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Panathinaikos women's volleyball

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Panathinaikos
NicknameFine Girls
Amazons
Founded1926; 100 years ago (1926)
GroundMets Indoor Hall
(Capacity: 1,200)
ChairmanDimitris Vranopoulos
Head CoachAlessandro Chiappini
CaptainPenny Rogka
LeagueGreek Women's Volleyball League
2024–253rd
WebsiteClub home page
Uniforms
Home
Away
Championships
26

Panathinaikos AC Women's Volleyball Team is a Greek volleyball team, part of the major Athens-based multi-sport club Panathinaikos A.O. The department was founded in 1969 and is the most successful women's volleyball team in Greece, in terms of Greek Championships won. They have won a record 26[1] Championships, 6 Cups, with 5 Doubles, while they hold the record for finishing undefeated the Championship 8 times (1971-1973, 1978, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2007). They hold also the record of 68 straight wins in the league including the play-offs.

They have also reached four times a European final four and two times a European final (2000 and 2009). The team currently plays in Maroussi Saint Thomas Indoor Hall.

In 2017, the club was relegated due to serious financial problems. They stayed inactive in the 2017–18 season.

Apart from the Greek players, who have traditionally been the backbone of Greece's national team, some of the greatest players in European volleyball that have played for the team over the years include Ruxandra Dumitrescu, Brižitka Molnar, Tammy Mahon, Jelena Lozancic, Olga Tocko, María Fernández, Sanja Tomasević and others.

The club has retired the jersey number 9 in honour of the team's legendary captain Ruxandra Dumitrescu.

History

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The women’s volleyball department of the Club was founded in 1926 and is one of the most beloved sections of the “Shamrock.”

In 1946, it participated in the Central Championship. The coaches were Mike Stergiadis and Christos Svolopoulos, who trained at the court on Tsokha Street.

However, the results were not as expected, and the first truly organized effort to form a solid team came in 1969.

It is remarkable that Panathinaikos had a women’s volleyball team a year before the Hellenic Volleyball Federation was even established.

The team’s first coach was Panathinaikos volleyball player Andreas Bergeles, who was later succeeded by Savvas Grozdanovits. The Yugoslav coach worked with the women’s team while simultaneously serving as the men’s team coach.

Success came quickly — it is characteristic that the women won the Central Championship outright in 1970 and were crowned Greek champions in 1971.

This is a department with tremendous achievements, as shown by its numerous titles and consistent high placements. In fact, the worst position the team has ever finished in the national championship is fifth — and that only happened during a period of major team rebuilding.

As for the women’s accomplishments abroad, they are widely recognized, as Panathinaikos showed its European character very early on. Specifically, in the 1980–81 season, the team reached the Final Four of the Confederation Cup in Munich, finishing in 4th place.

The next major success came in the 1994–95 season, when the “Greens” advanced to the Final Four of the Cup Winners’ Cup in Münster, again finishing 4th. In the 1999–2000 season, they made history by competing in the Cup Winners’ Cup in Perugia against the local team. Although they didn’t manage to lift the trophy, they wrote Panathinaikos’ name in golden letters in European volleyball history. The most recent major success was the 2008–09 season, when they took 2nd place in the Final Four of the Challenge Cup in Jesi, Italy.

In 2008, an incredible streak came to an end — the women’s volleyball team of Panathinaikos had achieved 55 consecutive wins and 77 consecutive home victories!

Equally impressive is the work being done in Panathinaikos’ women’s volleyball academies. The club has won two Greek Championships (1991 and 2013) and three ESPAA Junior Championships (1990, 1991, and 2013).

Finally, the “fine girls” have also made great contributions to the Greek National Team. Players such as R. Pragaloudi, S. Angelaki, F. Malapetsa, K. Yaleniou, and E. Sfyri were part of the historic success of winning the bronze medal at the 1991 Mediterranean Games.

The team’s best season is considered to be 2009, when the “fine girls” reached the Challenge Cup final and, at the same time, won the domestic double in Greece.

