News & Events
October 19, 2010
For Immediate Release
David Casey, Volleyball Hall of Fame President (E-Mail: info@volleyhall.org or craycasey@aol.com, Phone: 536-0926)
Historic Volleyball Hall of Fame Enshrinement this Friday
HOLYOKE, Mass. (Oct. 19, 2010) - The Volleyball Hall of Fame will reach two historic milestones on Friday, Oct. 22, as it inducts the 25th class and the 100th individual during the Enshrinement Ceremony at 6:45 p.m. Eastern Time at the Log Cabin in Holyoke, Mass.
The newest induction class consists of the beach team of Shelda Bede and Adriana Behar of Brazil, indoor female coach Gabriella Kotsis of Hungary, indoor female player Gabriela Perez del Solar of Peru, indoor male player Aleksandr Savin of Russia and the late indoor coach Hubert Wagner of Poland.
The Volleyball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony will be video streamed on the Internet for the first time to a worldwide audience. Access to the video can be found at www.livestream.com/vizbang.
In addition to the inductees, the Volleyball Hall of Fame will recognize Mountain View Landscapes and Lawncare, Inc. and its president Stephen M. Corrigan with the William G. Morgan Award. The Mintonette Award will be presented to Richard B. Lajoie.
Tickets to the Enshrinement Ceremony can be purchased for $65 per person or a table of 10 for $600. Special pricing is available for team tables by calling (413) 536-0926. For online ticket purchases, visit www.volleyhall.org/enshrinement2010reg.html. Tickets can also be reserved by phone by calling (413) 536-0926.
FIVB President Jizhong Wei will be among the guests attending the 2010 Volleyball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony. Returning Hall of Fame inductees include USA Volleyball CEO Doug Beal (Class of 1989), retired USA Volleyball Executive Director/Past-President Al Monaco (Class of 1997), Michael O'Hara (Class of 1989), Randy Stoklos (Class of 2008) and Marv Dunphy (Class of 1994).
Other special guests scheduled to attend the Enshrinement Ceremony are NBC Senior Vice President of Programs/NBC Olympics Peter Diamond, United States Olympic Committee Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Baird, honorary consul for Republic of Poland Marek Lesniewski-Laas, Polish Volleyball Federation President Miroslaw Przedpelski, USA Volleyball Chairman of the Board David Schreff and two-time U.S. Olympian Kevin Barnett as the event's master of ceremonies.
Volleyball Hall of Fame Class of 2010
Shelda Bede and Adriana Behar (BRAZIL) - FEMALE BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Shelda Bede and Adriana Behar showed remarkable resilience on the beach as they played in more international beach events together than any other women's team since the start of the FIVB circuit in 1992. They won a total of 31 FIVB international beach volleyball tournaments, in addition to winning silver medals at both the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. The duo won the SWATCH/FIVB World Tour season points title six times, including a remarkable five-year run from 1997 to 2001 followed by their final title in 2004. Shelda and Adriana won four medals at the SWATCH FIVB World Championship during their careers, including gold medals in 1999 and 2001, silver in 2003 and a bronze in 1997.
Gabriella Kotsis (HUNGARY) - FEMALE INDOOR COACH
Gabriella Kotsis was a pioneering female volleyball coach in her home country of Hungary. She became the very first female head coach to lead volleyball teams to multiple Olympic Games, and is the only female to lead teams to three Olympics. Kotsis coached Hungary at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal and the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. Hungary missed out on achieving a medal with consecutive fourth-place finishes at the 1976 and 1980 Olympic Games with Kotsis at the helm of the team. To this day, only one other female has led two different teams to the Olympic Games, that being 2002 Volleyball Hall of Fame inductee Lang Ping who guided her home country China to the 1996 Olympic Games and the United States to the 2008 Olympic Games in her hometown of Beijing.
Gabriela Perez del Solar (PERU) - FEMALE INDOOR PLAYER
Gabriela Perez del Solar, who earned her first international CAP at the age of 17, competed in two Olympic Games during her career. She paced Peru to a fourth-place finish at the 1984 Olympic Games played in Los Angeles. Four years later, she led Peru to the silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. During the 1988 Olympic Games, Perez del Solar was recognized with the Best Receiver award as a multi-talented middle blocker. She and Peruvian teammates earned the bronze medal at the 1986 FIVB World Championship in which she was chosen as the Best Blocker. Perez del Solar played in three FIVB World Cups as she earned Best Blocker in 1985 at the age of 17 and again in 1991. She competed in five South American Championships and won four gold medals in the event. Perez del Solar retired from competition after helping her team win the 1993 South American Championship.
Aleksandr Savin (RUSSIA) - MALE INDOOR PLAYER
Aleksandr Savin played a huge role on the Soviet Union Teams that dominated international volleyball from 1975 to 1982. He helped the Soviet Union to two Olympic Games appearances during his career. Savin was 21-years-old when he helped USSR reached the gold-medal match at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal before losing to Poland in a dramatic five-set match. Savin was the young participant for the Soviet Union during the 1976 Olympic Games. Four years later, Savin and USSR would not be denied as it won the gold medal on home soil at the 1980 Olympic Games with a four-set victory over Bulgaria. USSR dropped only two sets during the 1980 Olympic Games. Savin led the Soviet Union National Team to the gold medal at the 1977 FIVB World Cup and the 1978 FIVB World Championship as it built its domination toward the 1980 Olympic Games. Savin went on to win gold medals with the Soviet Team at the 1981 FIVB World Cup, the 1982 FIVB World Championship and the 1986 Goodwill Games. He won silver medals with the Soviet team at the 1985 FIVB World Cup and the 1986 FIVB World Championship.
Hubert Wagner (POLAND) - MALE INDOOR COACH
The late Hubert Wagner was a successful volleyball player for Poland and later transitioned to become its most revered coach. He was a member of Poland's 1968 Olympic Team which finished fifth in Mexico City. Wagner played a total of 194 matches for Poland between 1963 and 1971. Two years after retiring as a player, he accepted the head coach position for Poland's Men's National Team from 1973-1976. Wagner immediately pushed Poland to the top with its first-ever FIVB World Championship title in 1974, followed by the gold medal at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. He held a short tenure from 1978-79 as Poland's Women's National Team head coach before taking on his second stint with the Men's National Team from 1983-85. During his second tenure coaching Poland's Men's Team, Wagner led his team to a silver medal at the 1983 European Championship. Aside from a third term as coach of the men's team from 1996 to 1998, he served as Secretary General of the Polish Volleyball Association. Sadly, Wagner died in an automobile accident in 2002 at the age of 61.
ABOUT THE VOLLEYBALL HALL OF FAME
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. Prior to 2009, a total of 88 individuals have been enshrined into the Volleyball Hall of Fame, which is located in the birthplace of the sport. The 25th enshrinement event, including Hall of Famers 95 through 100, will take place in Holyoke on Oct. 21 and Oct. 22, 2010. Among the Induction festivities, a VIP reception will be held on Thursday, Oct. 21, at Wistariahurst Museum, followed by a public "Meet & Greet" on Friday, Oct. 22, with the formal Induction Dinner and Ceremony taking place the evening of Friday, Oct. 22, at the Log Cabin Banquet House. Tickets to the dinner can be ordered online at the Hall's website (www.VolleyHall.org) or by calling the Hall directly at (413) 536-0926.
