HOLYOKE, Mass. (Oct. 22, 2016) – Legends Misty May-Treanor and Danielle Scott-Arruda of the United States, Nikola Grbic of Serbia, Man-Bok Park of South Korea and Emanuel Rego of Brazil were enshrined into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame Saturday evening in Holyoke, Massachusetts, the sport’s birthplace.
The five individuals, elected via a vote of current Hall of Fame inductees, enter as the 31st induction class that now represents 130 total inductees from 22 different countries. Park is the first inductee from South Korea to be enshrined into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame. Grbic and his brother Vladimir, a 2011 inductee, become the first pair of brothers to be inducted into the Hall.
“It is an honor to have Emanuel, Nikola, Man-Bok, Danielle and Misty join the International Volleyball Hall of Fame family as part of this year’s impressive induction class,” International Volleyball Hall of Fame Executive Director George Mulry said. “This diverse group of legendary players has 18 Olympic Games appearances and a coach who led his team to an Olympic Games silver medal among four Olympic appearances. These remarkable individuals have brought distinction to the sport over a number of years and we are humbled to honor them here in Holyoke, the birthplace of volleyball.”
May-Treanor, a four-time beach Olympian, partnered with Kerri Walsh Jennings to become the first players to win three Olympic Games beach volleyball gold medals in 2004, 2008 and 2012. She won three straight FIVB World Championships titles in 2003, 2005 and 2007, in addition to the silver medal in 2011. May-Treanor won the FIVB Offensive Player of the Year three times and FIVB Defensive Player of Year twice. She won 112 titles in her domestic and international career that netted $2.1 million in earnings. May-Treanor was named FIVB Sportsperson of the Year in in 2007 and 2008.
“I am truly honored to be here tonight,” May-Treanor said. “It is flattering to be named amongst the best of our sport, especially humbling being inducted with such a fine group of athletes and coaches. I love the game of volleyball and enjoy watching the sport develop. It has brought new friendships, it has opened my eyes to the world and taught me so much about myself. I always wanted to play with passion and I wanted to let my love for the game to shine through this talent I had. I wanted to inspire and I wanted to change the way the game was played. And most of all, I wanted to make an impact. I never played for the awards or accolades, but who is going to turn down money when you win a tournament – so that was a plus. I made a very nice career out of it. But my goal was to always make the person next to me better.”
Scott-Arruda is the only five-time U.S. Olympic Women’s Volleyball team player, earning back-to-back silver medals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. She played in her first Olympic Games at age 23 at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Scott-Arruda earned Best Blocker at the 2002 FIVB World Championship as Team USA won the silver medal. She paced the Americans to six FIVB World Grand Prix medals, including four gold medals and two bronzes. Scott-Arruda was named most valuable player, Best Scorer and Best Blocker at the 2001 FIVB World Grand Prix. Scott brought home silver from the 2011 FIVB World Cup, as well as bronze medals in the 2003 and 2007 editions.
“This is such an incredibly, humbling experience,” Scott-Arruda said. “To play a sport that you dedicate a lot of your life and a lot sacrifice, but it is because you want to do it. It is like you have so much passion for what you do, it doesn’t seem like such an incredible feat. It is what you do. You invest so much into it. This is not by my merits alone. Something like this cannot happen by yourself. So I am really grateful that I have been chosen to be a part of this great family of international people represented in this Hall of Fame.”
Emanuel is the only male to have competed in the first five Olympic Games featuring beach volleyball and has three medals to show for his successes. He won gold at the 2004 Olympic Games, followed by bronze at the 2008 Olympics and silver at the 2012 Olympics. Emanuel had success at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships as he claimed gold three times in 1999, 2003 and 2011. He ranked first in FIVB season points in 10 seasons with five different partners and was part of four FIVB Team of the Year partnerships. The FIVB honored Emanuel with its Sportsperson of the Year five times. Overall, he won 86 beach titles and 108 podium finishes.
“Beach volleyball has a legion of fans spread around the world,” Emanuel said. “But this sport is like a brother to me – someone who is part of my family with whom I have a unique relationship. I consider beach volleyball to be someone who helped me be a successful professional. I had a beautiful career and I didn’t miss anything. Actually, I am at a loss of words for how to describe everything how I feel today. A passion that becomes love that runs in my blood and my heart. It helped me get to where I got to live the biggest and best feelings an athlete can feel. I am extremely thankful for the nomination to the International Volleyball Hall of Fame. It is a culmination of my career and my life. It is a recognition that ends with a golden key of an athlete’s intensity, sweat and passion.”
