• Submitted by: manso
• Sports
• 10 / 06 / 2011

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Wednesday, October 05, 2011.By The Republican Sports Desk masslive.com. Volleyball Hall of Fame. Legendary blocker Magaly Carvajal of Cuba to be inducted into Volleyball Hall of Fame on Oct. 28.

HOLYOKE – Magaly Carvajal of Cuba, regarded as one of the best blockers of all time, is among the six legends who will be inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in the city of the sport’s birthplace on Oct. 28.

Carvajal was a central figure in Cuba’s domination of the sport for many years. She led Cuba to gold medals at both the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games. She also paced Cuba to the gold medal at the 1994 FIVB World Championship. Carvajal collected FIVB World Cup gold medals in 1989, 1991 and 1995. She was named one of the top three players in the world in 1996.

As a naturalized citizen of Spain in 1998, she competed on Spain’s national team in 2001 and 2002. In addition, Carvajal became a dominant player in the Spanish professional volleyball league. She helped Spar Tenerife Marichal to the European Champions League title in 2003-04. In September of 2010, she agreed to serve as coach and player for Feel Volley Alcobendas in Spain’s Superliga second division.

Other members of the Class of 2011 include women’s indoor player Rita Crockett of the United States, men’s indoor players Lorenzo Bernardi of Italy, Hugo Conte of Argentina and Vladimir Grbic of Serbia, and volleyball leader Dr. Frantisek Stibitz of the Czech Republic, who has passed away.

“The six inductees for the 2011 Volleyball Hall of Fame are remarkable individuals who have brought distinction to the sport either as a player or leader, and in some instances, in both areas,” said Doug Beal, co-chair of the Volleyball Hall of Fame Selection Committee.

“This induction class honors the legends of the game through both diversity of gender and country representation. Vladimir Grbic and Hugo Conte enter the Volleyball Hall of Fame as the first representatives from their respective countries, and this continues the Hall’s mission to showcase the international spectrum being memorialized forever within its walls.
Volleyball is truly a global sport, not only with its six countries representing the 2011 inductees, but the almost 220-plus national federations associated with the FIVB making our international federation the largest sports body in the world.”

The induction class is elected via a vote of current Volleyball Hall of Fame members. A total of 20 different countries are represented in the Volleyball Hall of Fame with at least one inductee. All told, 106 individuals will have been inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame after this year’s enshrinement ceremony.

The Hall, incorporated in 1978, continues to create a more representative institution with inductees of both genders and disciplines – indoor volleyball and beach volleyball – coming from a wide range of countries.

The induction festivities include a VIP reception on Oct. 27 at Wistariahurst Museum, followed by a free public “Meet & Greet” on Oct. 28, with the formal Enshrinement Dinner and Ceremony taking place the evening of Oct. 28.

Tickets to the dinner can be ordered online at the Hall’s website (www.VolleyHall.org) or by calling the Hall at (413) 536-0926.

Source: The Republican Sports Desk masslive.com.