Milagros Cabral De La Cruz (born October 17, 1978, in

Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 ( Distrito Nacional) , webs ...

) is a retired female

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

player from the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

who won the 1998 silver and three consecutive gold medals in 2002, 2006 and 2010 at the

Central American and Caribbean Games The Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC or CACGs) are a multi-sport regional championship event, held quadrennial (once every four years), typically in the middle (even) year between Summer Olympics. The games are for countries in Cent ...

. She competed for her native country at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece and at the 2012 Summer Olympics in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...

and played in four consecutives

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

from 1998 to 2010. As a professional player, she won the "Most Valuable Player" for the Spanish club Ícaro Alaró, when her club won the 2007 Liga Fev Championship. In addition, in 2008 with the Puerto Rican club Pinkin de Corozal, she was awarded Most Valuable Player and crowned with the championship.

Early life

Milagros started playing volleyball with the team Los Cachorros in 1993, and internationally at Japan with the club

Pioneer Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land. In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and de ...

in 1997.

Career

1998

Milagros started playing for the Senior National team at the

1998 Central American and Caribbean Games 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

, where she won the silver medal. Milagros also played at the 1998 FIVB World Championship, where the Dominican Republic finished in 11th place.

1999

She played in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

for the Marsi Palermo, at a mostly Latin team, playing with fellow Dominican

Nuris Arias Nuris Arias Doñé (born May 20, 1973 in San Cristobal) is a retired volleyball player from the Dominican Republic, who won the gold medal with the women's national team at the 2003 Pan American Games in her home town of Santo Domingo, Dominica ...

Argentines Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, ...

Marianna Ratti and Carolina Costagrande, and

Cubans Cubans ( es, Cubanos) are people born in Cuba and people with Cuban citizenship. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic, religious and national backgrounds. Racial and ethnic groups Census The population of Cuba wa ...

Marta Sánchez Marta Sánchez López (born 8 May 1966) is a Spanish singer. She has sold in excess of 10 million albums. Biography Marta was born in Madrid (Spain). Her father, Antonio Sánchez Camporro, was an Asturian opera singer. She began her musical ...

and Lilian Izquierdo.

2000

At the ''2000 USA Volleyball Open Championships'' playing with the Dominican Dream Team, Cabral won the championship and she was selected among the ''All-Tournament Team''.

2002

During The 2001-02 season Milagros played with fellow countrywoman Cosiri Rodríguez at the Spanish club Construcciones Damesa de Burgos. She won the 2002 Pan-American Cup silver medal. At the 2002 FIVB World Championship, in her second participation at the top volleyball championship, she helped her country to finish in the 13th position. For the 2002-03 season, Milagros played with

at the same club, this time sponsored by Universidad de Burgos. In both seasons with the club, she helped her team to reach the quarterfinals of the Indesit European Champions League, and the second place of the Spanish Queen's Cup. Cabral won her first gold medal at the

2002 Central American and Caribbean Games The 19th Central American and Caribbean Games were held in San Salvador, El Salvador from November 22 to December 8, 2002 and included 4,301 competitors from 31 nations, competing in 32 sports. The main stadium for these championships was the Est ...

held in San Salvador, El Salvador, also winning the "Most Valuable Player" award.

2003

Cabral's National Team won the silver medal at the 2003 Pan American Cup. The cup was won by the United States. Milagros finished the tournament with the Best Attacker and MVP awards. Cabral was selected to swear the athletes'

oath Traditionally an oath (from Anglo-Saxon ', also called plight) is either a statement of fact or a promise taken by a sacrality as a sign of verity. A common legal substitute for those who conscientiously object to making sacred oaths is to g ...

at the

2003 Pan American Games The 2003 Pan American Games were held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from August 1 to 17, 2003. The successful bid for the games was made in the mid-1990s, when Dominican Republic had one of the highest growth rates in Latin America. Al ...

, held in

. In those games her national squad claimed the gold medal in this event for the first time, defeating for second time in the same year the powerful Cuban Team. For the 2003-04 season she returned to the Italian League, this time as a middleblocker for Volley Modena.

