Year-By-Year History
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — 1951 The Peruvian side earned a bronze medal at the Inaugural South American Tournament for finishing third, behind the host nation and Uruguay.
Montevideo, Uruguay — 1956 The country’s national squad came third in the II Continental Championship. Brazil and Uruguay won gold and silver respectively.
Porto Alegre, Brazil — 1958 The Peruvian contingent finished second to host Brazilians in the III Regional Championship.
Chicago, Illinois,USA — 1959 Peru was third in the Western Hemisphere by earning a bronze medal in the quadrennial Pan American Games (largest multi-sport event in the Americas.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil —1960 The ex-Spanish colony participated in FIVB’s World Tournament, placing seventh (based on each country’s wins).
Lima, Peru — 1961 The Peruvian line-up was runner-up at the IV Continental Cup on home soil.
Santiago, Chile —1962 The Andean nation got the silver medal in the V Continental Championship.
Lima, Peru -1962 Cecilia Tait Villacorta was born on May 2, 1962 in Lima, Peru. She began her sporting career in 1977 (at 15) and a couple of years she became one of the most outstanding sportswomen in the Spanish-speaking world. Without a doubt, Tait’s play was influenced by Luisa Fuentes and Norma Velarde,both stars during the 1970s and then coaches. By 1980, she earned a spot on Peru’s Olympic national squad, becoming one of the youngest players in Latin America to do so. Unequivocally, she was the tallest and youngest player on Man Bok Park’s line-up until 1984. The nation’s star woman was known principally for winning four world-class medals in the 1980s. Over an athletic career that spanned more than 10 years, Peru’s 1988 Olympic Cup captain Tait was known as “the Golden Lefty”. After her retirement as member of Peru’s national team, she was asked to join the Sadia Club, Brazil’s most popular volleyball team. Two-time All Star athlete Tait is a personal friend of Gabriela Perez del Solar (Peru’s famous player).
Porto Alegre, Brazil—1963 The women’s volleyball team of Peru was runner-up to host Brazilians in the III University World Games.
Buenos Aires, Argentina—1964 For the first time in the competition’s 13-year history, the South American Cup was dominated by Peru’s female athletes. Brazil did not attend the event.
Lima, Peru— 1964 Natalia Malaga, a long-time Olympic athlete, was born and raised in Lima. She was referred to as one of Latin America’s top players during the golden age of the Peruvian volleyball, from 1980 through 1989. The highlight of her athletic career came in the late 1980s when she was member on the Peruvian national squad that won an Olympic silver medal in Far East.
Lima, Peru — 1964 Rosa Garcia, known as the “Chinese”, was born on May 21, 1964, in Lima. Over her illustrious career, she became one of the country’s most significant and important setters, joined other top setters such as Mercedes Gonzales and Raquel Chumpitaz.
Lima, Peru— 1965 Coach Akira Kato from Japan arrived to Peru. Many sportswriters have praised him for his excellent work in the Latin American republic. With Mr.Kato, the national squad had achieved world-wide acclaim. Kato (who shared the stage with the world’s most powerful experts like Dieter Grund of East Germany, Eugenio George of Cuba and Dr. Arie Selinger, coach of the 1980 United States Olympic women’s volleyball team) worked with the Peruvian side until the mid-1970s.
1967: Despite its inexperience, the country was a major leader in women’s indoor volleyball in the Western Hemisphere. For the second time, the country’s squad became South American champ at Santos (Brazil), booking their Olympic ticket to the the 1968 Mexico Summer Games. In the finals, they defeated Brazil (outgoing champion). On the other hand, the Peruvian national volleyball team was runner-up in the Olympic-type Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada.
Lima, Peru — 1968 Mercedes “Meche” Gonzales became protégé of Akira Kato. Under his direction, she was Peru’s first great volleyball star and one of the world’s top setters.
Mexico City, Mexico — 1968 Peru made a triumphant debut to Mexico’68. Mr. Akira Kato’s team narrowly missed podium with a 4th place finish, becoming the first squad from the Western Hemisphere to reach the semi-finals in the Olympics; a contest which involved top teams such as Poland, Japan, South Korea, and the Soviet Union. Here, Peru’s 14-year old Mercedes Gonzales became the youngest player ever to make the country’s national team in the history of the sport of volleyball and among the youngest female athletes in the Games of the 19th Olympiad in the United Mexican States. Nonetheless, the greatest disappointment of Gonzales’ athletic career was as she could not participate in the 1982 World Championships in her own land. By the early 1980s, after a brief time in the United States of America, she returned to Peru, but she was left out by Man Bok Park, coach to the Peruvian Olympic team.
Caracas, Venezuela — 1969 Brazil was the winner of the South American Championship. The silver went to Peru.
Lima, Peru —1970 During some friendly matches, Peru defeated Cuba 3-0.
Panama City, Panama —1970 The women’s volleyball squad gained the VI Bolivarian Sports Games.
Varna, Bulgaria — 1970 Luisa Fuentes and her fellow Peruvian players got the 15th position of the overall World Championship rankings. The 1970 Peruvian national team was eliminated in the first phase of the tournament.
1970-2011: Most of the country’s players were African-Peruvians. They included Cecilia Tait, Gina Torrealba, Ana Cecilia Carrillo, Silvia Leon, and Sonia Ayaucan.
Montevideo, Uruguay — 1971 After a disappointing post-Olympic period, Peru recaptured the South American Championship by defeating the Brazilian team and winning all their matches without losing a single set.
Cali, Colombia-1971 The Peruvian women’s side narrowly missing out to Cuba (the Soviet-trained team during Cold War) in the Pan American Games (3-2). Thus, Peru, a former Olympic semi-finalist, did not participate in the 1972 Munich Games.
Sao Paulo, Brazil — 1972 The Peruvian athletes conquered the silver at the Under-20 Continental Cup.
Bucaramanga, Colombia — 1973 After missing out to West Germany for the 1972 Summer Games, the Peruvian line-up, led by Norma Velarde and Luisa Fuentes, successfully defended its South American title, beating their rival Brazil. Mr. Kato was the orchestrator of the team.
1973: The nation was making a name for itself in women’s indoor volleyball. The team of Peru had high-class players, among them Luisa Fuentes, Meche Gonzales, Irma Cordero, Norma Velarde…
Maracaibo, Venezuela -1973 The Bolivarian gold medal was won by Peru’s national squad, one of the Third World’s top leaders in women’s indoor volleyball.
