Regla Bell and Gilberto Herrera candidates to join the International Volleyball Hall of Fame

April 5, 2024

Two legends of Cuban volleyball are among the candidates to enter the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in the 2024 class, according to an announcement by the organization itself.

They are Olympic champion Regla Bell and coach Gilberto Herrera, who are among the nominees to be voted on. Bell, among the best indoor volleyball players, while Herrera is among the coaches.

Regla Maritza Bell McKenzie was part of the generation of the Spectacular Brunettes of the Caribbean, Olympic champions in three consecutive Games (1992, 1996 and 2000), in addition to two world championships, in 1994 and 1998.

After triumphing with the Cuban national team, Bell competed in professional circuits, until her retirement as one of the best Cuban volleyball players in history.

Gilberto Herrera was born on April 13, 1944 in El Cerro and began practicing this sport in secondary school and at 16 years old he was already part of the national pre-selection.

In 1962, he made his debut outside the Island when he was called up for the ninth Central American and Caribbean Games in Jamaica, from which he returned without medals.

Although in 1966 he would get revenge by taking gold in Puerto Rico and a year later he would win the bronze medal at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, it would not be as a player that Gilberto would see his best moments.

From that position he led the Cuban national team between 1972 and 1985, during which time he accumulated medals in regional games and achieved the only Olympic medal that a Cuban men's volleyball team possesses: the bronze from Montreal 76.

Then came his ventures as national coach for Spain, Greece, Turkey and Venezuela, a second round leading the Cuban team and teaching.

If these two legends of Cuban volleyball are inducted, they would join the already exalted, Mireya Luis, Regla Torres, Magalys Carvajal, Mirka Francia, Taimaris Agüero, coach Eugenio George and Yumilka Ruiz, the latter last year.