Regla Maritza Bell MacKenzie (Havana, 1970) is one of the great legends of Cuban and world volleyball. A left-handed attacker of tremendous power and charisma, she was a key figure in the Cuban national team known as “Las Espectaculares Morenas del Caribe” (“The Spectacular Caribbean Girls"), the squad that dominated women's world volleyball in the 1990s and early 2000s.
With Cuba, she won three Olympic gold medals (Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000), two World Championship titles (1994 and 1998) and four World Cups (1989, 1991, 1995 and 1999). Unlike Lilia Izquierdo, with whom she shares the achievement of being the only players worldwide to have achieved these nine major titles, Bell played as a starter in every game and was never substituted. She was captain of the national team at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
After shining with the national team, she played in professional leagues in Italy, Brazil and Spain. She is currently dedicated to training and developing young volleyball players.
Her induction into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame confirmed the impact and legacy of a champion “left-hander".
Career National team Bell won three consecutive gold medals at the Summer Olympic Games (1992, 1996 and 2000), two consecutive gold medals at the FIVB Women's Volleyball World Championship (1994 and 1998), and four consecutive gold medals at the FIVB Volleyball World Cup (1989, 1991, 1995 and 1999).
She was captain of the Cuban team at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
Bell also won gold medals at the Pan American Games in 1991 and 1995, a silver medal at the 1999 Pan American Games, and seven gold medals at the NORCECA Women's Volleyball Championship (one of them at U18 level). She also claimed gold medals in the following competitions: two in the World Grand Prix, six in the Montreux Volley Masters and two in the World Top Four.
Among other accolades, she amassed 28 gold medals, 9 silver medals and 3 bronze medals in the most important world competitions with the senior Cuban women's national volleyball team.
Club volleyball
For the regular season of the 2008–09 Spanish Superliga, Bell was elected MVP and Best Scorer after hitting 439 kills during that regular league.
Bell played for São Caetano/Blausiegel in Brazil for the 2009–10 season. She then played for the Spanish team Fígaro Peluqueros Tenerife for the 2010–11 season.
Bell played for the Indonesian club Monokwari Valeria during the 2012–13 season of the Indonesian volleyball league, and later signed up for a two-month contract with PLDT HOME TVolution, a Philippine volleyball team that participated at the 2014 Asian Women's Club Volleyball Championship.
Clubs Ciudad Habana (1991–1997) Assid Ester Napoli (1998) Despar Perugia (1998–2000) UCAM Murcia (2002–2004) Grupo 2002 Murcia (2005–2006) Promociones Percan (2006–2007) Ciudad Las Palmas G.C. Cantur (2007–2009) São Caetano/Blausiegel (2009–2010) Fígaro Peluqueros Tenerife (2010–2011) Nuchar Eurochamp Murillo (2011–2012) Manokwari Valeria (2012–2013) PLDT HOME TVolution (2014)
Career Honours 1987 – GOLD medal - Women's NORCECA Volleyball Championship in Cuba (U18) 1989 – GOLD medal - FIVB Volleyball World Cup in Japan 1989 – GOLD medal - NORCECA Volleyball Championship in Puerto Rico 1991 – GOLD medal - FIVB Volleyball World Cup in Japan 1991 – GOLD medal - Pan American Games in Cuba 1991 – GOLD medal - NORCECA Volleyball Championship in Canada 1992 – GOLD medal - 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona (Spain) 1993 – GOLD medal - Grand Prix in Hong Kong 1993 – GOLD medal - NORCECA Volleyball Championship in United States 1994 – GOLD medal - 1994 FIVB World Championship in Brazil 1994 – SILVER medal - FIVB World Grand Prix in China 1995 – GOLD medal - NORCECA Volleyball Championship in Dominican Republic 1995 – GOLD medal - Pan American Games in Argentina 1995 – GOLD medal - FIVB Volleyball World Cup in Japan 1995 – BRONZE medal - FIVB World Grand Prix in China 1996 – GOLD medal - 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta (United States) 1996 – SILVER medal - FIVB World Grand Prix in China 1997 – GOLD medal - NORCECA Volleyball Championship in Puerto Rico 1997 – SILVER medal - FIVB World Grand Prix in China 1998 – Medalla de ORO - 1998 FIVB World Championship in Japan 1998 – BRONZE medal - FIVB World Grand Prix in China 1999 – GOLD medal - NORCECA Volleyball Championship in Mexico 1999 – GOLD medal - FIVB Volleyball World Cup in Japan 1999 – SILVER medal - Pan American Games in Canada 2000 – GOLD medal - 2000 Summer Olympics in Sídney (Australia) 2000 – GOLD medal - FIVB World Grand Prix in China
Other championships:
FIVB Volleyball Women's U21 World Championship - 1 SILVER medal (1989) Montreux Volley Masters - 5 GOLD medals (1992, 1993, 1996, 1998 y 1999), 2 SILVER medals (1990 y 1995) y 1 BRONZE medal (1991) World Top Four - 2 GOLD medals (1992 y 1994) World Super Challenge - 1 SILVER medal (1996)
Awards
Individuals 1993 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Grand Champions Cup "Most valuable player" 1993 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Grand Champions Cup "Best spiker" 1993 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Grand Champions Cup "Best receiver" 1997 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Grand Champions Cup "Best spiker" 2009 Spanish Superliga Regular Season "Most valuable player" 2009 Spanish Superliga Regular Season "Best scorer" 2024 International Volleyball Hall of Fame
Clubs 1999 Italian Cup - Champion, with Despar Perugia
References
External links
International Volleyball Hall of Fame profile Volleybox.net profile Italian League profile (archived)