Lima, Peru —1973 Prior to go to Uruguay, the U.S. women’s volleyball squad made a trip to Peru. Here, the local team defeated America (led by South Korean coach Moo Park) 3-1 (15-5, 15-12, 4-15, 15-5). The American players were Nancy Owen, Ninja Jorgersen, Barbara Perry, Leslie Mundsen, Roxane de Mik, Sndra Gillespe, Theresa Condon, Lisa Vogelsard, Laurel Brassey, Frances Albita, Deborah Glallerman, and Carol Lang.
Montevideo,Mercedes, & Rivera Uruguay –1973 The country was a top four finalist at the First World Cup, finishing ahead of Cuba, USA and Brazil. In the ten-team tournament, Peru beat Canada 3-1 (13-15, 15-4, 15-8, 16-14). Meanwhile, South Korea defeated Peru for the first time in the history of the game (3-0: 15-12, 15-13, 15-3). was the orchestrator of the team.
Guadalajara, Mexico —1974 The Spanish-speaking country competed in the World Championship at Mexico, placing 8th (based on each country’s wins). The Peruvian athletes were Maria Cervera, Iliana Caballero, Esperanza Hogan, Maruja Ostolaza, Norma Velarde, Ana Ramirez, Luisa Fuentes, Delia Cordova, Ana Cecilia Carrillo, Irma Cordero, Teresa Nunez, and Mercedes Gonzales. Akira Kato was the national coach alongside Jorge Alva and Hiroshi Hiyama as assistants.
Lima, Peru —1975 South Korean-born Man Bok Park -later to become Peru’s most successful volleyball coach- arrived in Lima to work with the national side.
Asuncion, Paraguay — 1975 The national players dominated the South American Championship, booking their ticket to the 1976 Summer Olympics at Montreal. On Paraguayan soil, they gained the third of their five consecutive titles in the 1970s.
Mexico City, Mexico — 1975 The national squad obtained a silver medal for placing second in women’s indoor volleyball in the Seventh Pan American Sports Games (behind Cuba). In fact, the team was one of Peru’s greatest hopes for a medal in the multi-sport event.
La Paz, Bolivia — 1976 The Peruvian line-up won the silver at the Under-20 Continental Cup.
1976: After training in Hawaii, America, South Korea, and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the women’s volleyball side of Peru ,with its star Luisa Fuentes, went to Montreal (Quebec, Canada) to attend the Summer Games, placing seventh among eight teams (host nation Canada was last).
Montreal, Canada —1976 In the decade of the women, the nation’s Olympian officials brought an athletic delegation made up of 12 players and one sportswoman (hurdler Edith Noeding). Peru was one of the first nations in the world to send an all-female team to the Summer Games in the history of the sport.
Lima, Peru — 1977 The host country claimed the Continental title by defeating the Brazilian side. In the eight-team tournament, Peru’s World Cup volleyball star Luisa Fuentes was named the South America’s Most Valuable Athlete. In fact, she was one of the world’s top players of her generation. Due to their win, the 1977 Peruvian national squad qualified for the II FIVB World Cup in Tokyo, Japan. In Far East, they, under Man Bok Park’s watchful eye, became one of the world’s top five teams, behind Japan, Cuba, South Korea, and the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Tokyo, Japan —1977 Mr.Man Bok Park’s team defeated the USSR (the reigning world champion) 3-0 at the II Volleyball World Cup.
La Paz, Bolivia — 1977 The women’s squad finished first in the VIII Bolivarian Sports Games, upon earning all their matches without losing a single set.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — 1977 The junior national team, led by Cecilia Tait Villacorta, unplaced in the Under-20 World Championship.
Buenos Aires, Argentina —1978 The country’s players, with its new stars Tait, Raquel Chumpitaz and Gina Torrealba, came first in the Under-18 South American Tournament.
Moscow, USSR — 1978 The national coach of Peru’s volleyball team Man Bok Park led the national side to a 10th-place finish at the FIVB World Championship. At the age of 16, Cecilia Tait was the star of the Peruvian line-up.During the event, Peru was defeated by Cuba 3-0 (15-7, 15-12, 15-3) in the first round.
Buenos Aires, Argentina — 1979 Peru made history in women’s indoor volleyball. For the fifth time in a row, the nation became South American champ, finishing ahead of Brazil and awarding a spot in the 1980 Summer Olympics in the then Soviet republic of Russia. The new champion represented the continent in the Olympics.
San Juan, Puerto Rico — 1979 Upon competing in Colombia, Mexico and the States, the country’s squad, with the participation of Cecilia Tait Villacorta (at the age of 17) and Luisa Fuentes Quijandria (known affectionaly as “Lucha”), earned the silver medal at the VIII Pan American Sports Games on Puerto Rico, after losing to Cuba. Before becoming finalist, Peru beat America 3-1 (18-16, 15-11, 6-15, 15-9) in the semi-finals (on July 7, 1979).
Lima, Peru — 1979 Upon winning the silver medal in the Pan American Games, Peru’s 1978 World Cup captain Luisa Fuentes Quijandria retired and was replaced by Cecilia del Risco. She was labelled as one of the best players in the Western Hemisphere on Puerto Rico, joined other top athletes such as Mercedes “Mamita” Perez (1,75m tall), Nelly Barnett (1,84m), Flora Hyman (1,95m), and Cecilia Tait (1,82m).
Sao Paulo, Brazil — 1980 The country’s players dominated the Under-18 South American Competition. They became the first squad in the continent to win back-to-back championships in 1978 and 1980.
1980- 1986: Despite political turmoil and terrorism, the Peruvian government was attemping to improve the national team’s performance.
1980- 1989: The national squad was one of the world’s top teams in the history of the sport of volleyball.
1980: Lima, Peru’s largest city and capital, showed notable interest in hosting the 1982 FIVB World Championships. The Peruvian rule was a supporter of the Lima 1982 bid.
Moscow, USSR – 1980 The national delegation became an Olympic team with Ana Cecilia Carrillo as a key athlete.
Moscow, Soviet Union —1980 Denisse Fajardo was one of the seven young athletes to play for the 1980 Peruvian volleyball team at the Moscow Summer Olympics, joined other players like Raquel Chumpitaz, Tait, Gina Torrealba, Carmen Pimentel, Rosa Garcia, and Natalia Malaga. The others Olympian athletes were Ana Cecilia Carrillo, Silvia Leon, Cecilia del Risco, Aurora Heredia, and Gaby Cardenas.
