Iraklis VC
Encyclopedia
Iraklis Thessaloniki Volleyball Club is a volleyball
team based in Thessaloniki
, Macedonia
, Greece
. It plays in A1 Greek Volleyball League and in CEV Champions League
. Founded in the 1920s, it evolved in one of the most successful departments of G.S. Iraklis Thessaloniki
sports club.
. After the war, it was always among the top teams in Greece
. The first Greek National Championship was played in 1968 and Iraklis, apart of its own success, was able to contribute to the National Teams with plenty of players. During the 1970s, Iraklis participated twice in the championship finals, thanks to the contribution of Nikos Antoniadis, the greatest athlete in the history of volleyball in Greece
. Many Championships were lost because of the Athens clubs-favored system of play. In 1987, 1989 and 1992 Iraklis made it to European Cups and in 1997 came the outburst of the team.
Thanks to an organized effort, Iraklis played three consecutive Championship finals and finally won its first title -the Greek Cup- in 2000. Two years later, it won both the Championship and Cup titles, while finishing third in the CEV Champions League
Final Four held in Opole
, Poland
. The next four years Iraklis dominated in Greek Volleyball, confirming his superiority by winning one Championship (2005), three Greek Cups (2004, 2005, 2006) and two Greek Super Cups (2004, 2005), but mostly by participating in three more CEV Champions League
Final Fours. In 2004 in Belgorod
, Russia
the team finished in the fourth place. Next year, the presence of world-class players such as Lloy Ball
, Thomas Hoff and Clayton Stanley helped the team to reach the Final Four which took place in Thessaloniki
, Greece
. Iraklis beat Lokomotiv Belgorod
in the semi-final, but lost 1-3 to Tours VB
in the final, despite the outstanding support by its fans. In 2006, Iraklis made it again to the final in Rome
, Italy
to be beaten by Sisley Treviso 3-1. About 4,000 Iraklis fans traveled to Rome
to support the team, creating fantastic atmosphere and setting a record for an away crowd in a volleyball game.
The following season marked the beginning of a transitional period. Many of the top players were released from the team, while the budget was cut in half. Even so, the team's dominance in Greece continued. In 2007, Iraklis finished third in regular season, but managed to win the Championship beating Olympiacos S.C. in the semi-finals and Panathinaikos VC
in the finals, having both times a disadvantage. The next Championship had the same conclusion. Iraklis defeated Panathinaikos VC
in the finals (without losing a single game) and were crowned Champions for the fourth time in their history.
Belgium
Bulgaria
Cuba
France
Germany
Greece
Italy
Serbia
Sweden
USA
Press
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
team based in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, Macedonia
Macedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It plays in A1 Greek Volleyball League and in CEV Champions League
CEV Champions League
The CEV Champions League, or Indesit European Champions League is the top official competition for men's Volleyball clubs of Europe and takes place every year.-Formula:In the first round take part 24 teams shared in 6 group stage....
. Founded in the 1920s, it evolved in one of the most successful departments of G.S. Iraklis Thessaloniki
G.S. Iraklis Thessaloniki
Gymnastikos Syllogos Iraklis , commonly referred to as Iraklis, is a Greek sports club based in Thessaloniki. The club was founded in 1908 and is named after Heracles, the mythical Greek demigod...
sports club.
History
Iraklis was one of the first clubs which encouraged volleyball as one of the main activities before the World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war, it was always among the top teams in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. The first Greek National Championship was played in 1968 and Iraklis, apart of its own success, was able to contribute to the National Teams with plenty of players. During the 1970s, Iraklis participated twice in the championship finals, thanks to the contribution of Nikos Antoniadis, the greatest athlete in the history of volleyball in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Many Championships were lost because of the Athens clubs-favored system of play. In 1987, 1989 and 1992 Iraklis made it to European Cups and in 1997 came the outburst of the team.
Thanks to an organized effort, Iraklis played three consecutive Championship finals and finally won its first title -the Greek Cup- in 2000. Two years later, it won both the Championship and Cup titles, while finishing third in the CEV Champions League
CEV Champions League
The CEV Champions League, or Indesit European Champions League is the top official competition for men's Volleyball clubs of Europe and takes place every year.-Formula:In the first round take part 24 teams shared in 6 group stage....
Final Four held in Opole
Opole
Opole is a city in southern Poland on the Oder River . It has a population of 125,992 and is the capital of the Upper Silesia, Opole Voivodeship and, also the seat of Opole County...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. The next four years Iraklis dominated in Greek Volleyball, confirming his superiority by winning one Championship (2005), three Greek Cups (2004, 2005, 2006) and two Greek Super Cups (2004, 2005), but mostly by participating in three more CEV Champions League
CEV Champions League
The CEV Champions League, or Indesit European Champions League is the top official competition for men's Volleyball clubs of Europe and takes place every year.-Formula:In the first round take part 24 teams shared in 6 group stage....
