News & Events

Contact John Kane, Public Relations
(413) 536-0926
26 July 2005
For Immediate Release

Volleyball Hall of Fame to honor six international stars
---Bernard Rajzman Named FIVB's Volleyball Player of the 20th Century (Brazil)
---Eugenio George FIVB's Best Woman¹s Team Coach 20th Century (Cuba)
---Stanislaw Gosciniak 1974 World Championship MVP (Poland)
---Cecilia Tait - Silver Medal - Seoul Olympics - 1988 (Peru)
---Konstantin Reva - Received Special 20th Century Award from FIVB - 2000 (USSR)
---Ron Lang - USVBA All-Time Great Male Player (USA)

HOLYOKE, Mass. USA --- Six international greats of volleyball will be honored here in the birthplace of the sport on Thursday, Oct. 27. Ron Lang of the United States, Bernard Razjman of Brazil, Cecilia Tait of Peru, Stanislaw Gosciniak of Poland, Eugenio George of Cuba and Konstantin Reva of the USSR/Russia will be inducted to the Volleyball Hall of Fame in an afternoon ceremony.

The Hall's 20th enshrinement will take place at 2 p.m. at the Hall of Fame at 444 Dwight Street in Heritage State Park, immediately following a noon luncheon at the Yankee Pedlar Inn. Tickets for the luncheon are $25. Admission to the ceremony is free of charge. Seating for both events is limited.

The Volleyball Hall of Fame Reception and Dinner will be held at the The Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House beginning at 6 p.m. Short videos highlighting the inductees' careers in volleyball will be shown. Dinner tickets prices are $55 per person or $500 per table of 10.

Without question, Eugenio George of Cuba is one of the most successful coaches in the history of the sport. In 2000, George was named the Best Women¹s Team Volleyball Coach of the 20th Century by the FIVB. During his tenure with the Cuban squad he guide his team to three consecutive Olympic Gold Medals (1992, 1996 and 2000), three World Championship crowns (1978, 1994 and 1998), four straight World Cup titles (1989, 1991, 1995 and 1999), three-straight Grand Champions Cup gold medals (1989, 1991 and 1995) and 12 NORCECA Continental Championships.

Ron Lang, of the USA, made his mark on the game of volleyball both on the court and in the sand. He was a member of the first-ever USA Men's Olympic Volleyball Team in 1964. Lang was also a long-time standout player at the USA Men's Open Volleyball Championships. From 1958-1967 he earned nine First-Team All-American selections, one Second-Team All-America honor, three Open National Championships and was an eight-time Open National runner-up. The USVBA named Lang an All-Time Great Male Player in 1982, and he was honored as a member of the organization's 75th Anniversary Men's 1953-77 All-Era Team in 2003. He paired-up with Gene Selznick (VHF Class of 1988) and later Ron Von Hagen (VHF Class of 1992) to form two of the most successful beach partnerships of all-time. With Selznick, he earned more than 20 tournament championships. With Von Hagen, he won 28 events. Lang was also a member of USA Volleyball's 75th Anniversary Men's 1928-87 Beach All-Era Team.

Brazil's Bernard Rajzman made his debut, at 17, with the Brazil Men's National Team and was a key figure as the squad began a run of success. Rajzman won seven South American titles (1973, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1983 and 1987), one Pan American Games title (1983), silver medals at the 1982 World Championships and the 1984 Olympic Games and a bronze medal at the 1981 World Cup. He captured a pair of club championships with Panini Modena in Italy (Italian Cup in 1978 and Cup Winner's Cup in 1979). Rajzman, who was a co-finalist for the FIVB's Best Volleyball Player of the 20th Century award in 2000, won his only Brazilian club title with Bradesco Rio de Janeiro in 1980 and also earned a win in the South American Championship for Clubs in 1980.

From 1949-56 Konstantin Reva was a member of the powerful USSR squads that dominated the men's international volleyball world in the late 1940s and early 1950s. In those pre-Olympic years the World Championship was the crown jewel of distinction, and Reva's USSR team stood out among all the rest. The USSR went undefeated as it won the first two World Championships in 1949 in Prague and in 1952 in Moscow. In 1956 the USSR finished third at the World Championships in Paris. In December 2000 Reva received a Special 20th Century Award from the FIVB as one of two men's Volleyball Players for the 20th Century for his unique performance and contribution to the worldwide success of his team and to the popularity of volleyball.

Stanislaw Gosciniak, a former setter for Poland's men's national volleyball team, was one of the best in the game as he competed in 218 international matches from 1965-74. In 1967 he was among the pioneer medalists for Poland as the team stood on the podium for the first time after it captured the bronze medal at the European Championships. In 1968 and 1972 he guided his Polish squad to the Olympics in Mexico City and Munich, respectively. The highlight of his illustrious career came in 1974, his final year as a player, as he earned Most Valuable Player honors after leading Poland to the gold medal at the World Championships in Mexico and was named Polish Athlete of the Year. He began his coaching career in 1975 and is currently in his second stint as head coach of Poland's men's national team. Last summer he guided his squad to a fifth-place tie at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Peru's Cecilia Tait was deemed "Zurda de Oro," - Golden Lefty - at 16 for her gutsy performance against the Soviet team. She played professionally in Japan, Italy and Brazil. At age 26, she returned to captain the 1988 Peru Olympic team that defeated the favored Chinese, Americans and Japanese, all in thrilling five-set matches, to set up a Gold Medal match against the Soviet Union. Peru took the Silver after the Soviets won the final match by one point.

Tait was chosen as the world¹s best player following the 1988 Games. She was also chosen to play for the World All-Star team that then played the Gold Medal-winning Soviets. She had also been chosen for the All-Star team after the 1984 Olympics. After retiring in 1998, she founded "Talent Seeker," a non-profit group in Lima that taught volleyball to poor girls. A national hero, Tait is now a member of Congress in Peru.

Other events planned for the weekend include a clinic for middle school-aged children and a symposium on the state of volleyball.

The Induction Celebration begins with the 16-team Women¹s Collegiate Volleyball Hall of Fame Induction Tournament at Smith, Mount Holyoke, Springfield and Amherst Colleges on Friday night, Oct. 21 and Saturday Oct. 22. Admission is free of charge.

For more information on how to obtain tickets or to sponsor Induction Celebration events, contact the Volleyball Hall of Fame at (413) 536-0926, by e-mail at info@volleyhall.org or by visiting the website at www.volleyhall.org.

Photos of the inductees for the media are available by contacting The Hall at 413-536-0926 or at info@volleyhall.org

The Volleyball Hall of Fame, incorporated in 1978, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring the great men and women of the sport, and the promotion of volleyball worldwide.