Buenos Aires, Argentina, June 4, 2020 – Three Cuban national team players were among the top individual performers of the 2019-2020 Argentinean Volleyball League, which was ended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic and couldn’t complete its programmed schedule.
The League announced the season’s individual awards over the last days on its social media channels and opposite Jesus Herrera, outside hitter Miguel Angel Lopez and middle-blocker Livan Osoria were the best in their positions.
The 25-year-old Herrera, who joined the national team ahead of the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship, was selected as the best opposite after he scored 379 points for Club Bolivar. The Cuban, who will play for France’s Chaumont Volley next season, ranked ahead of Gigantes del Sur’s Argentinean star Bruno Lima and River Plate’s Manuel Balague.
Lopez, a Rio 2016 Olympian, was considered the best among the outside hitters as he recorded 375 points for UPCN Voley during the season. The 23-year-old player, who helped Cuba securing silver and bronze medals at FIVB U21 and U23 World Championships respectively, beat the competition of fellow Cuban Club Bolivar’s Osniel Melgarejo and Argentinean rising star Luciano Palonsky, who represented Ciudad Voley. He has signed with Brazil’s Sada Cruzeiro for next season.
Osoria, who played with Palonsky at Ciudad Voley, was the best middle blocker in his fifth season in Argentina. The 26-year-old Olympian added 211 points for the team and topped Club Bolivar’s captain and Argentinean international Agustin Loser and UPCN’s veteran Maximiliano Gauna for the award.
The other three awards went to Argentinean players as Nicolas Uriarte was the best setter, Nicolas Perren the best libero and Lima the top scorer. Uriarte, a London 2012 Olympian, registered a 48.88% setting efficiency rate for Club Bolivar, while Perren had 169 perfect receptions for UPCN and Lima, who appeared at the Rio 2016 Olympics, scored 460 points for Gigantes.