International Volleyball Hall of Fame Presents the Induction Class of 2024

Class includes nine names with impressive accolades; IVHF Special Awards also announced

HOLYOKE, Mass., May 20, 2024 - The International Volleyball Hall of Fame (IVHF)  announced via video (click here to watch) its induction class of 2024, to be honored on October 19 in Holyoke. The class includes nine members who were at the top of the game in their respective category, setting the standard and making history en route to being honored with this prestigious recognition. Five of these inductees were also top in the record-setting fan vote for this class.   

The 38th IVHF Induction class includes the following members: four-time Olympian Ana Paula Henkel (Brazil, Female Beach Player); Tim Hovland (United States, Male Beach Player), who won 60 titles in the course of his career; three-time Olympic gold medalist Regla Bell (Cuba, Female Indoor Player); three time Olympian Andrea Zorzi (Italy, Male Indoor Player); the only coach to win an Olympic gold medal with both men’s and women’s teams  Jose “Zé Roberto” Guimarães (Brazil, Coach); Hadi Rezaei (Iran, ParaVolley), the most decorated coach in the history of sitting volleyball; an international official for 24 years Juan Angel Pereyra (Argentina, Official/Referee); Sue Lemaire (United States, Official/Referee), the first female international official from the U.S.; and influential Italian volleyball leader Giuseppe Panini (Italy, Leader).
 
Also announced are IVHF special award winners, recognized for their contributions to the IVHF or the sport of volleyball itself. They include international grassroots legend John Kessel (Mintonette Medallion of Merit Award), and Bill Kauffman and Ed Chan (Award for Media Excellence), both recognized posthumously with the inaugural award for their communications, photography and promotional contributions to the sport, and the Mayoral Award of Excellence to former Massachusetts State Senators and Representatives Mike Knapik, Mike Kane, Aaron Vega and Don Humason for their legislative efforts in getting volleyball designated as the Official Team and Recreational Sport of Massachusetts.
 
“Since 1985, the IVHF has had the distinct honor of inducting the legends of our sport and telling their stories to our worldwide volleyball family,” said IVHF Board President Steve Bishop, also the President of the Florida Region of USA Volleyball. “This year we are honored to welcome the outstanding Class of 2024 Inductees and their families, along with several very deserving special award winners. We cannot wait to meet them, hear their stories, and welcome them to Holyoke, the Birthplace of Volleyball.”

All told, the IVHF has inducted 167 individuals from 26 countries into its historic Hall of Fame – those totals will rise to 176 inductees from 27 countries after the 2024 event. More detailed information on each inductee can be found below. 

"We are thrilled to announce this year's class of Hall of Fame inductees, a group that truly reflects the diversity and global reach of our sport,” stated IVHF Executive Director George Mulry. “These remarkable individuals come from varied backgrounds and have made significant contributions to volleyball in different parts of the world. Their unique stories and achievements exemplify the spirit of inclusivity and excellence that defines our sport.  We hope the entire volleyball community will come together to experience their enshrinement, whether in person or online, as we honor their legacy and celebrate their impact on the volleyball world."

The 2024 International Volleyball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place in Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA on Saturday, October 19, 2024. The event is open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis, and ticket packages are available online at www.ivhf.org. 

Volleyball enthusiasts are encouraged to sign up for an IVHF membership which will provide behind-the-scenes and exclusive content before, during and after Induction Weekend. More information on the IVHF membership program can be found on the organization’s website. 

Located in Volleyball City - Holyoke, Massachusetts - the city where volleyball was created, the IVHF is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to honoring the legends, recognizing the greats, and preserving the history of volleyball worldwide. The IVHF museum is home to over 167 inductees from 26 different countries and over 5,000 square feet of volleyball history. Thousands of people visit the IVHF museum each year to learn about the game and experience the exhibits. Best known for its annual marquee Induction Celebration honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates youth, collegiate, and recreational programs annually in New England.  For more information on the induction events, please visit the Hall’s website at www.ivhf.org or email [email protected]. 