2004

Returning home from

, where Cabral helped her team Modena to reach the semifinals, she played at the 2004 Distrito Nacional Superior Tournament, resulting in runner up playing with Los Cachorros, who lost to Mirador The 2004 Summer Olympics saw the first Dominican Republic participation in women's volleyball, and Milagros had the chance to finish with an attack (scoring spike shot). It was the only Dominican Republic win against the US team in 5 sets. The Dominican Republic finished its participation in 11th place. The Russian Super League received Cabral for the 2004-05 season with the Samorodok Khabarovsk team. There Milagros averaged 18 points.

2005

The Dominican Republic National Volleyball Federation chose Cabral and

José Miguel Cáceres José Miguel Cáceres Gómez (born December 24, 1981, in Tamayo) is a men's volleyball player from the Dominican Republic, who won a bronze medal with the men's national team at the 2008 Pan American Cup in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Career Cáceres ...

as ''2004 Volleyball Players of the Year''. During her season with the Samorodok team, she was voted to be one of the favorites of the team fans and team leader. At the end of the 2004-05 season, the Samorodok from Khabarovsk were able to play at the league quarterfinals. When at the 5th set against Balakovskaia AES Balakovo, Milagros suffered an injury in the

achilles tendon The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcaneus ( ...

of her right foot. Her team lost that game whose 5th set ended 19-17, and could not make it to the Final Four.

2006

She came back playing professionally at the Puerto Rican Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino, playing with countrywoman Evelyn Carrera at Leonas de Ponce, after her Achilles tendon injury. She would later say that she was playing neither physically nor mentally in plenty form. Nonetheless, she was chosen among the league All-Stars, playing at the foreigners with countrywoman

Annerys Vargas Annerys Victoria Vargas Valdez (born August 7, 1981) is a retired female volleyball player from the Dominican Republic, who won four consecutive gold medals at the Central American and Caribbean Games. Career 2003 She won gold medal with the ...

from Vaqueras de Bayamón. At the IV Women's Villa de Benidorm International Volleyball Tournament, Cabral was selected ''Most Valuable Player'' by the players. Grupo 2002 Murcia won this club tournament, and the invitee Dominican Republic National Team was the first runner-up. Milagros then came back to the national team at the 2006 Pan-American Cup, winning the bronze medal with her team. During the quadrennial regional games celebrated in Cartagena, Colombia, the

2006 Central American and Caribbean Games The 20th edition of the Central American and Caribbean Games was held in the city of Cartagena, Colombia. The tournament began on July 15 and ended on July 30. Host city *Main host city **Cartagena de Indias *Subsites: ** Barranquilla, Colombia ...

, she won her second consecutive gold medal, when her national team defeated the powerful Cuban team in three sets. As gold medal recipient in those games, the Dominican Republic Ministry of Sports and Recreation Felipe Payano awarded Milagros and the rest of the Cartagena medalists with a Laptop to increase their professional development. Under the guidance of the national coach Beato Miguel Cruz she went to her third

world championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

with her national team. There her team ended up in 17th place. After the victory in Colombia, and her participation at the world championship, Cabral joined the Spanish club from Liga Fev, and Ícaro Alaró from Majorca.

2007

The Ministry of Sports and Recreation Felipe Payano, mentioned Milagros among countrymates Juana Arrendel,

Wanda Rijo Wanda Rijo Contreras (born November 26, 1979) is a female former powerlifting, weightlifter from the Dominican Republic. She twice competed at the Summer Olympics: 2000 and 2004. Rijo won the only gold medal for the Dominican Republic at the 19 ...

, Cosiri Rodríguez and Yudelquis Contreras, as role models, when he was inaugurating the construction of sport courts and the remodeling of some other sports facilities. Cabral contributed to the promotion of her club Ícaro Alaró to the highest level of Spanish volleyball, the Superliga. She was also crowned FEV Cup's ''Most Valuable Player''. Participating in

Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, she won with her team the bronze medal at the 2007 NORCECA Championship. After the Continental Championship, Cabral's National Team received a wild card to the 2007 FIVB World Cup, and her experience and the national team finished in 9th place.

