booked for an early foul on Kelly Smith.
When Charlton Athletic men’s team were relegated in 2007 they ditched their women’s team. Bertelli made public her disappointment: “To call it upsetting is an understatement.” She decided to focus on volleyball, joining Great Britain’s national training programme in Sheffield in preparation for the 2012 London Olympics.