Top 5 Best Liberos In Volleyball 2024
A player on an indoor volleyball team, typically specializing in defense and restricted from serving or rotating to the front line, is commonly referred to as a libero.
The player with a distinct jersey color, setting them apart from the rest of the team, can be easily identified as the libero.
Today, we will explore the top 5 best liberos in volleyball from the world.
As such, the compilation of this list takes into account both the historical and career performance, as well as the current implementation of the players.
The criteria I’ve used to compile this list include the total number of matches under their belt, consistency over the years, awards to their name, and current form.
So let’s start!
1. Jenia Grebennikov
When discussing legends of volleyball, names like Wilfredo Leon, Robertlandy Simon, Bruno Rezende, Maxim Mikhaylov, and Dmitriy Muserskiy are frequently mentioned.
When it comes to liberos, Jenia Grebennikov of France is unquestionably the GOAT.
By a significant margin, Grebennikov is the best libero ever.
Jenia Grebennikov, born on 13 August 1990, is a French professional volleyball player of Russian descent who plays as a libero for Zenit Saint Petersburg and the France national team.
He has achieved significant milestones in his career, including winning a gold medal in the men’s tournament at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and becoming the 2015 European Champion.
Jenia, at the age of 31, has accumulated more than 500 matches to his name, establishing himself as the most experienced player on this list.
Jenia, who plays by his own rules and employs different techniques compared to most liberos, has a distinctive style on the volleyball court.
His unique approach to defense involves positioning himself much closer to the attack line than where most liberos typically stand in their first base position. Additionally, he is recognized for his adoption of an extremely upright stance when digging.
Grebennikov, who was awarded the Best Libero of the tournament, played a vital role in the French national team’s achievement of the European Champion 2015 title on October 18, 2015. He also received the Best Libero of the Championships award.
Even recently, he took on the role of a wing spiker for his St. Petersburg team in a game.
To be in the top 1%, you must adopt a different approach from what the majority of people, the 99%, are doing.
2. Paweł Zatorski
Poland’s Pawel Zatorski, widely considered to be among the very best liberos on the planet, has made a significant impact in the world of volleyball.
Paweł Zatorski, born on 21 June 1990, is a Polish professional volleyball player who serves as a libero for Asseco Resovia and the Poland national team.
Having taken part in 2 Olympic Games (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020), Paweł Zatorski is a two-time World Champion (2014, 2018) and the 2021 Champions League winner with ZAKSA.
On 30 September 2018, Poland secured its third World Champion title by defeating Brazil in the final and successfully defending the title they had won in 2014. Zatorski received an individual award for being the Best Libero of the tournament.
At the age of 32, he devoted his entire professional career to playing in Poland.
Pawel has had a long and fruitful career, accumulating over 365 matches, which positions him as one of the more experienced liberos on this list.
In the approximately 25 years since the libero position was introduced, Zatorski has undeniably earned his place as one of the best to ever occupy that role.
Zatorski, with 2 World Championship gold medals to his name, has played a significant role in Poland’s success on the international stage.
3. Erik Shoji
Erik Shoji, a Team USA libero with an epic career, has played all over the world, including Germany, Austria, Russia, Italy, and currently in Poland.
Born on August 24, 1989, Erik Thomas Shoji is an American professional volleyball player who serves as a libero for ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle and the U.S. national team.
Having been a member of the Men’s Junior National Team in 2008 and 2009, Shoji joined the senior national team in 2013, where he played a pivotal role in helping the team secure the gold medal at the NORCECA Championship.
At the age of 32, Shoji has amassed nearly 300 matches and continues to earn awards, with his most recent achievement being named ‘best digger’ at the 2021 Olympics.
Shoji is well-described for his excellence in digging. He’s renowned for his incredible speed and his capacity to chase down and dig volleyballs that many others wouldn’t even come close to reaching.
Despite his height of just 184cm, Shoji possesses an impressive spike reach of 330cm, making it no surprise that he exhibits explosiveness on the court comparable to any other athlete.
Shoji has an impressive list of achievements, including being a bronze medalist at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and the 2018 World Championship, a winner of the 2014 World League and the 2015 World Cup, and a two-time Champions League winner (2022, 2023) with ZAKSA.
Erik also ventured into creating a YouTube channel recently, where he has rapidly built a substantial following by reacting to a variety of volleyball-related topics.
While Erik is undoubtedly one of the best liberos in today’s game, his popularity, especially in the Western world, is largely due to his association with Team USA and his active online presence.
4. Fabio Balaso
Fabio Balaso, an Italian libero who has also played his entire pro career in his home country, has made a significant contribution to the sport of volleyball.
