Famous volleyball players: 20 most popular female and male athletes
Volleyball is one of the most prestigious sports in the world. Both male and female players excel, and the sport, like soccer, is adored by its followers. Famous volleyball players have received various honours, cementing their status as the sport's legends.
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Volleyball is among the most exciting sports, followed by millions of fans worldwide. It has consistently been part of the Summer Olympics for men and women since 1964. Beach volleyball, another version of the sport, was introduced to the competition in 1996.
Top 20 famous volleyball players
Volleyball has been described as one of the most thrilling and exciting sports. Various players are doing great in the sport. Listed below are some of the top 20 popular volleyball players of all time. While some have retired, others are still active.
1. Misty May-Treanor
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Misty May-Treanor is a retired American player considered one of the best and most successful female beach volleyball players of all time. She has won 112 tournaments and international competitions. She retired in 2012 and was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2016.
2. Karch Kiraly
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Karch Kiraly is an American volleyball player, coach and broadcast announcer. He began playing volleyball at age six. He is the only player to have won Olympic medals of any colour in both the indoor and beach volleyball categories. Karch Kiraly is currently the head coach of the United States women's national volleyball team.
3. Regla Torres
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Torres is a talented middle-blocker whose passion for the sport began when she was eight years old. She shot to fame at the age of 17 after winning her first Olympic gold medal in 1992.
Torres is a sports analyst, commentator, and volleyball coach at numerous international championships. Despite her retirement, she is still considered one of the most famous female volleyball players in 2023.
4. Lorenzo Bernardi
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Lorenzo Bernardi is an Italian professional volleyball coach and former player. He has won numerous awards, such as a silver medallist at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, two–time World Champion, and a two–time European Champion.
Lorenzo Bernardi's remarkable adaptability made him a standout figure in the sport. He excelled as a multi-faceted hitter, exceptional passer, and one of the most complete players of his era.
5. Kerri Walsh Jennings
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Kerri Walsh Jennings excelled on the volleyball court before making history in her beach career. She is the most decorated beach volleyball player of all time. The retired athlete won three Olympic gold medals and one Olympic bronze medal.
6. Giba
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Gilberto Amauri de Godoy Filho, known as Giba, is a Brazilian former professional volleyball player who played as an outside hitter. Giba is not tall for a volleyball player, but he made up for his height limitation with his unique physical skills and jumping abilities.
He was recognised for his highly energetic personality, which helped to motivate the whole Brazilian team to play its best. He retired from professional volleyball at the age of 37 in 2014.
7. Sheilla Castro
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Sheilla made her debut for the national team against Colombia. She represented her native country at the 2008 Summer Olympics and in the 2012 Summer Olympics. She won a bronze award at the 2014 World Championship.
She also won the Best Opposite Spiker in the 2016 FIVB World Grand Prix. She retired on April 9, 2022, with her last club being the Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Club.
8. Saeid Marouf
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Saeid Marouf is an Iranian volleyball setter. He is the Iranian national team captain and one of the most famous volleyball players in 2023. He is the first Iranian player to win the Russian Association, Russian Cup, and CEV Champions Association.
9. Kim Yeon-koung
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Kim is a former FIVB Athletes' Commission member and a professional volleyball player from South Korea. She began playing volleyball in fourth grade, motivated by her elder sister, a volleyball player. She made her international debut in the World Grand Champions Cup, finishing third in scoring. Kim is the first player in volleyball history to have four entries in the list of those who have scored 30 points or more in a single Olympic Games match.
10. Ricardo Lucarelli Souza
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Ricardo is one of the top volleyball players from Brazil. He plays outside hitter for Gas Sales Piacenza and the Brazil national team.
He won the men's tournament gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2019 World Cup. Ricardo has also won many other awards, including the CSV South American Club and FIVB U23 World Champions.
11. Francesca Piccinini
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The Japanese anime Attack No. 1 motivated Francesca to pursue a career as a professional volleyball player. She was a Women's National Team member who won gold at the World Championships in Germany in 2002. Francesca Piccinini became the most valuable player when her team won the 2015-16 CEV DenizBank Champions League.
12. Steve Timmons
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Steve Timmons is a former American volleyball player widely regarded as one of the most famous male volleyball players in the sport's history. He was known for his powerful and dynamic playing style and his versatility on the court. After retiring from competitive play, he continued to be involved in the sport as a coach and advocate for volleyball.
13. Lang Ping
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Lang is a Chinese former volleyball player and coach. Lang won the Most Valuable Player award in women's volleyball at the 1984 Olympics. She was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke, Massachusetts in 2002.
14. Ivan Zaytsev
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Ivan is an Italian professional volleyball player of Russian origin. He is the captain of Italy's men's national volleyball team. Ivan has won numerous awards, including a bronze medalist at the Olympic Games in London in 2012 and a silver medalist at the Olympic Games in Rio 2016.
15. Gabrielle Reece
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Gabrielle Reece is a former American professional player, sports commentator, fashion model, and podcast presenter. Following her graduation, Reece embarked on a journey in professional volleyball, competing on various tours for several years.
16. Facundo Conte
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Facundo Conte is an Argentine professional volleyball player. He plays as an outside hitter for Ciudad Vóley and the Argentina national team. Conte has won numerous awards, such as a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020. He also won a gold medal in the 2015 Pan American Games.
17. Zhu Ting
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Zhu Ting is one of the popular volleyball stars and former Chinese women's national volleyball team captain. At the age of 13, she was sent to a sports training school by her high school physical education teacher.
In 2008, she started professional volleyball training at the Henan Province sports school. She is widely regarded as one of the most decorated and successful indoor volleyball players ever.
18. Emanuel Rego
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Emanuel Rego is a former beach volleyball player from Brazil. He competed in five consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1996. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, he won gold in the men's beach team competition. Emanuel Rego is married to volleyball Olympic medallist and Senator Leila Barros.
19. Logan Tom
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Logan Tom is a former American indoor volleyball and beach volleyball player. She is the current head coach of the Israel women's national volleyball team.
Logan is a skilled all-around player. She had been a huge part of the national team from 2000 to 2012. In October 2021, she was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame.
20. Sergey Tetyukhin
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Sergey Tetyukhin is a former Russian volleyball player born in Fergana, Uzbekistan. He plays as a passer-attacker. He is one of only three male volleyball players who have accumulated four Olympic medals during their long sporting careers. Additionally, he is the only volleyball player in the world, both male and female, with four Olympic medals.
Volleyball is one of the most challenging yet exciting games in the world. Famous volleyball players such as Karch Kiraly and Misty May-Treanor are respected and legendary figures in the world of volleyball, each having left an indelible mark on the sport.
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