The International Volleyball Hall of Fame (IVHF) confirmed the list of finalists for its Class of 2026, recognizing leading figures in indoor volleyball, beach volleyball, coaching, leadership, and ParaVolley.
The finalists, selected through an international review process, will move forward to voting by the International Selection Committee, along with a global fan vote. The final inductees will be announced on May 18.
Female Indoor Player Finalists:
Foluke Akinradewo-Gunderson (USA), Ana Ibis Fernández (CUB), Ekaterina Gamova (RUS), Fabiana “Fabi” Alvim (BRA)
Male Indoor Player Finalists:
Joel Despaigne (CUB), Kim Ho-Chul (KOR), Yuriy Panchenko (UKR), Rafael Pascual (ESP)
Female Beach Player Finalists:
Juliana Felisberta Da Silva (BRA), Xue Chen (CHN), April Ross (USA)
Male Beach Player Finalists:
Alison Cerutti (BRA), Pablo Herrera (ESP), Jonas Reckermann (GER)
Coach Finalists:
Marcelo Méndez (ARG), Laurent Tillie (FRA), Vladimir Alekno (RUS)
Leader Finalist:
Dr. Ary Graça (BRA)
ParaVolley Finalist:
Denis Le Breuilly (ENG)
Beginning April 1, fans worldwide can cast their online votes for their favorites in five categories:
- Male Indoor Player
- Female Indoor Player
- Male Beach Player
- Female Beach Player
- Coach
Results to be published on April 17. The induction ceremony is scheduled for October 17 in Holyoke, Massachusetts, marking the culmination of the Hall of Fame’s annual celebration weekend.