Grbic, a four-time Olympian, earned gold at the 2000 Olympic Games as he set Yugoslavia to the title after leading the team to a bronze at the 1996 Olympic Games. He also played in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games with Serbia and Montenegro, and Serbia, respectively. Grbic captured the 1998 FIVB World Championship silver medal and later won Best Setter at the 2010 FIVB World Championship as Serbia won the bronze medal. He was selected Best Setter at the 2003 FIVB World Cup after leading his team to the bronze medal.
“It is a great honor and a pleasure to be here tonight in the company of people who changed history and left an indelible mark on volleyball – it is the greatest achievement one player can accomplish other than winning an Olympic gold medal,” Grbic said. “I always played the best I could and to try my best to help my team win. But if we would lose, I would congratulate my opponent and try to learn what I should do to win the next time I would play. Volleyball gave me a lot. It is not only a sport, but it is a life coach. I have learned the values of friendship, commitment, respect, hard work, patience and so many other things in everyday life. I am thankful for that, and I am trying to give something back by helping young people and young players find their own path.
Park was appointed head coach of the Peruvian Women’s Team in 1974 and proceeded to direct the team to four Olympic Games appearances, highlighted by winning silver at the 1988 Olympic Games in his native South Korea. He also guided Peru to the Olympic Games in 1980, 1984 and 2000. Under Park’s tutelage, Peru earned silver at the 1982 FIVB World Championship and bronze at the 1986 FIVB World Championship. Among the talent he coached included International Volleyball Hall of Fame inductees Gabriela Perez Del Solar (2010) and Cecilia Tait (2005).
“Despite having played and coached volleyball for this long, I still do not completely understand the game,” Park said. “Volleyball is constantly evolving. Even at the age of 80, I still think volleyball has only come half way. There is still so much more to come. I think this award is my ultimate honor that I will receive before I leave this world. I am very grateful and honored to be here.”
“This year’s class represents four star players who dominated once they hit the courts in the mid-1990s, along with a coach who went outside of his own country to lead a team to four Olympic Games over four decades,” said Al Monaco, co-chair of the International Volleyball Hall of Fame Selection Committee. “The group includes five-time volleyball Olympians in Emanuel Rego and Danielle Scott-Arruda, along with four-time Olympians Nikola Grbic and Misty May-Treanor. Man-Bok Park overcame challenges of living in a foreign land to lead Peru to some impressive finishes and coached two Hall of Fame inductees. This is a very deserving class in all regards for their lengthy careers and great successes.”
Doug Beal, co-chair of the Hall of Fame selection committee and CEO of USA Volleyball, was presented the Mintonette Medallion of Merit for his years of service to the sport of volleyball and the International Volleyball Hall of Fame.
The International Volleyball Hall of Fame, incorporated in 1978, continues to create a more representative institution with inductees of both genders and disciplines – indoor volleyball and beach volleyball – coming from a wide range of countries. For additional information on attending the 2016 International Volleyball Hall of Fame induction ceremony, contact the International Volleyball Hall of Fame at info@volleyhall.org or visit the Hall’s website at VolleyHall.org.
The Induction Gala Dinner and Ceremony, presented by Spalding, was part of a two-day calendar of events recognizing the five individuals along with the special Mintonette Medallion of Merit. On Friday evening, the five inductees attended an invite-only Mayor’s Reception, presented by the Dowd Agencies, at the historic Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke. Earlier on Saturday the inductees took part in President’s Luncheon and the Ring and Plaque Ceremony presented by Holyoke Medical Center at the International Volleyball Hall of Fame Exhibit Hall. Prior to the Induction Gala Dinner and Ceremony, Mizuno presented a cocktail hour Induction Meet and Greet for the public to interact with the inductees. The induction weekend was capped by an Induction After-Party at Open Square with live entertainment and socializing with the honorees.
