The best Dutch volleyball player of all time, Ron Zwerver was part of the group of Dutch players that formed part of the “Bankras” plan of 1987, in which the Dutch top volleyball players were separated from the Dutch league to win gold at the Barcelona Olympics. While successful, some of the players left the group for well-paying clubs in Italy, but Zwever remained with the team. With American coach Arie Selinger back, the Dutch team struggled to qualify for Barcelona, and barely made it into the quarter-finals. They then upset the Italians and Cubans to reach the final, where they were outplayed by Brazil. Zwever, voted MVP of the 1992 Games, then joined Italian side Treviso, with which would win three Italian titles and the 1995 European Cup. In international competition Zwever and the Dutch team lost the 1994 World Championships and 1995 European Championships to Italy. The rivals met again in the Olympic final, but this time the Dutch won in a five-set thriller. Zwerver retired from international play that same year, and after a season with Belgian side Roeselaere, he quit in 1999. He returned to volleyball as assistent coach of the Dutch team, and later led Dutch club Nesselande in the league.
Netherlands