It’s not every day that fans get the chance to be a part of the process of inducting members into a worldwide hall of fame. But the International Volleyball Hall of Fame is doing just that now through April 17. The list of nominees follows.
Fans can vote daily for as many of the nominees as they want. The top six fan-vote selections will be entered onto the official ballot, from which the IVHF Selection Committee (composed of all living IVHF inductees) select the class of 2022 International Volleyball Hall of Fame inductees, who will join this impressive list.
“The fan vote has been important since its inception because it counts as a full vote for the top six on the final voting ballot of the International Selection Committee,” said IVHF executive director George Mulry. “The voting margins of the selection committee are usually very thin so every vote really counts and could be the difference for someone being selected for Induction this year.”
The new class will be announced in May and the 2022 IVHF Induction Celebration is scheduled for Saturday, October 22, in Holyoke, Mass., the birthplace of volleyball. Tickets are currently on sale at VolleyHall.org, and the ceremony will be streamed live online to a global audience for those unable to attend the event in person.
INDOOR MALE PLAYERS
Kim Ho-Chul (Korea), Setter for South Korea’s National Team from 1975-1986 and three-time MVP of the Italian Professional League
Ivan Miljković (Serbia), Won Gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and medaled at the FIVB World Championship, World Grand Champions Cup, World Cup, and World League
Samuele Papi (Italy), Winner of four medals at the Olympic Games; silver at both the 1996 games in Atlanta and 2004 in Athens; and bronze at both the 2000 Sydney games and 2012 London games.
Indoor Female Players
Manuela Benelli (Italy), Considered one of the most titled volleyball players in Italian history, Benelli helped lead Olimpia Teodora Ravenna to 11 consecutive championships (from 1981-1991), winning six Italian Cups, one Club World Cup and two Champions Cups (1988, 1992)
Rose Magers-Powell (USA), Won Olympic Silver as the starting middle blocker on the US Women’s team at the 1984 Olympics and played professionally in Japan earning MVP, Most Point Maker, Best Blocker, Best Spike, and High Point Percentage in her seven seasons with Nippon Electric
Fernanda Venturini (Brazil), One of the most important players in Brazilian Women’s Volleyball, Fernanda played in 342 international matches and was a three-time Olympian helping Brazil to a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic Games.
Beach Players
Julius Brink & Jonas Reckermann [TEAM] (Germany), The pair became the first European’s to win Olympic Gold (2012) and In 2009 won four FIVB competitions (three consecutive Grand Slams) and the German Masters of the CEV European Championship Tour
Kerri Walsh Jennings (USA), A four-time Olympian, Walsh Jennings (and partner Misty May-Treanor) won Gold in three consecutive Olympics from 2004 to 2012. Additionally, she won 77 AVP titles, 56 FIVB gold medals, and one Olympic bronze medal.
Coaches
Siegfried Kohler (Germany), Longtime German coach, won silver medal at the 1980 Olympics and two European Championships as an assistant coach before winning the 1987 European Championship, fifth place at the 1988 Olympics, and eighth place at the 1996 Games as head coach.
Bernardo “Bernardinho” Rezende (Brazil), Regarded as the most successful volleyball coach of all time with over 30 major titles and 45 medals in his career. Bernardinho led Brazil Women to bronze medals at the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games before winning gold with the Brazilian men in 2004 and 2016, along with silver medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
Leaders
Dr. Gabriel Cherebetiu (Romania/Mexico), Played many significant roles within the FIVB including former member, secretary, and president of the FIVB Medical Commission. He was also a Technical Director of the FIVB Mini-Volley Commission.
Peter Murphy (Netherlands), Served as Technical Director of the Dutch Volleyball Association from 1986 to 1990 where he brought the Bankrasmodel (uncompromising pursuit of a high sports goal) and world fame to the Dutch Men’s National Team resulting in an Olympic silver medal at the 1992 Games under head coach and 1995 IVHF Inductee Arie Selinger and ultimately Olympic Gold in 1996 under head coach and 2014 IVHF Inductee Joop Alberda
ParaVolley
Pieter Joon (Netherlands), Founder and President of the World Organisation Volleyball for the Disabled (WOVD) from 1980 to 2001 – the organization now known as World ParaVolley. He was involved in the competition programs in the Paralympics from 1980 – 2000.