Santiago, Chile — 1980 Although Peru hadn’t a decent domestic volleyball league, the national squad beat Brazil to take the gold medal in the Under-20 South American Tournament.
1981-1982: To prepare for the 1982 World Championship, the national squad, with their stars Ana Cecilia Carrillo and Silvia Leon, embarked on a tour of West Germany, Eastern Europe, Cuba, Far East, and the States. They were in Colorado Springs (CO), one of the major Olympic centers on the planet, training for the 1982 World Cup.
Santo Andre, Brazil — 1981 After surprise loss to the host country (which had won the bronze medal at the University World Games at Bucharest, Romania, few months ago), the Peruvian women’s volleyball team was runner-up at the South American Cup;Brazil broke Peru’s unbeaten record. The Andean nation had won the Continental Cup title five times throughout the 1970s and finished runner-up three times from 1958 to 1962.
Mexico City, Mexico — 1981 Peru, under the leadership of Tait Villacorta (1.82m tall), defeated the People’s Republic of China 3-1 (15-8, 15-5, 11-15, 17-15), gaining a berth in the finals in the Under-20 FIVB World Championships. Yet it did not really come as a surprise: A year ago, seven juniors had competed in many international competitions: the 1980 Summer Olympics, the 1981 South American Tournament, and tours of America, Eastern Europe, Asia and Cuba. Peruvian-born Olympic athlete Tait was elected the Most Valuable Player in the United Mexican States. In the finals,on the other hand, Peru lost to South Korea.
Barquisimeto, Venezuela — 1981 Peru defeated Venezuela to win the IX Bolivarian Sports Games.
Havana, Cuba —1981 Peruvian-born attacker Cecilia Tait was selected as one of the eight Best Latino Athletes (female or male) during 1981 by Latin America’s sportswriters and Olympian experts (one of the few Peruvian athletes to do so in the history of the sport). She had that distinction along with her fellow Latin American athletes Djan Madruga of Brazil (who won many swimming golds in international meets), Colombia’s boxer Miguel Maturana (the first fighter from South America to win a gold in the Amateur World Championships), the Panamanian-born Orlando Frazer (one of the most respected basketball players on American mainland in the early 1980s after winning the Central American and Caribbean Tournament on Puerto Rico) and Argentina’s cyclist Marcelo Alexandre, 4-time Pan American winner and gold medalist in the Junior World Championship in Leipzig (East Germany) following his victory against host nation’s Dirk Streicher and Stefano Baudino from Italy.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil —1982 The Brazilian Volleyball Confederation, under Carlos Nuzman’s leadership, planned to submit a candidature for organising the 1982 World Championship if the event isn’t scheduled to be held in Peru’s capital of Lima.
Lima, Peru — 1982 The nation’s top heroine Mercedes Gonzales returned from the United States of America.
Japanese-born coach Akira Kato passed away in Lima, Peru. With the exception of Man Bok Park, he did more for the Peruvian side than any coach in the history of the sport of volleyball. He professed great love for Peru.
The German Democratic Republic (also known as East Germany) declined to attend the 1982 Lima World Championship. The GDR was runner-up to the USSR during the Moscow 1980 Summer Games.
Lima, Peru — 1982 The Peruvian line-up (who brought eight members of their junior national team) was runner-up to China in the World Championships at home (an event sponsored by the nation’s rule), awarding a spot in the 1984 Los Angeles Games and becoming the second team (male or female) from the Western Hemisphere to reach to finals in the global tournament after Cuba in 1978. The 1982 squad was one of the youngest teams to win a world medal in the history of the game. After that win, they were special guests of President Fernando Belaunde Terry, who was visibly proud of the national team’s performance, at the government palace at Lima. The silver medalists were Ana Cecilia Carrillo (1,78m tall), Silvia Leon (1,74), Raquel Chumpitaz (1,73), Cecilia del Risco (1,74), Aurora Heredia (1,74), Cecilia Tait (1,82), Gaby Cardenas (1,74), Carmen Pimentel (1,74), Rosa Garcia (1,74), Natalia Malaga (1,71), Gina Torrealba (1,74), and Denisse Fajardo (1,71).
Peru was represented on the World Cup All-Tournament Team with Cecilia Tait.
Rosario, Argentina — 1982 The Under-20 national volleyball squad, with Natalia Malaga as a major player, was able to defend its South American title.
Budapest, Hungary — 1982 After marrying Hungarian citizen, Peru’s sportswoman Raquel Chumpitaz leaf the nation.
Lima, Peru -1982 Coach Man Bok Park had picked Gabriela Perez del Solar out from the basketball games which she had been playing during her schooldays.
The 1982 team’s names were engraded on the wall of honour in the National Stadium at Lima, alongside other top-class athletes such as Edwin Vasquez Cam ( the nation’s first Olympic gold medalist) and Ricardo Duarte (top scorer in the men’s Olympic basketball tournament in the 1964 Tokyo Games).
Havana, Cuba-1982 For the second time in a row, the country’s premier athlete Tait was among the top athletes in Latin America, alongside Brazil’s Ricardo Prado (first Latino to win a swimming gold in the FINA World Championships in Ecuador’s city of Guayaquil in August) and Jamaica’s runner Bertland Cameroon (one of the first Caribbean athletes to win a gold in the IAAF Global Tournaments). Tait was chosen by the journalists of Cuba and other Latin American nations.
Sao Paulo, Brazil — 1983 Under Tait’s leadership, Peru beat the host nation in straight sets to become South American champ.
Prague, Czechoslovakia — 1983 The Spanish-speaking country won back-to-back Liberation Cup titles in Eastern Europe in 1982 and 1983, respectively.
Caracas, Venezuela — 1983 After Peru’s win over Brazil 3-2, the national squad was bronze medalist in the IX Pan American Sports Games. In the seven-team tournament, Cecilia Tait was among the most prominent players, joined other athletes such as Josefina Capote, Flo Hyman, Mireya Luis Hernandez, and Imilsis Tellez. The other bronze medalists were Cenaida Uribe (1,74), Giuliana Vargas (1,79), Jacqueline Benites (1,76), Cecilia del Risco (1,74), Aurora Heredia (1,74), Sonia Heredia (1,74), Carmen Pimentel (1,74), Rosa Garcia (1,74), Natalia Malaga (1,74), Gina Torrealba (1,74), and Denisse Fajardo (1,71).
