The eight award winners at the 2016 European Volleyball Gala. From left to right: Vladimir Nikolov, Tine Urnaut, Gözde Kirdar, Margareta Kozuch, Earvin Ngapeth, Francesca Piccinini, Sergey Tetyukhin, Antonella Del Core.
Rome, Italy, June 9, 2016 - Europe's top players were honoured at the 2016 European Volleyball Gala in Rome on Thursday. Among the players receiving awards were 2016 FIVB Volleyball World League and World Grand Prix participants Sergey Tetyukhin (Russia - World League Group 1), Earvin Ngapeth (France - World League Group 1), Tine Urnaut (Slovenia - World League Group 3), Francesca Piccinini and Antonella Del Core (both Italy - World Grand Prix - Group 1).
The eight players who received awards have all helped raise the profile of volleyball combining skills, personality and key values including fair play, team spirit and sportsmanship.
The awards:
Tine Urnaut (Slovenia) - Young Player of the Year.Gözde Kirdar (Turkey) - Team Player of the Year.Margareta Kozuch (Germany) - Most Spectacular Female Player
Earvin Ngapeth (France) - Most Spectacular Male PlayerFrancesca Piccinini (Italy) - Female Volleyball Ambassador of the YearSergey Tetyukhin (Russia) - Male Volleyball Ambassador of the YearThe recipients of this year’s
CEV Lifetime Achievement Awards were:
Antonella Del Core (Italy) Vladimir Nikolov (Bulgaria)The
European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) website will be publishing a series of interviews with the award winners soon. Be sure to follow these players in this year's editions of the
World League and
World Grand Prix.