Leonel Marshall Jr.

For the retired Cuban volleyball Olympian, see Leonel Marshall Sr.

Leonel Marshall Borges Jr.^[a] (born 25 September 1979), more commonly known as Leonel Marshall, is a Cuban professional volleyball player.^[1] Marshall is an outside hitter, and is well known for his outstanding vertical jump.^[2] He helped the Cuban men's national volleyball team win the gold medal at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg.^[3] He was the youngest member of the Cuban national team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, where he finished in seventh place.^[1][4]

Leonel Marshall
Personal information
Full name	Leonel Marshall Borges Jr.
Born	(1979-09-25) 25 September 1979 (age 45) Havana, Cuba
Height	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Weight	86 kg (190 lb)
Spike	383 cm (151 in)
Block	343 cm (135 in)
Volleyball information
Position	Outside hitter
Current club	Sieco Service Ortona
Number	1 (national team) 7 (club volleyball)
Career
Years Teams 1998–2000 2001–2002 2003–2007 2007–2008 2008–2010 2010–2014 2014–2015 2015–2016 2016–2018 2018–2019 2019–2020 2020–2021 2022–2024 Sarplast Livorno Nazionale Cubana Pallavolo Piacenza M. Roma Volley Pallavolo Piacenza Fenerbahçe Istanbul Arkas Izmir BAIC Group LPR Piacenza Sporting Clube de Portugal Bursa Büyükşehir Belediyespor Asswehly Sports Club Sieco Service Ortona
National team
1997–2001  Cuba
Honours Men's volleyball Representing  Cuba World Grand Champions Cup 2001 Japan Team World League 1999 Mar del Plata Pan American Games 1999 Winnipeg Team NORCECA Championship 2001 Barbados
Last updated: 24 October 2023

Club volleyball

Marshall has played for numerous European club teams such as M. Roma Volley, Pallavolo Piacenza, and Fenerbahçe.^[5] Currently he is playing for Sieco Service Ortona.^[5]

2001 Defection

In 2001, Marshall was one of six players on the Cuban national team to leave a hotel they stayed at in Flanders for a tournament, and from there rode a train to Italy for political asylum.^[6] The other players were Ihosvany Hernández, Jorge Luis Hernández, Ángel Dennis, Yasser Romero, and Ramón Gato.^[6] Once they were granted asylum in Italy, this group was referred to as "the defectors".^[6]

Personal life

Marshall is the son of retired Cuban volleyball player Leonel Marshall Sr., who competed in both the 1976 Summer Olympics and 1980 Summer Olympics.^[7]

Achievements

Honors

• CEV Cup runner up with Pallavolo Piacenza: 2004, 2007
• CEV Top Teams Cup winner with Pallavolo Piacenza: 2006
• Italian Championship winner with Pallavolo Piacenza: 2009
• Italian Championship runner up with Pallavolo Piacenza: 2004, 2007
• Turkish Championship winner with Fenerbahçe: 2010–11, 2011–12
• Turkish Volleyball Cup winner with Fenerbahçe: 2011-12
• Turkish Volleyball Super Cup winner with Fenerbahçe: 2011-12
• CEV Challenge Cup winner with Fenerbahçe: 2013-14

Individual

• World League 2001: "Best service"
• Cuban sports 2002: "Talented player award"
• CEV Cup 2005–06: "MVP"
• Turkey League 2010–11: "MVP"
• Turkey League 2010–11: "Best receiver"
• Turkey League 2013–14: "Best receiver"
• Turkey League 2014–15: "Best receiver"

Notes

1. In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Marshall and the second or maternal family name is Borges.