Lima, Peru — 1984 Officially, Rosa Garcia became setter on the National Team. Throughout her illustrious career, she was one of the well-known setters on the Planet.
Prague, Czechoslovakia — 1984 Man Bok Park’s squad conquered the Liberation Cup for the third time in a row.
Lima, Peru — 1984 On the eve of the Los Angeles Summer Olympics, the U.S. women’s volleyball team arrived in Lima from Colorado Springs to play many matches with the Peruvian squad.
Los Angeles, Southern California — 1984 After a visit to Havana (Cuba), the Latin American side made a trip to Los Angeles (CA) to attend the Summer Olympics. Here, they could only muster fourth place in the Olympic Volleyball Competition, behind China, USA and Japan (a contest where did not participate Cuba, USSR and the German Democratic Republic). After being world silver medalist at Lima’82, Peru had automatically qualified for the Olympic Championship. In fact, one of the most memorable matches was when the national side beat South Korea in a five-set thriller: 15-8, 15-6, 7-15, 6-15, 15-13. Meanwhile, Natalia Malaga was the star of the Peruvian line-up in the States. The national players were Ana Rosa Chaparro (1,74), Gaby Perez (1,93), Miriam Gallardo (1,80), Cecilia del Risco (1,74), Luisa Cervera (1,74), Cecilia Tait (1,82), Rosa Garcia (1,74), Malaga (1,71), Gina Torrealba (1,74), Denisse Fjardo (1,71), Sonia Heredia (1,74), and Carmen Pimentel (1,74).
Budapest, Hungary —1985 Peruvian-born Raquel Chumpitaz became the first foreign-born player to win a roster spot on the Hungarian national volleyball team, upon competing in the European championships.
Madrid, Spain —1985 Cecilia del Risco, one of Latin America’s top players, leaf the country; she was replaced by Cenaida Uribe.
Beijing, China — 1985 Peru’s premier athlete Cecilia Tait joined the prestigious World All-Star team, alongside other top-class players like Mireya Luis of Cuba, Heloisa Santos Roese from Brazil, America’s Rose Magers, and Elena Tchebukina of the USSR.
Seoul, South Korea — 1985 The nation’s players, with the leadership of Natalia Malaga, earned the Korean Cup.
Caracas,Venezuela — 1985 Under the guidance of head coach Jorge Sato, the Peruvian squad gained the women’s volleyball South American Cup by defeating Brazil in straight sets. Following their victory in Venezuela, Peru qualified for the IV World Cup in Far East. The South American winners were Ana Rosa Chaparro, Gaby Perez, Miriam Gallardo, Cenaida Uribe, Luisa Cervera, Cecilia Tait, Sonia Heredia, Alejandra de la Guerra, Rosa Garcia, Natalia Malaga, Gina Torrealba, Denisse Fajardo.
Tokyo, Japan — 1985 After Peru’s win over Brazil 3-2, the Andean nation got the 5th position of the overall World Cup rankings. In the eight-team tournament, Peru’s 17-year old athlete Gabriela Perez del Solar Cuculiza (1.93m tall) achieved international fame as she became the Best Blocker. She was the tallest and youngest athlete on Man Bok Park’s line-up between 1984 and 1993. Competing in her first World Cup, Perez del Solar, who had been compared in her play with African-American Flo Hyman, was one of the most popular sportswomen in Japan. She became a main player upon Sonia Heredia’s injury.
1986: The South American champions planed to be playing friendlies in Europe and the States.
Sonia Ayaucan emerged as one of the country’s best female athletes.
Prague, Czechoslovakia — 1986 The Latin American republic was second to the People’s Republic of China in the Liberation Cup; the event was a test of Czechoslovakia’s ability to handle the 1986 FIVB World Championship.
Moscow, USSR — 1986 Despite Peru’s economic difficulties, the Spanish-speaking country was runner-up at the Moscow Goodwill Games.
Prague, Czechoslovakia —1986 With the support of Gabriela Perez and Tait, Peru beat the German Democratic Republic /East Germany to take the bronze medal in the FIVB World Championships in the then Czechoslovakia. Before this match, Peru lost a tense five-set semifinal to Cuba, 4-time Pan American champion (Cali 1971,Mexico 1975, San Juan 1979, and Caracas 1983). When Peru seemed unbeatable up to last set, Cuba’s national coach Eugenio George decided to send to the island’s famous volleyball player Mireya Luis Hernandez, who had to give birth to her child few weeks ago, to defeat Peru. From the beginning, Cuba had problems with its setter Josefina O’Farrill, of Irish background and the first non-black player on the Cuban national team, to win the match against Peru. On the other hand, the other bronze medalists were Sonia Ayaucan, Miriam Gallardo, Cenaida Uribe, Luisa Cervera, Cecilia Arostegui, Sonia Heredia, Rosa Garcia, Natalia Malaga, Gina Torrealba, Denisse Fajardo.
Sonia Ayaucan made its debut in the national line-up of Man Bok Park in the then Czechoslovakia.
Peru’s World Cup volleyball star Perez del Solar remained among the country’s most popular Olympic athletes.
Laussane, Switzerland — 1986 The Peruvian line-up conquered the Samaranch Cup.
Sao Paulo, Brazil — 1986 Gabriela Perez led the country to earn the Under-20 South American Cup by beating host nation Brazil in the finals (3-0).
Indianapolis, Indiana (USA)— 1987 The country got the silver medal in women’s indoor volleyball at the Indianapolis Pan American Games. The Pan American medalists were Diana Uriol (1,70m tall), Gaby Perez (1,93), Janeth Vasconcellos (1,71), Luisa Cervera (1,74), Alejandra de la Guerra (1,71), Tait (1,82), Rosa Garcia (1,74), Denisse Fajardo (1,71), Gina Torrealba (1,74), Natalia Malaga (1,71), and Sonia Heredia (1,74).
In the States, Perez and Tait were two of the top players, joining Magaly Carvajal Rivera (17 years old and 1,92m tall), Mireya Luis, Josefina Capote, and Caren Kemner.
