Taismary Agüero

Taismary Agüero Leiva  (born 5 March 1977) is a Cuban-born Italian volleyball player. She is the only player to have represented two women's national volleyball teams that won major titles (1995 FIVB World Cup, 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, 1998 FIVB World Championship, 1999 FIVB World Cup and 2000 Sydney Olympic Games for Cuba; 2007 FIVB World Cup for Italy).

In 2021, Agüero was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame.

Cuban national team
Agüero was born in Yaguajay in the province of Sancti Spiritus, where she began to play volleyball when she was eight years old. Two years later, she entered in the Cerro Pelado Training Center in Havana. In the 1993 junior championship, she was named MVP, best setter, and best server. After the 1993 junior championship, she joined the Cuban national team.

Agüero did not participate in the 1994 FIVB World Championship, but she won the gold medal with the Cuban national team at the 1995 Pan American Games.

Agüero won the gold medal with the national team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. In 1998, together with Mireya Luis, Regla Bell, Ana Ibis Fernandez, and Mirka Francia, Agüero won the 1998 FIVB World Championship in Japan. She won her second Olympic gold medal with the Cuban national team at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

In the summer of 2001, Agüero left the Cuban national team during a tournament in Switzerland and applied for political asylum in Italy. She joined Pallavolo Sirio Perugia, an Italian volleyball club that she had played with during the 1998–99 and 1999–00 seasons.

Italian national team
At the end of 2006, Agüero became an Italian citizen after marrying Alessio Botteghi. In the summer of 2007, she joined the Italian national team. Playing for Italy, Agüero won the 2007 European Volleyball Championship, where she was declared MVP. She also was selected as the Best Spiker and Best Scorer at the 2007 FIVB World Grand Prix.

Agüero won the gold medal at the 2009 European Volleyball Championship.

Club volleyball
Agüero played for two seasons for Sirio Perugia from 1998 to 2000. She then she played again for Sirio from 2001 to 2005. From 2005 to 2007, she played for Asystel Novara. In 2007–08, she played for Türk Telekom club in Ankara.

Since 2009, Agüero has played for numerous Italian clubs. For the 2009–10 season, she played for Carnaghi Villa Cortese. In 2013–14, Agüero played for the Pomi Casalmaggiore. Since 2018, Agüero has played for Emilbronzo 2000 Montale.

Agüero played opposite later in her career, whereas with the Cuban national team she was a setter and outside hitter.

Clubs

 * 🇮🇹 Sirio Perugia (1998–2005)
 * 🇮🇹 Asystel Novara (2005–2007)
 * 🇹🇷 Türk Telekom Ankara (2007–2009)
 * 🇮🇹 Carnaghi Villa Cortese (2009–2011)
 * 🇮🇹 Universal Volley Modena (2011–2013)
 * 🇮🇹 Pomi Casalmaggiore (2013-2014)
 * 🇮🇹 Volley 2002 Forlì (2014–2016)
 * 🇮🇹 Canovi Sassuolo (2016-2018)
 * 🇮🇹 Emilbronzo 2000 Montale (2018-)

Individuals

 * 1999 FIVB World Cup "Most Valuable Player"
 * 1999 FIVB World Cup "Best Server"
 * 2007 FIVB World Grand Prix "Best Spiker"
 * 2007 FIVB World Grand Prix "Best Scorer"
 * 2007 European Championship "Most Valuable Player"