Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz Mourns the Passing of Ricardo "Gioriver" Arias, the “Father of Dominican Volleyball”

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, March 19, 2025. – The president of the North, Central America, and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) and first vice president of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, expressed his sorrow this Wednesday over the passing of sports immortal Ricardo “Gioriver” Arias, whom he described as one of the great "Icons of Dominican Volleyball."

Marte Hoffiz stated that volleyball in the region has lost a true enthusiast of the sport since his youth, the founder of Club Mirador, and a genuine “talent scout” for players who, after being trained at Mirador, went on to join the National Team.

“We want to express our condolences to Gioriver’s entire family, to Doña Mayo Sibilia, his children, and relatives. We have lost the father of volleyball, and we already know that he is by the Lord’s side,” he said.

He emphasized that every player of the "Caribbean Queens" from the 1990s to the present passed through the hands of Ricardo Arias. "His love and dedication to the women's national team, in all its categories, were priceless," he added.

Gioriver was born on February 7, 1940, and discovered his passion for volleyball at the age of 14 while studying at the Argentina High School. He later played in the senior categories with the San Carlos and Villa Francisca (Centro Social Obrero) clubs.

Twenty years later, in 1961, he pursued a career as a physical education teacher and began sharing his knowledge at Juan Bautista Safra School in Los Mina and at the United States of America High School. In 1966, he moved to Manuel Rodríguez Objío High School, where he dedicated to teaching for 35 uninterrupted years, until 1996.

Earlier, in 1972, he became an international volleyball referee and officiated two years later at the 12th Central American and Caribbean Games, Santo Domingo 1974.

He had a combined career as a coach, leading the women’s national team at the 1970 Central American Games. Four years later, he served as the head coach of the men's national team at the Volleyball World Championship and also led the women’s junior national team at the NORCECA 1992 tournament in Santo Domingo, NORCECA 1993 in Colorado Springs, and the senior team at the 1993 Central American and Caribbean Games in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

Arias founded the most successful institution in Dominican women's volleyball, Club Mirador, on July 14, 1970, along with his wife, Mayo Sibilia, journalist Bienvenido Rojas, and Francisco Antonio Santos Saviñón, who was the organization’s first president.

Gioriver Arias’ contributions to Dominican volleyball have been recognized at the highest levels. More than 80 percent of the players who have been part of the national teams at different stages, youth, junior, and senior categories, have passed through his hands and his club.

Arias and his wife, Mayo Sibilia, made personal sacrifices, offering their home as a sports residence and using their personal vehicle to transport and support young athletes from disadvantaged backgrounds across the country.

Gioriver played key roles at every level of volleyball, as a player, referee, coach, associate director, federation leader, technical delegate for various national teams and categories, member of NORCECA’s Coaches Commission, and as Club Mirador’s head coach at the Club World Championships.