Maldonado, Uruguay – 1987 Upon winning the Pan American silver medal, the national contingent obtained the continental trophy for the third time in a row, beating their rival Brazil by 3 to 0.
Seoul, South Korea — 1987 Despite being South American champion, Peru was not able to qualify for the semi-finals at the Under-20 World Cup. Ironically, the winner was Brazil —with giants such as Kerly dos Santos (1,90m tall), Ana Paula Lezza Lima (1,87), Marcia Cunha (1,86), Fatima Apareceida (1,87), Xilene Rocha (1,84), Fernanda Venturini Porto (1,81), Ana Maria Volponi (1,82), Ana Moser (1,85). The Brazilian side was runner-up to Peru in the last South American Championship in Sao Paulo. The Peruvian players were Maria Arenaza (1,71m tall), Miriam Lazo (1,71), Gaby Perez, Sonia Ayaucan (1,75), Miriam Gallardo (1,80), Cecilia Arostegui (1,76), Diana Uriol (1,71), Alejandra de la Guerra (1,71), Katherine Horny (1,85), Paola Paz Soldan (1,81), Sammy Duarte (1,92), and Janet Vasconcellos (1,71).
1987: In an effort to win an Olympic medal, the country’s team participated in many pre-Olympic events.
Tokyo, Japan — 1987 In a golden age for Peru, the national side obtained the Pre-World Cup, finishing ahead of the USSR, USA, South Korea, and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The event was a guide to what might happen in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. The Cuban side, the finest volleyball team on Earth, did not take part in the Asian tournament.
Havana, Cuba -1988 Peru’s athletics leaders declined to send volleyball players to the Cuba Cup, where participated Brazil, Japan, Canada and the host nation (Cuba “A” and Cuba “B”).
Tokyo, Japan -1988 Cuba —with Magaly Carvajal (1,92m), Mireya Luis (1,75m), Imilsis Tellez (1,76), Lilly Izquierdo (1,76), Lazara Gonzales (1,80) and Regla Maria Bell McKenzie (1,82)– beat Peru 3-1 to win the NHK Cup.
Seoul, South Korea — 1988 Due to the Cuban boycott, Peru had the chance to become Olympic champ in the Games. At the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics, the women’s volleyball team of Cuba was the pre-Olympic favorite to win the gold medal, but due to political reasons (the Games were boycotted by the island’s dictator Fidel Castro Ruz) the Caribbean team lost the chance to win the Olympic title. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Cuban team had been trained and equiped by many experts and coaches from the Soviet World. For these reasons, the island was one of the most successful volleyball teams on Earth. Between 1987 and 1988, Cuba had no lost any match during many tournaments in Asia, Europe and the Americas. From 1971 to 2010, Peru never could win to Cuba. At the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis, Indiana (USA), for example, Peru lost 3-0 to Cuba in the finals.
Seoul, Korea – 1988 Although they seemed unbeatable up to last set, the Peruvian women’s volleyball squad narrowly missing out to the then USSR in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, after winning the two first sets. Prior to earning a berth in the finals, Peru defeated the People’s Republic of China (five consecutive world champion since 1981) in a thrilling five set-match. In the eight-team tournament, Tait was named the world’s Most Outstanding Player by leading Peru to win the silver medal. The 1988 team became Latin America’s first female team to win a medal in Olympic history, well ahead of Cuba, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. After that, the Cuban women’s squad placed first in the Barcelonese Games in the early 1990s. Peru’s Olympian medalists were: Katherine Horny (1,85m tall), Gaby Perez, Miriam Gallardo (1,80), Luisa Cervera (1,74), Alejandra de la Guerra (1,71), Tait, Rosa Garcia (1,74), Natalia Malaga (1,71), Denisse Fajardo (1,71), Gina Torrealba (1,74), Cenaida Uribe (1,74), and Sonia Heredia (1,74).
Lima, Peru — 1988 The Olympic silver medalists arrived in Lima to heroes’ welcome, in a time where terrorism had devastated the country over the past eight years.
Lima, Peru — 1988 Because of an injury, the world multi-medallist Tait announced her retirement from volleyball.
Caracas, Venezuela — 1988 Under Sonia Ayaucan’s leadership, the Under-20 national volleyball squad became South American champ. In the finals, the 1988 Peruvian side defeated Brazil, led by Ericleia Bodziack (1.92m tall). The Brazilian squad –world champion in 1987-was the frontrunner.
Havana, Cuba— 1988 Along with Anthony Nesty of Suriname (first black to win an Olympian trophy in history), Ayrton Senna of Brazil (world Grand Prix driving champ), Argentina’s Gabriela Sabattini and others international champions, Peru’s premier athlete Tait was named as one of Latin America’s top six athletes in 1988, ahead of Diego Armando Maradona and Hugo Sanchez from Mexico.
Victoria City, Hong Kong — 1988 After getting the silver at Seoul’88, the Peruvian team came fourth (last) in the Top Four, behind the Soviet Union, Cuba and China.
Western Europe and Brazil — 1988 Many Peruvians had been forced by the lack of opportunities to play abroad.
Lima, Peru — 1989 The Peruvian rule agreed to hold the Under-20 World Cup at home. Along with Paola Paz Soldan (1,81m tall) and Sammy Duarte (1,92m), Katherine Horny, (1,85m) emerged as one of the country’s major players.
Curitiba, Brazil -1989 The nation’s athletes, packed with Italian-based players, became South American champion. In addition to win the international meet on Brazilian soil, it gained the right to compete in the World Tournament in Asia. The winners were Sonia Heredia (1,74m tall), Gaby Perez (1,93), Natalia Malaga (1,71), Denisse Fajardo (1,71), Rosa Garcia (1,74), Cenaida Uribe (1,74), Sonia Ayaucan (1,75), Jessica Tejada (1,71), Janet Vasconcellos (1,71), Margarita Delgado (1,76), Rocio Cerna (1,71), and Miriam Gallardo (1,80).
Singapore City, Singapore — 1989 Rome-based player Gabriela Perez del Solar and her international team-mate Tait joined the World All-Star team.