2008

In October 2008 she signed on with the

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

n team Seongnam KEC Hi-pass, to play in that league for the first time. At the South Korean V-league, she ended the season as best player of Round 4, All-Star and season Best Scorer. During the season, when Milagros was leading all the scorers, her team used her to promote the team. After the Korean League ending, Cabral joined the Puerto Rican team Pinkin de Corozal. She was selected among the foreign players for the All-Star game, and selected as Most Valuable Player at the end of the regular season . She was crowned with her team at the Championship, and was also selected as Most Valuable Player from the final series.

2009

After winning the gold medal with her team at the 2009 NORCECA Championship, Milagros qualified for the very first time for the 2009 World Grand Champions Cup, where her team won the bronze medal. The Dominican Republic Newspaper ''Hoy'' awarded Milagros Cabral as ''Athlete of the Decade''. Milagros came back to the Seongnam KEC team from

. The Korean coach took Milagros as an example for the younger players, because of her spiking technique. At the end of the 2009−10 South Korean season, Cabral returned to play the end of the 2009 season at the

Puerto Rican League Puerto, a Spanish word meaning ''seaport'', may refer to: Places * El Puerto de Santa María, Andalusia, Spain *Puerto, a seaport town in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines * Puerto Colombia, Colombia * Puerto Cumarebo, Venezuela * Puerto Galera, O ...

, where she was praised for her exciting game. She helped Pinkin de Corozal to reach the finals, but could not win with her team, after she failed the last spike of the game.

2010

The Asics Rainbow Volleyball Club invited Cabral and the Dominican Republic Women's National Team,

Marcos Kwiek Marcos Kwiek (born 1967) is a volleyball coach from Brazil. He took over in May 2008 from Beato Miguel Cruz as the head coach of the Dominican Women's National Team, whom he guided to the 8th place at the 2008 Grand Prix.2010 Pan-American Cup held in

Rosarito Rosarito is a coastal city in Playas de Rosarito Municipality, Baja California, situated on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. As of 2010, the city had a population of 65,278. Located south of the US-Mexico border, Rosarito is a part of the greater S ...

and

Tijuana Tijuana ( ,"Tijuana"
(US) and < ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. After winning the 2010 Pan American Cup gold medal for the second time after the 2008 tournament, the President of the Dominican Republic Olympic Committee designed all the players from the National team as ''National Heroines''. Playing her 4th tournament at the Central American and Caribbean games, she won her 3rd consecutive gold medal, when her team defeated the Puerto Rican team at

Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Mayagüez (, ) is a city and the eighth-largest municipality in Puerto Rico. It was founded as Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Mayagüez, and is also known as ''La Sultana del Oeste'' (The Sultaness of the West), ''Ciudad de las Aguas Pura ...

, in 5 sets. Later Milagros expressed that this triumph tasted like '' strawberry''. After the Central American and Caribbean games, the Dominican Republic government recognized the medalist athletes in those games and the

2010 Summer Youth Olympics The 2010 Summer Youth Olympics ( ta, 2010 கோடைக்கால இளையோர் ஒலிம்பிக் விளையாட்டுக்கள் ms, Sukan Olimpik Belia Musim Panas 2010), officially known as the I Summer ...

with a total prize of RD$18.485 million Dominican pesos, which Cabral symbolically accepted in name of the whole group. Finishing rumors of retirement, Milagros stated that she retired from the Central American and Caribbean games, but will be playing in the National team until the 2012 Summer Olympics Milagros won the Unique Cup gold medal, defeated the Peruvian team in the final game played at

Coliseo Eduardo Dibos The Coliseo Eduardo Dibos is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in San Borja, Lima, Peru, exactly between Angamos Ave. and Aviacion Ave. The arena has a capacity for 4,600 people. This arena is used to host sport events as volleyball and b ...

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

. The

Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium , known as the for sponsorship reasons, is an indoor sporting arena located in Minato-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The arena opened on 1996. This arena was built in Yahataya Park in the Osaka Bay area. The arena is all underground ...

, in

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...