DANIELLE SCOTT-ARRUDA (UNITED STATES) – FEMALE INDOOR PLAYER
Danielle Scott-Arruda is the only five-time U.S. Olympic Women’s Volleyball team player. She earned back-to-back silver medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2012 London Olympic Games. Scott, who retired with over 400 international roster appearances, played in her first Olympic Games at age 24 at the 1996 Atlanta Games, followed by the 2000 Sydney Games and the 2004 Athens Games. She earned Best Blocker at the 2002 FIVB World Championship as Team USA won the silver medal. Scott paced the Americans to six FIVB World Grand Prix medals, including gold in 2001, 2010, 2011 and 2012, and bronze in 2003 and 2004. She was named most valuable player at the 2001 FIVB World Grand Prix, as well as Best Scorer and Best Blocker. Scott brought home silver from the 2011 FIVB World Cup, as well as bronze medals in the 2003 and 2007 editions. Prior to her international and national team careers, Scott was a three-time American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American at Long Beach State University, including winning Player of the Year and NCAA title in 1993.
MISTY MAY-TREANOR (UNITED STATES) – FEMALE BEACH PLAYER
Misty May-Treanor, a four-time beach Olympian, partnered with Kerri Walsh Jennings on the beach starting in 2003 to become the first players to win three Olympic Games beach volleyball gold medals in 2004, 2008 and 2012. She won three straight FIVB World Championships titles in 2003, 2005 and 2007, while narrowly missing a fourth title in 2011 as she came away with silver. May-Treanor was equally adept at offense and defense on the sand as she won the FIVB Offensive Player of the Year three times (2005, 2007, 2008) and FIVB Defensive Player of Year twice (2007, 2008). She won 112 titles in her domestic and international career that netted $2.1 million in earnings. May-Treanor was named FIVB Sportsperson of the Year in back-to-back years in 2007 and 2008. She partnered with Holly McPeak early in her career as they played in the 2000 Sydney Games. May-Treanor was an elite indoor player as well, having served as the starting setter on Long Beach State University’s undefeated NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship team before electing to play beach.
Nikola Grbic (SERBIA) – MALE INDOOR PLAYER
Nikola Grbic, a four-time Olympian, earned gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games as he set Yugoslavia to the title after leading the team to a bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. He also played in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games with Serbia and Montenegro, and Serbia, respectively. Grbic captured the 1998 FIVB World Championship silver medal and later won Best Setter at the 2010 FIVB World Championship as Serbia won the bronze medal. He was selected Best Setter at the 2003 FIVB World Cup after leading his team to the bronze medal. Grbic earned five silver medals and two bronze medals in FIVB World League competitions, including Best Setter in the 2009 event. He was tabbed Best Setter three times in the European Championship (2001, 2003, 2005). Grbic had a long career playing in the Italian Serie A from 1994 to 2013, claiming eight titles along the way.
MAN-BOK PARK (KOREA) – COACH
Man-Bok Park was appointed the Peruvian Women’s Team head coach in 1974 after the squad failed to qualify for the 1972 Olympic Games. He proceeded to direct Peru to four Olympic Games appearances highlighted by winning silver at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games in his native South Korea. Park also guided Peru to a sixth-place finish at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, fourth place at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and 11th place the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Under his tutelage, Peru earned silver at the 1982 FIVB World Championship and bronze at the 1986 FIVB World Championship, along with silver at the 1986 Goodwill Games. Park led Peru to four medals at the Pan American Games, including silver in 1979 and 1987, and bronze in 1983 and 1991. Peru captured the South American Championship seven times (1977, 1979, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1993) with Park at the helm. Among the talent Park coached included International Volleyball Hall of Fame inductees Gabriela Perez Del Solar (2010) and Cecilia Tait (2005).
EMANUEL REGO (BRAZIL) – MALE BEACH PLAYER
Emanuel Rego is the only male to have competed in the first five Olympic Games featuring beach volleyball and has three medals to show for his successes. He won gold at the 2004 Athens Games with Ricardo Santos, followed by bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with Ricardo and silver at the 2012 London Games with Alison Cerutti. Emanuel’s first two Olympic Games finished with ninth-place finishes. Emanuel had success at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships as he claimed gold three times – 1999 in Marseille, 2003 in his home country of Brazil at Rio de Janeiro and in 2011 at Rome. Emanuel’s status among the elite beach players lasted well over a decade as he ranked first in FIVB season points in 10 seasons with five different partners. He was part of four FIVB Team of the Year partnerships – three times with Ricardo (2005-2007) and once with Alison (2011). The FIVB honored Emanuel with its Sportsperson of the Year five times (2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014) and Most Outstanding Player twice (2006, 2011). He also played four seasons on the United States’ AVP Tour, including AVP Rookie of the Year in 1998 with four times and nine podium finishes. Overall, he won 86 beach titles and 108 podium finishes.