Lima, Peru — 1989 With Sammy Duarte (1,92 m tall) as a key player, Peru beat the People’s Republic of China after a thrilling five-set match, becoming one of the four best squads in the Under-20 World Championship. In the Championship, Paola Paz Soldan (1.81m-tall), whose mother is an American citizen, was elected among the most outstanding female athletes. She and Sammy Duarte were potential internacional medalists. The team’s roster included: Katherine Horny (1,85), Jessica Tejada (1,71), Rocio Cerna (1,71), Zoila del Pino (1,71), Milagros Camere (1,75), Margarita Delgado (1,76), Janet Vasconcellos (1,71), Adriana Correa (1,71), and Patricia Solis (1,75).
Lima, Peru — 1990 Despite her extraordinary talent and young, Sara Maria “Sammy” Duarte stepped down as athlete after three years as member on Peru’s junior national team. At the age of eighteen, she already had first-class technique. Without a doubt, she was a major project in Peru’s volleyball. Unfortunately, she and Paola Paz Soldan weren’t members on Man Bok Park’s line-up. Her retired hurt Peru’s chances at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics. Although she grew up surrounded by a legendary family of basketball players, Sammy was captivated by volleyball during the 1980s.
Bad news! Paola Paz Soldan, whose popularity soared during the 1989 Junior World Cup, announced her retirement from volleyball despite having only 20 years old.
Seattle, U.S. —1990 Peru began to lose to Brazil. During the 1990 Goodwill Games, the national delegation narrowly missing out to Brazil 3-2 (15-3, 15-10, 13-15, 13-15, 16-14) in the bronze-medal match.
Beijing, People’s Republic of China —1990 Man Bok Park led the Peruvian line-up to a 6th -place finish at the FIVB World Competition.
Sao Paulo, Brazil — 1991 In the South American Cup, the host nation Brazil defeated Peru to win the regional competition, breaking a 10-year Peruvian reign. The silver medalists were Diana Uriol (1,71), Gaby Perez, Natalia Malaga (1,71), Raquel Chumpitaz (1,73), Denisse Fajardo (1,71), Rosa Garcia (1,74), Margarita Delgado (1,76), Janet Vasconcellos (1,71), Jessica Tejada (1,71), Milagros Camere (1,75), Miriam Gallardo (1,80), and Sandra Rodrigues (1,79).
Havana, Cuba — 1991 The Andean country lost to Brazil 3-2 in the Pan American Sports Games in August. After that, the national delegation earned the bronze.
Tokyo, Japan — 1991 Upon losing to the United States 3-2, Gabriela Perez del Solar and her fellow Peruvian team-mates came fifth at the Tokyo’s World Cup (one of Peru’s most-watched television events in that year), being eliminated to attend the 1992 Barcelona Games. During this match, there was a “fantastic combat” between Perez del Solar and America’s top player Karen Cammer, one of North America’s most remarkable attackers in the history of the game, alongside Flo Hyman, Rita Crockett and Blanca Garcia of Mexico.
Cuzco, Peru — 1993 The Continental event was won by the country’s volleyball squad after missing out to Barcelona for thr 2012 Olympics; Brazil (one of the world’s strongest teams since 1992) was runner-up. Thus, Peru won the righ to compete in the FIVB World Grand Championships Cup. Basketball player-turned-volleyball player, Perez del Solar, was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Athlete.
Lima, Peru — 1993 Bad news! Rome-based player Gabriela Perez del Solar retired from the national side.
Sonia Ayaucan stepped down as player after ten years in sports.
Sao Paulo, Brazil —1994 The national squad got the 13th position of the overall World Championship rankings.
Porto Alegre, Brazil — 1995 The women’s volleyball side came second in the South American Championship to secure an Olympic berth.
Atlanta, Southern United States — 1996 After being absent for one Olympic edition, the Peruvian women’s squad returned to the Summer Games at Atlanta, Georgia; dozen teams competed. With sportswomen such as Sara Joya (1,80m-tall), Milagros Camere (1,75), Iris Falcon (1,71), Veronica Contreras (1,71), Milagros Moy (1,71), and Margarita Delgado (1,75), Peru was defeated by Brazil 3-0 (15-7, 15-1, 15-5). During that match, the Brazilian had the following female athletes: Ana Flavia (1,87m), Ana Paula (1,87m), Ana Moser (1,85m), Hilma Caldeira (1,83m), Marcia Cunha (1,86m) and Fernanda Venturini (1,81m).
Lima, Peru —1997 Peru again failed to win the Continental trophy.
Tokyo, Japan — 1998 South America’s delegation was one of the world’s 10 best teams in the Global Tournament.
Caracas, Venezuela — 1999 The women’s volleyball squad won bronze in the Senior South American Cup, the country’s worst performance since 1956.
The Present and the Future
Lima, Peru — 2000 Before her fans in her own country, Natalia Malaga and her fellow Peruvian players gained the Olympian ticket to attend the Millennium Olympic Games by capturing a berth in the South American Olympic Qualification Tournament.
Peru’s top heroine Cecilia Tait was elected congresswoman.
Buenos Aires, Argentina —2001 The women’s volleyball side failed to reach the finals in the South American Cup, being eliminated to attend the 2002 World Championship in Germany.
La Paz, Bolivia —2002 The Peruvian line-up finished fourth in the Under-20 SA Tournament, behind Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela.
Berlin,Germany -2002 For the first time since 1962, Peru’s volleyball did not compete in the Global Championships. South America was represented by Argentina and Brazil. The gold was won by Italy, followed by America (silver), Russia (bronze), China, Cuba, South Korea, Brazil, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Germany, Greece, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Japan, Poland, Romania, Argentina, Canada, Czech Republic, Thailand, Australia, Egypt, Kenya, and Mexico.
Bogota, Colombia —2003 Brazil’s sportswomen won the gold medal in the Continental competition by finishing first upon its triumph over Argentina (silver). The bronze medal went to Peru.
Lima, Peru —2003 The country’s star woman Natalia Malaga retired from the national squad.
Holyoko, Massachusetts —2005 The most memorable event of Cecilia Tait’s athletic career came when he was no longer competing internationally: She was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame. She was the first South American player to be enshrined.
La Paz, Bolivia – 2005 Peru was one of the two best teams during the Continental Tournament.
Tokyo, Japan— 2006 Following its disappointing result in the XII Pan American Sports Games in Argentina (where came fifth), the Spanish-speaking country placed 17th in the FIVB World Championship.
Santiago, Chile —2007 For the second time in a row, the national volleyball team won a berth in the finals in the Regional competition.