Final Fours. In 2004 in Belgorod
Belgorod
-Twin towns/sister cities:Belgorod is twinned with: Wakefield, England, United Kingdom Herne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia Opole, Poland Vyshhorod, Ukraine Kharkiv, Ukraine-External links:...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
the team finished in the fourth place. Next year, the presence of world-class players such as Lloy Ball
Lloy Ball
Lloy James Ball is an American volleyball player who represented the United States men's national volleyball team in four Olympics team competitions...
, Thomas Hoff and Clayton Stanley helped the team to reach the Final Four which took place in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Iraklis beat Lokomotiv Belgorod
Lokomotiv Belgorod
Lokomotiv-Belogorie is a professional volleyball club based in Belgorod, Russia.-Palmarès:*Russian Volleyball Super League ** Winner : 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005** Second place : 1995, 1996, 1999, 2006* CEV Champions League...
in the semi-final, but lost 1-3 to Tours VB
Tours VB
Tours VB is a French volleyball club which is playing their home matches at the Salle Robert Grenon in Tours.Tours VB plays in Pro A, top volleyball league in France.The team also participates in the Men's CEV Champions League 2010–11....
in the final, despite the outstanding support by its fans. In 2006, Iraklis made it again to the final in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to be beaten by Sisley Treviso 3-1. About 4,000 Iraklis fans traveled to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
to support the team, creating fantastic atmosphere and setting a record for an away crowd in a volleyball game.
The following season marked the beginning of a transitional period. Many of the top players were released from the team, while the budget was cut in half. Even so, the team's dominance in Greece continued. In 2007, Iraklis finished third in regular season, but managed to win the Championship beating Olympiacos S.C. in the semi-finals and Panathinaikos VC
Panathinaikos VC
Panathinaikos Volleyball Club is the professional volleyball team of Panathinaikos, the Athens-based multi-sport club. Founded in 1919, it is one of the oldest volleyball clubs in Greece.-History:...
in the finals, having both times a disadvantage. The next Championship had the same conclusion. Iraklis defeated Panathinaikos VC
Panathinaikos VC
Panathinaikos Volleyball Club is the professional volleyball team of Panathinaikos, the Athens-based multi-sport club. Founded in 1919, it is one of the oldest volleyball clubs in Greece.-History:...
in the finals (without losing a single game) and were crowned Champions for the fourth time in their history.
Current Squad 2011/2012
| Number | Name | Height (m) | Date of Birth | Position | Nationality |
| 1 | Kostas Christophidelis | 1.95 | 26/06/77 | Outside Hitter | |
| 2 | Panagiotis Berberoglou | 1.84 | 21/09/93 | Libero | |
| 3 | Dimitris Charalampidis | 2.00 | 06/03/91 | Middle Blocker | |
| 4 | Sinan Cem Tanık Sinan Cem Tanik Sinan Cem Tanık is a Turkish volleyball player. He is 200 cm and plays as an outside hitter. He has been playing for Mlekpol AZS Olsztyn Team in Poland for seasons 2006-07 and 07-08 and wore number 1. He has played over 100 times for the national team and is the captain of the Turkish team... |
1.98 | 19/06/80 | Outside Hitter | |
| 5 | Viktors Korzenevics | 2.04 | 09/07/87 | Middle Blocker | |
| 6 | Andrej Kravarik | 2.05 | 28/07/71 | Middle Blocker | / |
| 7 | Giorgos Stefanou | 1.87 | 12/01/81 | Libero | |
| 8 | Kostas Prousalis | 1.87 | 06/10/80 | Setter | |
| 9 | Theodoros Bozidis | 1.96 | 08/04/73 | Setter | |
| 10 | Rolando Despaigne Rolando Jurquin Rolando Jurquin Despaigne is a male volleyball player from Cuba, who played as a wing-spiker for the Men's National Team. He was a member of the national squad that claimed the bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.He signed with Olympiacos S.C... |
2.00 | 07/06/87 | Outside Hitter | |
| 11 | Ansis Medenis | 1.99 | 23/10/84 | Outside Hitter | |
| 12 | Nikos Smaragdis | 2.02 | 12/02/82 | Middle Blocker | |
| 13 | Dimitris Efremidis | 1.94 | 19/12/90 | Outside Hitter | |
| 14 | Panagiotis Pelekoudas | 2.02 | 08/11/89 | Middle Blocker | |
| 17 | Chrisostomos Koltsiakis | 1.93 | 06/02/90 | Outside Hitter | |
| 18 | Giorgos Tzioumakas | 2.04 | 23/01/95 | Opposite Hitter |
Notable former players
Belgium
- Frank DepesteleFrank DepesteleFrank Depestele is a Belgian volleyball player. He is 1.91 m tall and plays as a setter. He is a regular player on the national team of which he is also the captain. His current team is Knack Randstad Roeselare along with several teammates...