, Japan saw Cabral participate in her fourth World Championship in a row, but her team was not able to reach the second round, ranking 17th by defeating the Canadian team. Cabral felt disappointed at not qualifying to the second round in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

. In December 2010, Milagros played with the Dominican Republic club Mirador at the 2010 FIVB World Club Championship as team captain, finishing in 4th place with Mirador.

2011

For the third time, Cabral joined the Puerto Rican team Pinkin de Corozal

2012

After the last match she played in the defeat against the United States in the quarterfinals of the 2012 Summer Olympics, she announced that she was formally retired.

Clubs

* Los Cachorros (1995–1997) * Pioneer Red Wings (1997–1998) * Marsì Palermo (1998–1999) * Construcciones Damesa de Burgos (2001–2002) * Universidad de Burgos (2002–2003) * Los Cachorros (2001–2004) * Volley Modena (2003–2004) * Samorodok Khabarovsk (2004–2005) * Los Cachorros (2005) * Leonas de Ponce (2006) * Ícaro Alaró (2006–2007) * Pinkin de Corozal (2008) * Seongnam KEC Hi-pass (2008–2009) * Pinkin de Corozal (2009) * Seongnam KEC Hi-pass (2009–2010) * Mirador (2010) * Pinkin de Corozal (2011)

Awards

Individuals

* ''2000 USA Open Championships "All-Tournament Team"'' * '' 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games "Most Valuable Player" '' * '' 2003 Pan-American Cup "Most Valuable Player"'' * '' 2003 Pan-American Cup "Best Attacker"'' * ''2004 Dominican Republic "Volleyball Player of the Year"'' * ''2006 Puerto Rican Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino "All-Star"'' * ''2006–2007 Copa FEV "Most Valuable Player"'' * ''2008 Puerto Rican Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino "Final Series Most Valuable Player"'' * ''2008 Puerto Rican Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino "Most Valuable Player"'' * ''2008–2009 NH Bank Cup Korean V-League "All-Star"'' * ''2008–2009 NH Bank Cup Korean V-League "Best Player of 4th Round"'' * ''2008–2009 NH Bank Cup Korean V-League "Best Scorer"''

Clubs

* 2002 Spanish Queen's Cup – Gorm silver cup

Runner-Up, with Construcciones Damesa de Burgos * 2003 Spanish Queen's Cup – Gorm silver cup

Runner-Up, with Universidad de Burgos * 2004 Dominican Republic Distrito Nacional Superior Tournament – Gorm silver cup

Runner-Up, with Los Cachorros * 2005 Dominican Republic Distrito Nacional Superior Tournament – Gorm silver cup

Runner-Up, with Los Cachorros * 2006–2007 Liga FEV – Simple cup icon

Champion, with Ícaro Alaró * 2008 Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino – Simple cup icon

Champion, with Pinkin de Corozal * 2009 Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino – Gorm silver cup

Runner-Up, with Pinkin de Corozal

References

External links

FIVB Profile

CEV Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cabral, Milagros 1978 births Living people Dominican Republic women's volleyball players Volleyball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics Volleyball players at the 2012 Summer Olympics Olympic volleyball players for the Dominican Republic Volleyball players at the 2003 Pan American Games Volleyball players at the 2007 Pan American Games Pan American Games gold medalists for the Dominican Republic Sportspeople from Santo Domingo Dominican Republic expatriate sportspeople in Spain Expatriate volleyball players in Spain Pan American Games medalists in volleyball Central American and Caribbean Games gold medalists for the Dominican Republic Central American and Caribbean Games silver medalists for the Dominican Republic Competitors at the 1998 Central American and Caribbean Games Competitors at the 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games Competitors at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games Competitors at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games Expatriate volleyball players in Japan Expatriate volleyball players in Italy Expatriate volleyball players in Russia Expatriate volleyball players in the United States Expatriate volleyball players in South Korea Dominican Republic expatriate sportspeople in Japan Dominican Republic expatriate sportspeople in Italy Dominican Republic expatriate sportspeople in the United States Dominican Republic expatriate sportspeople in South Korea Central American and Caribbean Games medalists in volleyball Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games