Рауль Папалео: Пуэрто-Риконың үздік пляж волейболы шебері

Puerto Rican volleyball player

Raúl Papaleo Pérez (born October 11, 1971, in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is considered by many islanders to be the all time greatest beach volleyball player from Puerto Rico. He won the bronze medal in the men's beach team competition at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, partnering with Ramón Hernández.

Papaleo played college volleyball at Indiana University Purdue University at Fort Wayne. He was an AVCA All American in 1992 and 1993.

In 1990, Papaleo qualified to play for the Puerto Rican National Team which is governed by the Puerto Rican Olympic Committee. In 1995, Papaleo won the AVP qualifier in Denver, Colorado in beach volleyball. That same year, he played in the Pre Olympic qualifier for Puerto Rico. In 1996, he was named AVP Rookie of the Year. Raúl Papaleo and Ramon Hernandez represented Puerto Rico in the 2004 Olympics which were held in Athens, Greece. This was the first time in the history of Puerto Rico that the island was represented with a Beach Volleyball Team in an Olympic competition. In his beach volleyball career, Papaleo won a total of $123,807 in prizes.

When not playing internationally, Papaleo plays locally for the "Caribes de San Sebastián" in the "Liga Superior de Voleibol Masculino" (Superior League of Masculine Volleyball) of Puerto Rico. In 1999, he was awarded the "Gentleman of the Year Award" from the league. The basketball court, where volleyball is also played, of the José Gautier Benítez high school of Caguas is named after Raúl Papaleo. He played the 2006 NORCECA Men's Beach Volleyball Continental Championship along with Joseph Gil. They finished in second place, after Gil suffered several injuries playing the semifinals. At the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit 2008, he completed an all Puerto Rican podium at the Carolina Beach Volleyball Tournament. He played with Ramón Hernández. On July 11, 2008, Papaleo was contracted by the Guaynabo Mets of Liga de Voleibol Superior Masculino (The Superior Masculine Volleyball League).