Included in the 2024 Induction class are:

Ana Paula Henkel (Brazil, Beach)

• Ana Paula ranks as one of the top women's beach volleyball players in the world as she is the only player, man or woman, who has won SWATCH-FIVB World Tour gold medals with five different partners (Monica Rodrigues, Sandra Pires, Shaylyn Bede, Leila Barros, and Shelda Bede).
• FIVB Best Server 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
• FIVB Team of the Year 2008 (Shelda Bede)
• FIVB Tour Champion 2003 (Sandra Pires), 2008 (Shelda Bede)
• Participated in four Olympic Games: 1992 & 1996 with Brazil Indoor National team and 2004 & 2008 in Beach Volleyball
• Ana Paula was also a standout player on the Brazilian Indoor National team in the 1990s.  She was a member of Brazil's bronze medal Volleyball team at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, and helped the South American country to three FIVB Grand Prix championship teams (1994, 1996 and 1998).  She was also the most valuable player at the 1994 World Cup.

Tim Hovland (United States, Beach)

• Won 60 titles including six Manhattan Beach Opens, four Hermosa Beach Opens and over $1 million in prize money. 
• Teamed with Hall of Famer Mike Dodd (2012) to win 18 titles in 1988-89 alone and reached the podium in 39 of 48 tournaments. 
• Inducted to the California Beach Volleyball Association Hall of Fame in 2000
• Recipient of the USA Volleyball Thomas Haine All-Time Great Male Player Award in 2020.

Regla Bell (Cuba, Indoor)

• Won three gold medals in a row at the Summer Olympics an outside hitter/opposite for Cuba (1992, 1996 and 2000), two gold medals at the FIVB World Championship (1994 and 1998), and four consecutive gold medals at the FIVB World Cup (1989, 1991, 1995 and 1999).
• Bell received many individual honors including Most Valuable Player, best spiker and best receiver of the 1993 World Grand Champions Cup and best spiker of the 1997 World Grand Champions Cup along with several professional league honors.
• Bell played professionally in six countries including Cuba, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Indonesia and the Philippine’s. Among several awards received over her career, Bell was elected MVP and Best Scorer for the regular season of the 2008-09 Spanish Superliga after hitting 439 kills.

Andrea Zorzi (Italy, Indoor)

• Named to the FIVB Stars of the Century list
• Won two World Championships with the Italian Men’s National Team (1990 and 1994); Gold (1995) and silver (1989) at the FIVB World Cup; Gold (1993) at the World Grand Champions Cup; three gold (1990, 1991, 1992), one silver (1996) and one bronze (1993) at the FIVB World League and three gold (1989, 1993, 1995) and one silver (1991) at the European Championship
• Participated in three Olympics between 1988 and 1996 culminating in the silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games
• Won several titles playing for almost all the major volleyball clubs of Italy including Maxicono Parma and Sisley Treviso.  Two Italian Championships (1990, 1996) and one European Champions League in 1995.  Two-time FIVB Men's World Champion (1990, 1994)

Jose “Zé Roberto” Guimarães (Brazil, Coach)

• The only coach in history to win Olympic gold with both men’s and women’s teams.
• Led the Brazilian men to gold at the 1992 Barcelona Games and several top 3 finishes at major FIVB competitions: bronze at the 1995 World Cup; Gold (1993), silver (1995) and bronze (1994) at the World League.
• Led Brazil women to Olympic gold in 2008 and 2012 followed by a silver medal in 2020.
• The Brazilian women saw much success with Ze Roberto at the helm 23 medals in major FIVB competitions including: World Championship (3 silver, 1 bronze); World Cup (2 silver); World Grand Champions Cup (2 gold, 2 silver); Nations League (1 silver); World Grand Prix (9 gold, 3 silver).

Hadi Rezaei (Iran, ParaVolley)

• Rezaei is the most decorated coach in the history of sitting volleyball with 21 gold medals, three silver medals and two bronze medals at major competitions.
• Led the Iranian Men’s Sitting Volleyball Team to medals in six consecutive Paralympic Games 2000 (gold), 2004 (silver), 2008 (gold), 2012 (silver), 2016 (gold), 2020 (gold)
• Won seven medals at the World Championships including gold in 1998, 2010, 2018 and 2022; silver in 2006; and bronze in 2002 and 2014.
• The Iranian Sitting Men also won four Asian Para Games Gold Medals in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022.
• Rezaei had success at the club level as well, winning six gold medals at the World Club Championships and three at the Asian Club Championships.

Juan Angel Pereyra (Argentina, Official)

• International Referee from 1980 to 2004
• Whistled three Olympic Games including Barcelona, Sydney and Athens.
• Former member of FIVB Refereeing Commission and member of Control Committees in several competitions including Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
• Still very active promoting volleyball, in roles including President of Tucuman Volleyball Federation and President of Refereeing Commission at South American Volleyball Confederation.

