Volleyball Hall of Fame to honor six international greats with sports highest honor October 27



Six international greats of volleyball will be honored here in the birthplace of the sport on Thursday, Oct. 27. Ron Lang of the United States, Bernard Rajzman of Brazil, Cecilia Tait of Peru, Stanislaw Gosciniak of Poland, Eugenio George of Cuba and Konstantin Reva of the USSR/Russia make up one of the most diverse groups of inductees and will be entered into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in an afternoon ceremony.

The Hall's 20th enshrinement will take place at 2 p.m. at the Hall of Fame at 444 Dwight Street in Heritage State Park, immediately following a noon luncheon at the Yankee Pedlar Inn. Tickets for the luncheon are $25. Admission to the ceremony is free of charge. Seating for both events is limited.

The Volleyball Hall of Fame Reception and Dinner will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House beginning at 6 p.m. Short videos highlighting the inductees' careers in volleyball will be shown. Dinner tickets prices are $55 per person or $500 per table of 10.

Without question, Eugenio George of Cuba is one of the most successful coaches in the history of the sport. In 2000, George was named the Best Women's Team Volleyball Coach of the 20th Century by the FIVB. During his tenure with the Cuban squad he guide his team to three consecutive Olympic Gold Medals (1992, 1996 and 2000).

Ron Lang, of the USA, made his mark on the game of volleyball both on the court and in the sand. He was a member of the first USA Men's Olympic Volleyball Team in 1964. The USVBA named Lang an All-Time Great Male Player in 1982, and he was honored as a member of the organization's 75th Anniversary Men's 1953-77 All-Era Team in 2003. Lang was also a member of USA Volleyball's 75th Anniversary Men's 1928-87 Beach All-Era Team.

Brazil's Bernard Rajzman made his debut, at 17, with the Brazil Men's National Team and was a key figure as the squad began a run of success. Rajzman won seven South American titles (1973, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1983 and 1987), one Pan American Games title (1983), silver medals at the 1982 World Championships and the 1984 Olympic Games and a bronze medal at the 1981 World Cup. Rajzman was a co-finalist for the FIVB's Best Volleyball Player of the 20th Century award in 2000.

From 1949-56 Konstantin Reva was a member of the powerful USSR squads that dominated the men's international volleyball world in the late 1940s and early 1950s. In December 2000 Reva received a Special 20th Century Award from the FIVB as one of two men's Volleyball Players for the 20th Century for his unique performance and contribution to the worldwide success of his team and to the popularity of volleyball.

Stanislaw Gosciniak, a former setter for Poland's men's national volleyball team, was one of the best in the game as he competed in 218 international matches from 1965-74. In 1967 he was among the pioneer medalists for Poland as the team stood on the podium for the first time after it captured the bronze medal at the European Championships. The highlight of his illustrious career came in 1974, his final year as a player, as he earned Most Valuable Player honors after leading Poland to the gold medal at the World Championships in Mexico and was named Polish Athlete of the Year.

Peru's Cecilia Tait was deemed "Zurda de Oro," - Golden Lefty - at 16 for her gutsy performance against the Soviet team. She played professionally in Japan, Italy and Brazil. At age 26, she returned to captain the 1988 Peru Olympic team that defeated the favored Chinese, Americans and Japanese, all in thrilling five-set matches, to set up a Gold Medal match against the Soviet Union. Peru took the Silver after the Soviets won the final match in another five-set thriller.

Tait was chosen as the world's best player following the 1988 Games. She was selected to play for the World All-Star team that then played the Gold Medal-winning Soviets. She had also been chosen for the All-Star team after the 1984 Olympics.

Events for the Induction Celebration weekend include a clinic for middle school-aged children and a symposium on the state of volleyball.

The Induction Celebration begins with the 16-team Women's Collegiate Volleyball Hall of Fame Induction Tournament at Smith, Mount Holyoke, Springfield and Amherst colleges on Friday, Oct. 21 and Saturday Oct. 22. Admission is free of charge.

For more information on how to obtain tickets or to sponsor Induction Celebration events, contact the Volleyball Hall of Fame at (413) 536-0926 or by visiting the website at www.volleyhall.org.

About the Hall of Fame

The Volleyball Hall of Fame, incorporated in 1978, is a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring the great men and women of the sport, and the promotion of volleyball worldwide.





Volleyball Hall of Fame to honor six international greats with sports highest honor October 27