Áurea Cruz
Personal information
Full nameÁurea Esther Cruz Dalmau
NicknameAury
NationalityPuerto Rican
Born (1982-01-10) January 10, 1982
New York, New York
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Spike310 cm (122 in)
Block290 cm (114 in)
Volleyball information
PositionOutside hitter
Current clubOrlando Valkyries
Career
YearsTeams
1998–1999Llaneras de Toa Baja
2004–2005Llaneras de Toa Baja
2005–2006Airone Tortolì
2006–2007Altamura
2007–2008Ícaro Palma
2008–2009Hyundai Greenfox
2009Llaneras de Toa Baja
2009–2012MC-Carnaghi Villa Cortese
2012–2015Rabita Baku
2015–2016Igor Volley Novara
2016-2017Savino Del Bene Scandicci
2024-Orlando Valkyries
National team
1996–2016 Puerto Rico
Medal record
Women's volleyball
Representing  Puerto Rico
NORCECA Championship
Silver medal – second place 2009 Bayamón Team
Central American and Caribbean Games
Silver medal – second place 2010 Mayagüez Team
Silver medal – second place 2014 Veracruz Team
Bronze medal – third place 2006 Cartagena Team
Pan-American Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Miami Team

Áurea Esther "Aury" Cruz Dalmau (born January 10, 1982) is an indoor and beach volleyball player from Puerto Rico who currently plays for the Orlando Valkyries of the Pro Volleyball Federation.[1] She is best known for competing for the Puerto Rico national team at the 2008 Olympic Qualification Tournament in Japan, where she was named Best Server at the event.

College career

Cruz accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where she competed for coach Mary Wise's Florida Gators women's volleyball team from 2000 to 2003. The Gators competed in NCAA Division I and the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and were the regular season SEC champions for four straight years during Cruz's college career. In 2003, Cruz guided the Gators to their first-ever appearance in the NCAA championship final, where they lost to the University of Southern California (USC). Following her 2003 senior season, she was nominated for Best Player in NCAA Division I. She was a three-time first-team All-SEC selection, and received AVCA first-team All-American honors three consecutive years (2001, 2002, 2003).[2] She graduated from the university with a bachelor's degree in recreation in 2005, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2014.[3]

Career

In 1999, Cruz received the Final Series Most Valuable Player award when her team from Puerto Rico, Llaneras de Toa Baja won the League Championship.[4] She participated at the 2002 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship in Germany.[5] Cruz won the silver medal in the 2012 FIVB Club World Championship, playing with the Azerbaijani club Rabita Baku.[6]

Cruz's club, Rabita Baku, won the bronze medal of the 2013–14 CEV Champions League after falling 0-3 to the Russian Dinamo Kazan in the semifinals,[7] but defeating the Turkish Eczacıbaşı VitrA Istanbul 3-0 in the third place match.[8]

In May 2015, the Italian club Igor Novara announced the signing of Cruz for the 2015–16 season.[9]

Clubs

Awards

Individual

Club

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Orlando Valkyries Player Roster". Orlando Valkyries. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  2. ↑ "WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL ALL-AMERICA TEAMS AND AWARD WINNERS" (PDF). NCAA. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  3. ↑ F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  4. ↑ PUR Volleyball Federation. "Llaneras Campeonas" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2009-05-10.
  5. ↑ "Team Rosters". www.fivb.ch. Archived from the original on 2002-10-19.
  6. ↑ "Trentino Diatec and Sollys Nestle crowned in Doha". Doha, Qatar: FIVB. 2012-10-19. Retrieved 2012-10-19.
  7. ↑ "Dinamo disappoints Baku home crowd by claiming the last spot in final". Baku, Azerbaijan: CEV. 2014-03-15. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
  8. ↑ "Bronze consolation for Rabita at home Final Four". Baku, Azerbaijan: CEV. 2014-03-16. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
  9. ↑ "Igor Gorgonzola Novara: colpo internazionale, in posto quattro arriva Aurea Cruz". Lega Pallavolo Serie A Femminile. 2015-05-27. Retrieved 2015-06-01.
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