Sue Lemaire (United States, Official)

• Became first female International Volleyball Referee certified by the FIVB (1983)
• Participated in numerous international indoor events including the Pan Am Games (1987), four World University Games (1983, 1985, 1993, 1995), the Hong Kong Cup (1993) and the Goodwill Games (1994), where she officiated the women’s gold medal match. 
• Also became an International Beach Referee, officiating the World Beach Championships in 1997 and matches at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics for Beach Volleyball
• An official with both the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), a pioneer body for women’s sports, and the NCAA. She officiated five AIAW national tournaments and nine NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championships. 

• Served on several national and regional rules and policy committees for volleyball and women’s sports, earning several awards for her work, including the USA Volleyball George J. Fisher Leader in Volleyball Award (1985), the USA Volleyball Golden Whistle Award (1985) and the Professional Association of Volleyball Officials Honor Award (1987).

Giuseppe Panini (Italy, Leader)

• Founder of the world famous Panini trading card company in 1961.
• Purchased the professional volleyball club Modena Volley in 1966 quickly growing it to the largest volleyball club in the world by bringing in talented future IVHF inductees such as Josef Musil (2004), Edward Skorek (2006), Bernard Rajman (2005) and Julio Velasco (2003) to name just a few.  
• Instrumental in the founding of the Italian Volleyball League (Lega Pallavolo Serie A) in 1973 - whose SuperLega is still widely regarded as the most difficult and competitive leagues in the world. 
• Modena would go on to win the Italian Volleyball League championship 12 times.
• Modena’s Palazzo dello Sport where the team competes is also known as PalaPanini.

Included in the 2024 Special Awards categories are:

John Kessel (Mintonette Medallion of Merit Award)

• Officially joined USA Volleyball in 1985 and wrote the first IMPACT Manual, which is still used today to train coaches. He retired in 2020 as the USAV Director of Sport Development but still remains active and passionate about coaching education
• Has traveled to all 50 U.S. states and to more than 64 additional countries to run clinics to aid in the development of the sport globally. 
• Was a member of the World ParaVolley Board of Directors from 2012-2022 and continues to serve on its Coaches Commission for course development and clinics
• Was instrumental in USA Volleyball securing Olympic medalist coaches Jenny Lang Ping and Hugh McCutcheon, both also IVHF Inductees 

Bill Kauffman (Award for Media Excellence)

• The first communication coordinator for the International Volleyball Hall of Fame, aiding in behind the scenes efforts of elections, researching and writing biographies, producing and sharing press releases with his international network and serving as a photographer for induction weekend. 
• Longtime communications manager with USA Volleyball, serving as the women’s national pipeline press officer through three Olympic Games and also assisting the FIVB in various capacities, including being appointed to oversee communications at the 2014 FIVB Women’s World Championships. 
• Volunteer for the Communications Commission to support World ParaVolley, using his talents in statistics and storytelling to help spread knowledge and exposure. 
• Appointed to the Communications Committee of Safe Sport International where he had been working to support the SSI Conference, a global international conference focused on the safeguarding of athletes
• Prior to his sudden passing on May 20, 2023, he was involved with Angels of America’s Fallen in Colorado, supporting their communications and fundraising efforts on behalf of military families who have lost loved ones

Ed Chan (Award for Media Excellence)

• Chan joined with Lee Feinswog to buy Volleyball Magazine in 2016.
• Renowned as one of the best beach volleyball photographers in the world, Chan shot NCAA Championships, AVP tournaments around the country, FIVB tournaments around the world, and the Tokyo Olympics, which he considered the highlight of his career.  Even today, photographers refer to methods and shooting angles and equipment they learned about from Chan.
• Prior to his sudden passing on Sept. 3, 2021, he was in the sand covering the two days of Qualifying at AVP Chicago while also serving as the Publisher / Director of Photography at VolleyballMag.com
• Chan was fully immersed in the sport of volleyball for more than 40 years as a photographer, beach facility owner, writer and player. 
  

For more Information, contact;
George Mulry, IVHF Executive Director (E-Mail: [email protected], Phone: 413-536-0926) 
444 Dwight Street / Holyoke, Massachusetts  USA 01040 / Website: www.ivhf.org