Rome, Italy— 2007 Peruvian-born Bruna Mautino Vargas (1,80m tall) gained a spot on the Italian junior squad to attend the FIVB Girls’ Youth World Cup in the United Mexican States. She is daughter of Giuliana Vargas, an ex Peruvian volleyball player who earned one Pan American bronze medal in 1983, and the former sprinter Marco Mautino, who participated in many Track-and Field South American Championships.Hailing from Lima (Peru), Bruna likes Peruvian food, among Latin America’s most famous cuisines. In addition to Italian and Spanish, she speaks French and English. One of her top heroes is Italy’s footballer Mauro Camoranesi.
Lima, Peru — 2008 After a loss to Venezuela in the Olympic Continental Qualification, the host country Peru, once regarded as one of the world’s top teams, was not able to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
Lima, Peru — 2008 The Latin American republic was runner-up at the Under-18 South American Tournament and gained the right to compete in the 2009 World Championship in the Kingdom of Thailand. In that event, Peru (with the direction of Hernan Artieda as coach) came sixth after losing to Serbia ( former Yugoslavia) a thrilling five-set match (25-16, 25-17, 20-25, 22-25, and 15-7).
Sao Paulo, Brazil — 2009 The Peruvian line-up qualified for the finals in the Regional Championship, earning the silver medal.
Peru: The World’s Smallest Team in the History of the FIVB
Contagem and Betim, Brazil —2010 During the South American World Cup Qualifying Tournament, Peru earned the right to attend the 2010 World Championship.
Tokyo, Japan—2010 Kazakh-born setter Elena Keldibekova guided her team (the highest average age in the event) to a 16th-place finish in the FIVB World Championship, one of Peru’s worst results in the history of the game. Keldibekova came to Peru from Kazakhstan (a Soviet republic during Cold War and now an independent country) in 1994 to play for the Regatas Lima Club and then got Peruvian nationality after marrying with Johnny Westreicher, one of the country’s coaches. Subsequently, she joined the 2000 Peruvian team that compete in the Millennium Games on Australian soil.
Singapore City, Singapore — 2010 The nation’s junior players got the bronze medal at the Inaugural Young Olympic Games in Southeast Asia, behind Belgium and the United States of America.
There were new talents such as Daniela Uribe (1,83m), Zoila Huaman (1,90m), Clarivett Yllescas (1,79m), and Gina Lopez Chavez (1,85m).
Lima, Peru — 2010 The Andean country, under Gina Lopez’s leadership, gained the bronze medal in the Under-18 South American Tournament, behind Brazil and Argentina. The national squad narrowly missing out to Argentina in the semis.
Having been a powerhouse in women’s indoor volleyballl prior to the 1990s, the Latin American republic announced their intention to hold the Under-20 FIVB World Cup in 2011. Peru had hosted numerous volleyball tournaments in the past: South American Championships (1961, 1977, 1993), the World Championship (1982), the Pre-Olympic Tournaments (2000 & 2008), and the Under-20 World Cup (1989).
Lima, Peru 2011 Due to family reasons, Kim Cheol-Young stepped down as coach of the country’s national squad. He is succeeded by Italy’s Luca Cristofani.
Bad news! Due to health reasons,unfortunately, the 14-year-old middle blocker Fergi Meri Castillo (1,90m tall), regarded as the tallest player on Peruvian soil, ended her hopes for a volleyball career. It was a serious setback for the nation’s volleyball, which needs giants to improve its play against Argentina and Brazil.
Peru continued to lose its international status as a leader in women’s indoor volleyball due in large part to team’s poor stature (world’s smallest team in the history of the sport of volleyball). Most of these players, among them Milagros Moy (1,71), Jessica Tejada (1,71), Maria Arenaza (1,71) and Iris Falcon (1,71), for example, were ineligibles to play in the top-class leagues on the planet, from Western Europe and Brazil to Far East, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. Despite the country’s failures since 1990, Peru’s coaches, among them Fernando “Pipo” Vasquez and Man Bok Park, have a special preference to work with small players,producing mediocre athletes such as Janet Vasconcellos (1,69), Miriam Lazo (1,71), Rocio Cerna (1,71), Falcon, Moy, Yzabot Bravo (1,71), and Hilary Palma (1,73). Unfortunately, Peru is the only country in the world to send small players to international meets. Under this atmosphere, most of the world’s gifted coaches and international sportswriters don’t understand Peru’s philosophy in the 21st century, a volleyball style around small players. Certainly, Peru may never compete at a level with South Korea (with many giant players since 2000), America and the Dominican Republic. Ironically, at least six giant players have been eliminated by Peru’s coaches to join the senior national team in recent years, among them Gissela Duarte (1,91m tall), Sammy Duarte (1,92), and Zoila Huaman Correa (1,90).
The nation had plans to build an Olympic centre in Lima, the nation’s capital city. Unlike other countries in the world –among them China, USA, Cuba, Russia or Brazil- the country’s team has not a national sport centre.
Lima, Peru – 2011 Under the guidance of head coach, Luca Cristofani, the country’s delegation failed to reach the finals in the South American Cup for the second time in a row, one of the most disappointing results in the history of Peru’s volleyball. The Andean country brought a veteran squad and internationally considered too small to play volleyball in the 21st century: Angelica Aquino (1,70), Jessenia Uceda (1,78), Karla Ortiz (1,78), Carla Rueda (1,78), and Elena Keldibekova (1,77).
Holyoke, Massachussetts — 2011 The International Volleyball Hall Fame announced its class of inductees for 2011 in Holyoke, birthplace of the sport, among them Gabriela Perez del Solar of Peru, one of the tallest volleyball players in the 80s and who led Peru to win silver in the 1988 Seoul Games upon a 3-2 victory over the People’s Republic of China. Although the Peruvian television had said little about her memorable triumph in the States, she was among the most popular individuals in Lima in 2011.
Lima, Peru – 2011 Volleyball had captured the hearts and minds of Peruvian fans when the host country Peru earned the Under-20 Pan American Cup and subsequently became one of the six best teams in the Under-20 World Cup. Under the direction of the national coach of Peru’s junior volleyball squad, Natalia Malaga (who knows what it is like to win Olympic and world medals), the national side beat America 3-2, in one of the most spectacular matches in the international championship.
Despite receiving little publicity in Peruvian press, the FIVB championships were among the most popular programmes on Peruvian television in 2011. Without a doubt, Peru has one of the most potential audiences on the Planet, alongside Japan and Brazil.
