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TAISMARY AGUEROBorn: March 5, 1977 in Yaguajay, Cuba
Enshrined: 2021 Country: Cuba & Italy Category: Female Indoor Player |
BIOGRAPHY
Born in Cuba, Taismary Aguero began playing volleyball when she was just eight years old. At age ten, she entered the famed Cerro Pelado Training Center in Havana to continue fine-tuning her volleyball skills. This early drive and dedication to training would help Aguero become one of the best multi-positional volleyball players of all time.
At age 16, Aguero helped lead Cuba’s Junior National Team to the 1993 FIVB Volleyball Women’s U20 World Championship - being named MVP, Best Setter, and Best Server of the tournament.
She became a star setter and hitter for Cuba’s Senior National Team through the 1990s where the team experienced a decade of unprecedented success. Aguero helped Cuba to gold medal finishes at the 1995 FIVB World Cup and the 1995 Panamerican Games before participating in her first of two Olympics.
At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, Aguero - together with IVHF Inductees Mireya Luis, Regla Torres, Magaly Carvajal, and Mirka Francia - helped Cuba to their second Gold Medal in as many Olympics.
Cuba’s run of success at major FIVB events would continue as the team won the 1998 FIVB Women's World Championship and the 1999 FIVB World Cup with Aguero earning Most Valuable Player and Best Server honors at the World Cup.
At the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, Aguero helped Cuba to their third consecutive Olympic Gold Medal. This would be Aguero’s final Olympic Games as she left the Cuban National Team in the summer of 2001 during a tournament in Switzerland and applied for political asylum in Italy.
The FIVB allowed her to play in Italy despite opposition from the Cuban Volleyball Federation and she re-joined Sirio Perugia where she had previously played professionally from 1998-2000.
At the end of 2006, Aguero became an Italian citizen and joined the Italian National Team shortly after in the summer of 2007. She continued winning with Italy, earning FIVB World Cup Gold in 2007, Bronze at the 2007 and 2008 FIVB World Grand Prix, Gold at the 2007 and 2009 European Championships and Gold at the 2009 Mediterranean Games.
Aguero earned individual honors along the way being named Most Valuable Player of the 2007 European Championship; Best Spiker and Best Scorer of the 2007 FIVB World Grand Prix; and Most Valuable Player of the 2007 European Championship.
Aguero is the only player to represent two women's volleyball national teams to win major titles.
For her ability to play multiple positions at a world-class level and bring success to two national teams, we are proud to induct Taismary Aguero to the International Volleyball Hall of Fame as an indoor player.
At age 16, Aguero helped lead Cuba’s Junior National Team to the 1993 FIVB Volleyball Women’s U20 World Championship - being named MVP, Best Setter, and Best Server of the tournament.
She became a star setter and hitter for Cuba’s Senior National Team through the 1990s where the team experienced a decade of unprecedented success. Aguero helped Cuba to gold medal finishes at the 1995 FIVB World Cup and the 1995 Panamerican Games before participating in her first of two Olympics.
At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, Aguero - together with IVHF Inductees Mireya Luis, Regla Torres, Magaly Carvajal, and Mirka Francia - helped Cuba to their second Gold Medal in as many Olympics.
Cuba’s run of success at major FIVB events would continue as the team won the 1998 FIVB Women's World Championship and the 1999 FIVB World Cup with Aguero earning Most Valuable Player and Best Server honors at the World Cup.
At the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, Aguero helped Cuba to their third consecutive Olympic Gold Medal. This would be Aguero’s final Olympic Games as she left the Cuban National Team in the summer of 2001 during a tournament in Switzerland and applied for political asylum in Italy.
The FIVB allowed her to play in Italy despite opposition from the Cuban Volleyball Federation and she re-joined Sirio Perugia where she had previously played professionally from 1998-2000.
At the end of 2006, Aguero became an Italian citizen and joined the Italian National Team shortly after in the summer of 2007. She continued winning with Italy, earning FIVB World Cup Gold in 2007, Bronze at the 2007 and 2008 FIVB World Grand Prix, Gold at the 2007 and 2009 European Championships and Gold at the 2009 Mediterranean Games.
Aguero earned individual honors along the way being named Most Valuable Player of the 2007 European Championship; Best Spiker and Best Scorer of the 2007 FIVB World Grand Prix; and Most Valuable Player of the 2007 European Championship.
Aguero is the only player to represent two women's volleyball national teams to win major titles.
For her ability to play multiple positions at a world-class level and bring success to two national teams, we are proud to induct Taismary Aguero to the International Volleyball Hall of Fame as an indoor player.
