[3] In 2011, she made her debut with Puerto Rico's senior national team when she played at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

[1] In 2012, Santana began playing NCAA Division I volleyball, joining the Minnesota Gophers of the Big Ten as a freshman.

That year, she was joined at Minnesota by a former teammate in the Puerto Rico Youth National Team, libero Dalianliz Rosado.

The path shared by the two to arrive on campus and their common heritage were both catalysts in making the pair bond productively and help each other stay focused,[8][9] specially after a disappointing 2014 that saw the team miss the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998 and finish the year with a losing record in one of the most competitive conferences in the nation.

[11][14] She led the Gophers in kills (584), points (654.5), and service aces (39), was second in digs (375), and was twice named Big Ten Player of the Week.

[17] When she reached the end of her college career, Santana's 1644 points, 182 service aces, and 1280 digs respectively ranked 7th, 8th, and 10th in program history.