New talents were discovered on Peruvian soil: Maguilaura Frias (1,80m), Andrea Urrutia (1,82), Rosita Valiente (1,82) and Angela Leyva (Peru’s “Mireya Luis”).
Montevideo, Uruguay— 2011 Angela Leyva guided her contingent to a second-place finish in the Under-15 South American Championship. Leyva was named as the Best Attacker; the nation’s most important special award since 1993 when Gabriela Perez del Solar was elected the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the Senior South American Tournament. Curiously, the country’s media ignored her feat. Other individual award went to the up-and -coming Rosa Valiente, a major project in Peru’s volleyball, who received a special trophy in the international meet. On the other hand, Valiente is the most outstanding blocker since Sammy Duarte.
Tokyo, Japan — 2012 Newcomer Gina Lopez made her debut on the senior national team in the Olympic Qualification Tournament.
Tijuana, Mexico — 2012 Newcomer Angela Leyva made her first appearance on the senior national side at the Pan American Championship.
Lima, Peru —2012 For unknown reasons, Zoila Huaman Correa did not win a spot on Peru’s national youth team. Despite her stature (1.90m tall), she was left out by the country’s coach Natalia Malaga.
The Peruvian women’s national team has new coach: Jose Francisco dos Santos of Brazil, one of the best experts on volleyball in his homeland country.
Surprisingly, Zoila Huaman made its international debut against Costa Rica during the Under-23 Pan American Championship. She was selected to play on the Peruvian national team by Brazil’s Santos. She is the country’s tallest player since 1993.
Lima, Peru – 2012 Under the guidance of head coach Jose Santos, Peru’s line-up reached the semis in the Under-23 Pan American Cup by beating Cuba 3-1; it was one of the country’s first wins over Cuba since 1970. During this meet, Angela Leyva came into her own as one of the most remarkable junior players in the Western Hemisphere to become one of the top scorers. Santos brought three junior athletes — Gina Lopez, Huaman and Leyva— to the Pan American Cup.
For the first time in the competition’s 34-year history, the host country Peru, led by Angela Leyva, is the favorite to win the Under-17 South American Competition.
The top projects to the Games of the XXXI Olympiad at Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) are: Maguilaura Frias (1,80m tall), Rosa Valiente (1,82), Zoila Huaman (1,90), Paola Torres (1,84), Gina Lopez (1,85), Angela Leyva (1,80), Clarivett Yllescas (1,79), Daniela Uribe (1,82), Andrea Urrutia (1,82), Alexandra Muñoz (1,77), Rafaela Camet (1,78), and Saray Gutierrez (1,82).
Selected Biographical References:
(1)- Alfonso, Jorge. “Voleibol Femenino: Desde La Habana hasta Hong Kong”, Granma, La Habana, 28 Octubre 1988 (Spanish)
(2)- Almanaque Deportivo Mundial 1976, Editorial America S.A, Ciudad de Panama, 1976 (Spanish)
(3)- Almanaque Deportivo Mundial 1977, Editorial America S.A, Ciudad de Panama, 1977 (Spanish)
(4)- Arbena, Joseph and David Gerald Lafrane. Sport in Latin America and the Caribbean, Jaguar Books, 2002
(5)- Cachay, Raul. “Voley Peruano: Volver Al Futuro”, El Comercio, Lima, 8 Julio 2009 (Spanish)
(6)- Enciclopedia Mundototal 1999, Lima, 1998 (Spanish)
(7)- El Comercio. “Por Amor a la Patria”,Lima, 28 julio 2009 (Spanish)
(8)- FIVB Federation Internationale de Volleyball homepage: www.fivb.org
(9)- Fernandez, Mario. “Estas Menores si son Grandes”, El Comercio, 4 Julio 2009 (Spanish)
(10)- Friedman, Ian C. Latino Athletes, Infobase Publishing, 2007
(11)- Guevara Onofre, Alejandro. “Natalia Malaga –An Unknown Biography About Peru’s Lady Iron!”, Voices.yahoo.com
(12)- —————“El Deporte en el Sur”, www.liceus.com (Spanish)
(13)- ———— “World-Class Volleyball Players: Natalia Malaga -An Unauthorized Biography”, volleyball-dramir.blogspot.com
(14)- ————“Dictadura y Deporte: El Regimen de Fidel Castro”, www.lanuevacuba.com (Spanish)
(15)- ———-“Volleyball of Fame: Gabriela Perez del Solar-The Unofficial Biography”, Voices.yahoo.com
(16)- ———– “Sports & Women: The Peruvian Volleyball Team”, www.Ezinearticles.com
(17)- ————- “Fun Facts About Olympic Nations– Peru”, www.Ezinearticles.com
(18)- ————-“Olympic Facts–Women’s Volleyball Tournament. Road to London 2012”, www. Ezinearticles.com
(19)- ———— “Interesting Facts About Italy’s Sports”, www.Ezinearticles.com
(20) ———— “The History of Volleyball at the Summer Olympics”, www.Helium.com
(21)- ———— “Fun Facts About Peru”, www.Helium.com
(22)- ———— “Volleyball in the Olympics”, www.Helium.com
(23)- Informatodo 1970, Editorial Reader’s Digest, Mexico, 1969 (Spanish)
(24)- McDougall, Chros. Girls Play to Win Volleyball, Norwood House Press, 2010
(25)- Nauright, John and Charles Parrish (editors). Sports Around the World, ABC-Clio, Santa Barbara, 2012
(26)- Olderr, Steve. The Pan American Games: A Statiscal History, 1951-1999, Mc Farland & Co, 2003
(27)- “Peru Decepciono en el Mundial de Voleibol. Union Sovietica, un Justo Campeon”, Expreso, Lima, 2 Setiembre 1990 (Spanish).
(28)- The World Almanac and Book of Facts 1992, Pharos Books, 1991
(29)- Valporto, Oscar. Volei No Brazil:Uma Historia de Grandes Manchetes, Casa da Palavra, 2007 (Portuguese)
(30)- VolleyballWorld (official magazine). “The Road to Sydney Women”, Federation International de Volleyball (FIVB), February 2000
(31)- Wallechinsky, David. The Complete Book of the Olympics 2004, Edition Aurum Press, London, 2004
(32)- 2000 Sydney Official Report Volume 2, International Olympic Committee, 2001
