Ángel Dennis

Ángel Dennis Díaz
Ángel Dennis Díaz
	Ángel Dennis during a volleyball match in Piacenza.
Personal information
Full name	Ángel Dennis
Nationality	Cuban; Italian
Born	13 June 1977 (age 47); 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
1998–2000; 2003; 2004; 2004–2007; 2007–2012; 2012–2013; 2013; 2013–2016; 2016; 2016; 2016–2017; 2017–2020; 2020–2022; 2021–2022; 2022–2023; 2023–2024;	Palermo Volley; Playeros de San Juan; ICOM Latina; Lube Banca Macerata; Cimone Modena; Club Ciudad de Bolívar; Anwar Club; APAV Canoas; Anwar Club; Revivre Milano; Lupi Santa Croce; Sporting CP; Pallavolo Macerata; Al Jazira Sport Club; Enosis Neon Paralimni; VOA/Morro da Fumaça;
National team
1996–2001	Cuba (212)
Honours
Representing Cuba
Men's volleyball
World Championship
World Grand Champions Cup
World League
Pan American Games
NORCECA Championship
Central American and Caribbean Games
	Last updated: 26 October 2023

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]

Club volleyball

Dennis 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

In 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

Dennis married Italian volleyball player Simona Rinieri.^[1]

References

^ ^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

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

[Olympedia-1] "Ángel Dennis". Olympedia. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.

[NYT-2] "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)

[Vbox-3] "Angel Dennis". Volleybox.net. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.

[tournaments-4] "Medals". Volleybox.net. Retrieved 10 October 2023.

[VW-5] "The Defectors a Decade Later". Volleywood.net. 30 December 2011. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2023.

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