International Volleyball Hall of Fame - Holyoke, Massachusetts USA
  • VB130
  • PLAN YOUR VISIT
    • Hours & Admission
    • BUY MUSEUM TICKETS
    • Group Tours
    • PRIVATE EVENT RENTALS
  • HALL OF FAMERS
    • Inductees
    • Eligibility & Nominations
    • Awards
    • Induction Celebration
  • Events
    • Induction >
      • Induction Celebration
      • Induction Tickets
      • Induction Yearbook
      • 2025 Fan Vote
    • Morgan Classic
    • Girls VolleyHall Classic
    • Boys VolleyHall Classic
    • Girls W. Mass All-Star Showcase
    • Boys W. Mass All-Star Showcase
    • Battle of the Badges
    • IVHF Grass Smash
  • MUSEUM
    • Sand Stories: The Beach Volleyball Experience
    • In The Museum
    • Digital Exhibits >
      • The REAL History of Volleyball
      • William G Morgan - Father of Volleyball
      • Basketball & Volleyball
      • 1922 - First US Championship
  • SUPPORT
    • Memberships
    • VB130 - Volleyball's Global Impact
    • Sand Stories: The Beach Volleyball Experience
    • Donate Today
    • Donor Listing
  • NEWS
  • SHOP
  • About Us
    • Internship Program
    • Leadership & Staff
    • International Media Advisory Council


CLASS OF 2023

Picture

Yumilka Ruiz

Born: May 8, 1978, Camagüey, Cuba
Enshrined: 2023
Country: Cuba
Category: Female Indoor Player

BIOGRAPHY

One could argue that the Cuban national women’s volleyball team in the 1990s and early 2000s was the greatest dynasty in the sports’ history. 
 
They won Olympic gold medals in three consecutive Games, which has never happened before or since, added a bronze in 2004 for good measure and also won World Championships in 1994 and 1998.
 
A whopping five members of those dominant Cuban teams are already in the International Volleyball Hall of Fame, along with their coach Eugenio George.  Yumilka Ruiz now joins her teammates in volleyball immortality. 
 
Ruiz, at just 5-foot-10, was an outside hitter who won gold in the 1996 Atlanta Games and again in 2000 in Sydney. She served as captain of the 2004 team that won bronze, and her Olympic career ended in 2008 when the Cubans finished fourth.
 
Those Cuban teams were characterized by players like Ruiz, who could seemingly jump out of the gym, were extremely quick and could hit the ball as hard as could be imagined.  But to focus on Ruiz’s accomplishments solely with the Cuban national team would be to shortchange her legacy. 
 
Ruiz was an outstanding club player in Cuba, Italy and Russia. She helped Reggio Calabria finish second at the Italian Championships in 1999 and 2000, and in 2000 won the Italian Cup, the Italian Super Cup, and the CEV Cup. In 2005 she led her squad to the Russian Super League title.
 
She started volleyball at a young age. When she was 8, Ruiz picked up a volleyball and was immediately hooked. 
 
Early on she exhibited the characteristics that typified most of the top Cuban players of her era, great jumping ability, and, as she puts it, “speed in movements.” She looked to her country-mates for inspiration, including fellow IVHF inductee Mireya Luis, because almost all of them played outside hitter like Ruiz. 
 
Getting a taste of international play early on, Ruiz was only 18 when she made the national team and won the second of those three gold medals in Atlanta.  
 
From day one Ruiz was constantly under pressure to fend off fellow hungry “Caribbean Girls,” to keep her slot on the national team. Although always laser focused on overall team objectives, Ruiz was still recognized for her achievements as a terminal player. She picked up Most Valuable Player, Best Spiker and Best Scorer recognition at multiple international competitions. 
 
But while her playing accomplishments were extraordinary, her leadership qualities also were noticed. In 2008, Ruíz was elected as an athlete member of the International Olympic Committee, serving from 2008-16, and she was also named to the IOC Sport and Active Society Commission. 
 
For her excellence and leadership on and off the volleyball court throughout the Golden Era of Cuban volleyball, we are proud to induct Indoor Player Yumilka Ruiz, from Cuba, to the International Volleyball Hall of Fame, Class of 2023. 

NEWS

  • Volleyball Magazine - International Volleyball Hall of Fame: Yumilka Ruiz

CLASS OF 2023

Picture
Phil Dalhausser
BEACH PLAYER
VIEW PROFILE
Picture
Silvano Prandi
COACH
VIEW PROFILE
Picture
Larissa Franca Maestrini
BEACH PLAYER
VIEW PROFILE
Picture
Yumilka Ruiz
Indoor Player
VIEW PROFILE
Picture
Katsutoshi Nekoda
Indoor Player
VIEW PROFILE
Picture
Shanrit Wongprasert
LEADER
VIEW PROFILE
ALL INDUCTEES

STAY CONNECTED - Subscribe to our mailing list

We respect your privacy. Your email is used solely for IVHF communications and is never sold or shared. You can unsubscribe at any time. When you provide your email address to the IVHF, it is used solely for the following purposes:

1) To communicate with you regarding Hall of Fame news, events, and voting opportunities;

2) To send newsletters or updates you have opted into;

3) To respond to inquiries or provide information you have requested.


You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us.

Powered by Robly™


Picture
Vertical Divider
Follow us @ivhfofficial on all social media platforms!
International Volleyball ​Hall of Fame
444 Dwight Street
Holyoke, MA  01040  USA
Phone: +1 413.536.0926
Email: [email protected]
Volleyball is the Official Recreational and Team Sport ​of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

© 2025 INTERNATIONAL VOLLEYBALL HALL OF FAME
IVHF IS A 501 (C)(3) ORGANIZATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS & STAFF     INTERNS & VOLUNTEERS     SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES     PRIVACY POLICY
  • VB130
  • PLAN YOUR VISIT
    • Hours & Admission
    • BUY MUSEUM TICKETS
    • Group Tours
    • PRIVATE EVENT RENTALS
  • HALL OF FAMERS
    • Inductees
    • Eligibility & Nominations
    • Awards
    • Induction Celebration
  • Events
    • Induction >
      • Induction Celebration
      • Induction Tickets
      • Induction Yearbook
      • 2025 Fan Vote
    • Morgan Classic
    • Girls VolleyHall Classic
    • Boys VolleyHall Classic
    • Girls W. Mass All-Star Showcase
    • Boys W. Mass All-Star Showcase
    • Battle of the Badges
    • IVHF Grass Smash
  • MUSEUM
    • Sand Stories: The Beach Volleyball Experience
    • In The Museum
    • Digital Exhibits >
      • The REAL History of Volleyball
      • William G Morgan - Father of Volleyball
      • Basketball & Volleyball
      • 1922 - First US Championship
  • SUPPORT
    • Memberships
    • VB130 - Volleyball's Global Impact
    • Sand Stories: The Beach Volleyball Experience
    • Donate Today
    • Donor Listing
  • NEWS
  • SHOP
  • About Us
    • Internship Program
    • Leadership & Staff
    • International Media Advisory Council