Born on 20 October 1995, Fabio Balaso is an Italian professional volleyball player who represents Cucine Lube Civitanova and the Italian national team.
He participated in the 2017, 2019, and 2021 Men’s European Volleyball Championship.
Currently, Fabio Balaso has been with Lube for the last 4 seasons.
With a career that includes just shy of 300 professional games, Balaso is considered one of the more experienced liberos in today’s game.
At just 26 years of age, Fabio appears to be coming into his prime years as a libero.
The 5’10” (178 cm) back row specialist, who has been with the Italian National Team since 2015 and won bronze with the country at the U23 World Championship, is a key figure in the world of volleyball.
Finishing up ranked in the top 20 players in the world in 3 of the last 4 years, he has earned a slew of awards to show for his outstanding contributions to the sport.
Precisely, he has received 7 awards for his exceptional performances as a libero since the beginning of 2021.
5. Valentin Golubev Is One Of The Best Liberos In Volleyball
Ranked as the fifth-best libero in the world in 2022 is Russia’s Valentin Golubev.
Born on 3 May 1992, Valentin Andreyevich Golubev is a Russian volleyball player who represents Zenit-Kazan and the Russian national team.
He participated in the 2017 Men’s European Volleyball Championship.
Valentin Golubev, who is 30 years old and stands at 190cm (6’3″ tall), currently plays for Zenit Kazan, a powerhouse team that is comfortably leading the Russian Superleague ladder.
Throughout his professional career, which spans a bit over 10 years, Golubev has been a consistently solid performer in Russia, especially in recent years.
During the 2019/2020 season, he received both the Best Digger and Best Libero awards for his outstanding performances in the Club World Champs and the Russian Cup.
The year before, he also secured the best libero award at the Challenge Cup.
Best Libero In Women’s Volleyball In 2023
We will explore the top 3 women’s liberos from the world of volleyball.
1. Monica De Gennaro
Monica De Gennaro is regarded as the best libero in today’s game by liberos all around the world.
Born on 8 January 1987, Monica De Gennaro Santarelli is an Italian professional volleyball player.
She has competed at both the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2016 Summer Olympics. De Gennaro is 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) tall.
Monica De Gennaro was chosen as the Best Libero of the tournament.
The 35-year-old Italian, who has played her entire career in Italy, continues to be in red-hot form, having earned 6 best libero awards since the start of 2021.
Monica’s consistent dominance in the Italian professional league, widely regarded as one of the toughest women’s leagues in the world, is the reason why she’s ranked in the top spot.
Monica De Gennaro won the Best Libero award at the 2014 FIVB World Championship and achieved the silver medal along with the Best Libero individual award at the 2018 FIVB World Championship in Japan.
2. Camila Brait
Born on October 28, 1988, in Frutal, Brazil, Camila de Paula Brait is a volleyball player who specializes as a libero.
Currently defending Osasco Voleibol Clube, she has retired from the Brazilian national team.
While representing Brazil at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Brait won the silver medal.
Playing with Osasco, she achieved both the gold medal and the Best Libero award in the 2012 FIVB Club World Championship held in Doha, Qatar.
Brait secured the silver medal in the 2014 FIVB Club World Championship when her club lost 0–3 to the Russian Dinamo Kazan in the championship match.
Playing her first international game against Venezuela, Brait subsequently participated in the 2010 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship held in Japan, where she contributed to her country’s second-place finish.
3. Brenda Castillo
Born on June 5, 1992, in San Cristóbal, Brenda Castillo is a volleyball player from the Dominican Republic who plays as a libero.
She was a member of the Dominican Republic national team that secured fifth place in the 2012 Summer Olympics, with the added distinction of being named the tournament’s Best Libero.
She played in the 2014 World Championship, achieving fifth place. She also participated in the 2010 World Championship, where her team ranked 17th, and the 2011 FIVB World Cup, where her national team placed eighth. In the 2015 FIVB World Cup, she won the Best Libero individual award and her team secured seventh place.
She achieved a silver medal at the 2009 U20 World Championship and the 2013 U23 World Championship.
In addition, she won a bronze medal in the 2009 FIVB Women’s World Grand Champions Cup and the 2015 Pan American Games.
Castillo, standing at 167 cm (5 ft 6 in) tall and weighing 55 kilograms (121 lb), brings her skills to the volleyball court with finesse and agility.
She began her volleyball journey at the age of ten, receiving guidance from coach Valentín Arias Pérez in the club Siglo XXI.
Also Read: What Is A Libero In Volleyball? [2024]