Cor Jesu Academy senior Ava Della Croce recently competed in the World Bocce Championships, representing the U.S. The competition took place in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, from Oct. 13-17. It was Ava’s first time competing in the world championship as an adult.

Bocce, a game that originated in Italy, is a ball sport that involves tossing or rolling balls closer to a smaller target, known as a pallino. The world championship used Punto Raffa Volo rules, which makes for a strategic game that requires more skill and precision.

Ava delved into the world of bocce early last year, with only a handful of months to prepare for the 2025 World Championships. She was inspired by her family’s long-term involvement in the sport; one of her relatives founded the Italia-America Bocce Club on The Hill.

“Our family’s always been around it,” Ava told The Call last year. “All of our aunts and uncles play. It’s been in the family the whole time.”

Ava and her cousin, Joseph Della Croce, competed last year in the World Bocce Junior Championship, which took place in Brittany, France. But since qualifying as an adult, Ava has taken the next step in her bocce-playing career by advancing to the senior level. She is the youngest person to ever represent the U.S. in the World Bocce Championships.

Earlier this year, Della Croce won the Women’s Precision Shooting Gold in the U.S. Bocce National Championship, which was hosted just north of Boston, Massachusetts, in late June. This achievement allowed her to qualify for the U.S. team in the world championship.