Ángel Dennis (born 13 June 1977) is a Cuban-born Italian volleyball player. Dennis played with the Cuban men's national volleyball team at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where he finished in seventh place.[1][2] He was widely regarded as the most talented player on the Cuban men's team.[2] He helped the Cuban team win the bronze medal at the 1998 FIVB World Championship in Japan.[1]
| Ángel Dennis Díaz | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Ángel Dennis during a volleyball match in Piacenza. | |||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Full name | Ángel Dennis | ||||
| Nationality | Cuban Italian | ||||
| Born | 13 June 1977 Havana, Cuba | ||||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||||
| Weight | 89 kg (196 lb) | ||||
| Volleyball information | |||||
| Position | Outside hitter / Opposite | ||||
| Current club | VOA/Morro da Fumaça | ||||
| Number | 7 (club) 7 (national team) | ||||
| Career | |||||
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| National team | |||||
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Honours | |||||
| Last updated: 26 October 2023 | |||||
Club volleyball
editDennis played for IVECO Palermo from 1998 to 2000.[3] After a period of inactivity, Dennis returned to play in 2003-2004 for Latina Volley, before moving to Lube Banca Marche Macerata the following year, after a short stint in Qatar.[3] With Lube he won a top national division and an Italian Supercup in 2006, and two CEV Cups (2005–2006).[4] In 2017, Dennis signed a contract with Sporting CP.[3]
2001 Defection
editIn 2001, Dennis was one of six players on the Cuban men's national volleyball team to leave a hotel they stayed at in Flanders for a tournament, and from there rode a train to Italy for political asylum.[5] The other players were Leonel Marshall, Jorge Luis Hernández, Ihosvany Hernández, Yasser Romero, and Ramón Gato.[5] Once they were granted asylum in Italy, this group was referred to as "the defectors".[5]
Personal life
editDennis married Italian volleyball player Simona Rinieri.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Ángel Dennis". Olympedia. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- ^ a b "Sydney 2000: Roundup; Russia Ousts Cuba in Men's Volleyball". The New York Times. Associated Press. 28 September 2000. p. S7. Retrieved 5 September 2024. (subscription required)
- ^ a b c "Angel Dennis". Volleybox.net. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- ^ "Medals". Volleybox.net. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- ^ a b c "The Defectors a Decade Later". Volleywood.net. 30 December 2011. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
External links
edit- Ángel Dennis at the European Volleyball Confederation
- Ángel Dennis at WorldofVolley
- Ángel Dennis at Lega Pallavolo Serie A (in Italian)
- Ángel Dennis at Olympedia
- Volleybox.net profile
