Bethania de la Cruz: Player of the Wek
LAUSANNE, Switzerland, November 11, 2020 - From her homeland of
the Dominican Republic to Japan, from Turkey to Korea and from
Indonesia to Russia, Bethania de la Cruz is an ambassador of
Dominican volleyball around the globe, showcasing the best that
the Caribbean nation has to offer the world.
Born in Santo Domingo in 1987, Bethania de la Cruz began her
club career at home for a few seasons, but soon ventured across
the Caribbean to Puerto Rico and then across the Pacific for a
season with Japan's Toray Arrows, with whom she picked up her
first national title in 2008.
Since then she's criss-crossed the world, playing also in Korea,
Turkey, Russia, Italy and Indonesia, winning championship titles
in Puerto Rico with Criollas de Caguas in 2011, Russia with
Dinamo Moscow in 2017 and with Dinamo Kazan in 2020 and the
Dominican Republic with Mirador of Santo Domingo in 2019.
But the most fruitful stint in her career was with Eczacibasi
VitrA Istanbul, as part of the squad that won the European
Champions League and the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World
Championship, both in 2015.
Her career with the Dominican Republic's national team is no
less impressive and her trophy cabinet at home is brimming with
awards.
De la Cruz, a London 2012 Olympian, has been an integral part of
the national team ever since being called to represent her
country in 2005.
She has won gold medals at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima,
the 2009 and 2019 North & Central America and Caribbean (NORCECA)
continental championships, as well as the 2008 and 2016
Pan-American Cup.
And all along de la Cruz has also picked up individual awards
that sit proudly on her cabinet, including MVP trophies from the
2006 NORCECA U20 Championship, the 2009 Pan-American Cup, the
2011 NORCECA Championship and the 2019 Pan American Games.
She was also the top scorer of the 2011 FIVB Volleyball World
Cup and has consistently been bringing in the points for the
Dominican Republic. |