Bulgaria
- Plamen KonstantinovPlamen KonstantinovPlamen Georgiev Konstantinov is a former Bulgarian volleyball player and captain of the Bulgaria men's national volleyball team,coach.Konstantinov was born in Sofia; both his parents, Georgi and Eva née Doycheva, are former volleyball internationals and his older brother Julian Konstantinov is an...
Cuba
- Freddy Brooks
- Joël DespaigneJoel DespaigneJoel Charles Despaigne a retired volleyball player from Cuba, who represented his native country in two consecutive Summer Olympics: the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta .Despaigne, also known by his nickname El Diablo, has 350 caps in the Cuban national...
- Ricardo Vantes
France
- Frantz GranvorkaFrantz GranvorkaFrantz Granvorka is a French volleyball player, who won the bronze medal with the France men's national volleyball team at the 2002 World Championships. Standing at 195 m, he can play both as middle blocker and passer-hitter...
Germany
- Simon Tischer
Greece
- Nikos Antoniadis
- Theodoros BaevTheodoros BaevTheodoros Baev is a Greek volleyball player, currently playing for Panathinaikos of Athens.From the beginning of his career in Greek championship as a player of Ethnikos Alexandroupolis , Todor Baev was the focal point of federal coaches' interest.He first joined the juniors' National Team in 1994...
- Theodoros Bozidis
- Christos Dimitrakopoulos
- Marios Gkiourdas
- Chrysanthos Kyriazis
- Nikos Samaras
- Nikos Smaragdis
Italy
- Matej ČerničMatej CernicMatej Černic is a volleyball player from Italy, who won the silver medal with the Italian men's national team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. He is of Slovene ethnicity and belongs to the Slovene minority in Italy.-References:*...
Serbia
- Slobodan BoškanSlobodan BoškanSlobodan Boškan is a Serbian volleyball player who competed for Yugoslavia in the 2000 Summer Olympics.He was born in Novi Sad....
Sweden
- Marcus Nilsson
USA
- Lloy BallLloy BallLloy James Ball is an American volleyball player who represented the United States men's national volleyball team in four Olympics team competitions...
- Thomas Hoff
- Clayton Stanley
Honours
Total Titles: 13- Greek Volleyball League
- Winner (4): 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008
- Runner up (9): 1971, 1975, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2011
- Greek Cup
- Winner (5): 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006
- Runner up (2): 2001, 2011
- Greek Super Cup
- Winner (4): 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008
- Runner up (2): 2000, 2006
- CEV Champions LeagueCEV Champions LeagueThe CEV Champions League, or Indesit European Champions League is the top official competition for men's Volleyball clubs of Europe and takes place every year.-Formula:In the first round take part 24 teams shared in 6 group stage....
- Runner up (3): 2005, 2006, 2009
- Third place (1): 2002
- Fourth place (1): 2004
Women
Current Squad 2011/2012
| Number | Name | Height (m) | Date of Birth | Position | Nationality |
| 1 | Maria Gatsi | 1,83 | 1993 | Outside Hitter | |
| 2 | Evgenia Berberoglou | 1,72 | 1991 | Setter | |
| 3 | Georgia Tsioukari | 1,76 | 1993 | Opposite Hitter | |
| 4 | Afroditi Ladeni | 1,82 | 22/01/93 | Outside Hitter | |
| 5 | Eleni Georgiadou | 1,80 | 1985 | Setter | |
| 6 | Eleni Konstantinidou | 1,86 | 18/04/92 | Middle Blocker | |
| 7 | Irini Kelesidou | 1,77 | 16/05/91 | Libero | |
| 8 | Maria Giannakopoulou | 1,78 | 1993 | Outside Hitter | |
| 10 | Katerina Daoultzoglou | 1,86 | 24/06/92 | Middle Blocker | |
| 11 | Marina Tsohatzi | 1,76 | 1993 | Setter | |
| 12 | Evagelia Leonidaki | 1,80 | 25/05/90 | Opposite | |
| 13 | Nikoleta Karafoulidou | 1,86 | 1993 | Middle Blocker | |
| 14 | Katerina Hortiati | 1,86 | 12/02/93 | Middle Blocker | |
| 15 | Chara Velliou | 1,77 | 1994 | Outside Hitter | |
| 16 | Labrini Konstantinidou | 1,82 | 1996 | Setter | |
| 17 | Marialena Artakianou | 1,72 | 21/05/94 | Libero/Outside Hitter | |
| 18 | Olympia Dimika | 1,77 | 12/12/93 | Outside Hitter | |
External links
Official SitesPress