The players who made history under coach Takis Floros were Chatzinikou, Saparefska, Totsko, Dumitrescu, Tomasevic, Fernandez, Mylona, Tzanakaki, Koutouxidou, and Papageorgiou. [2]


Honours

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Domestic

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  • Greek Championship (record): (27)[1]
    • 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026
  • Greek Cup: (7)
    • 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2022, 2026
  • Double: (6)
    • 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2022

European

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Current women's volleyball squad

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The following is the roster for the 2025–2026 season.[3]

Number Player Position Height (m) Birth date
1 Greece Irini Chatziefstratiadou Middle blocker 1.85 (1995-09-02) September 2, 1995 (age 30)
2 United States Micaya White Outside hitter 1.86 (1998-09-20) September 20, 1998 (age 27)
3 Greece Afroditi Giota Middle blocker 1.82 (1999-12-03) December 3, 1999 (age 26)
4 Greece Evangelia Tani Setter 1.82 (2004-07-22) July 22, 2004 (age 21)
6 Greece Olga Strantzali Outside hitter 1.85 (1996-01-12) January 12, 1996 (age 30)
7 United States Haylie Bennett Opposite 1.86 (1998-05-02) May 2, 1998 (age 27)
10 Greece Mara Rapti Outside hitter 1.78 (1996-10-30) October 30, 1996 (age 29)
11 Greece Lamprini Konstantinidou Setter 1.84 (1996-09-16) September 16, 1996 (age 29)
12 Croatia Martina Šamadan Middle blocker 1.93 (1993-09-11) September 11, 1993 (age 32)
13 Greece Penny Rogka (c) Libero 1.67 (1987-07-04) July 4, 1987 (age 38)
14 Poland Monika Lampkowska Outside hitter 1.83 (1999-11-06) November 6, 1999 (age 26)
16 Greece Georgina Antonakaki Libero 1.75 (2002-09-16) September 16, 2002 (age 23)
18 Greece Markela Papageorgiou Middle blocker 1.86 (1999-12-22) December 22, 1999 (age 26)
22 Cyprus Manolina Konstantinou Outside hitter 1.83 (1993-04-10) April 10, 1993 (age 32)
30 Greece Angela Papa Opposite 1.80 (1997-05-11) May 11, 1997 (age 28)

Technical and managerial staff

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Staff
Head coach Italy Alessandro Chiappini
Assistant coach Poland Dominik Fabianowicz
Assistant coach Greece Agi Babouli
Statistician Greece Vassilis Makris
Trainer Greece Leonidas Christakidis
Physiotherapist Greece Napoleon Charisis
Kit assistant Greece Charalampos Gkanas
Team manager Greece Nikos Lazos

Retired numbers

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Panathinaikos women's volleyball retired numbers
N° Nat. Player Position Tenure
9 RomaniaGreece Ruxandra Dumitrescu Outside Hitter 2003–2010

Selected former players

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Selected former coaches

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Historical performance in the league

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Panhellenic Championship A' National A1 Division Pre League A1 Division
Pos. 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
3 3 3 3 3 3 3
4 4 4
5 5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

Positions

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Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
Times 26 15 6 2 1

International record

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Season Achievement Notes
Champions Cup
1993-94 Quarter-final eliminated by Matera
Cup Winners Cup
1994-95 Final Four 4th place
1995-96 7th place
1999-00 Final 2nd place, defeated by Perugia
CEV Cup
1980-81 Final Four 4th place
Challenge Cup
2008-09 Final 2nd place, defeated by Vini Monteschiavo Jesi
2009-10 Quarter-final eliminated by Asterix Kieldrecht

Sponsorships

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Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2007–2008 Adidas Subaru
2008–2009
2009–2010 Asics Tonotil / Salonpas
2010–2011
2011–2012 Evropi Insurance
2012–2013 Royal Evropi Insurance
2013–2014 Fila
2014–2015 - Bolossis
2015–2016 —
2016–2017 Erreà Allou Fun Park
2018–2019 Athlos Sport OPAP
2019–2020 Macron
2020–2021
2021–2022
2022–2023
2024–2025 Adidas Pame Stoixima
2025–2026


  • Official Sport Clothing Manufacturer: Adidas
  • Golden Sponsor: Pame Stoixima
  • Official sponsors: Hygeia Medical Center, Avance Car Rental, Land Rover Spanos Luxury Cars, Viva Fresh, Batteries.gr, Biosteel, LCG. Boukia kai syhorio.[4][5]
  • Official Broadcaster: PAO TV

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b sunTech s.a. (2022-05-12). "Η Χρυσή Βίβλος της Volley League Γυναικών". ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΟΜΟΣΠΟΝΔΙΑ ΠΕΤΟΣΦΑΙΡΙΣΗΣ (in Greek). Retrieved 2022-05-12.
  2. ^ https://www.pao1908.com/sports/volei-gynaikon/
  3. ^ Παναθηναϊκός ΑΟ. volleyball.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Χορηγοί". Παναθηναϊκός Αθλητικός Όμιλος (in Greek). Retrieved 2022-12-04.
  5. ^ "Φίνο τρίποντο και προχωράει!". Παναθηναϊκός Αθλητικός Όμιλος (in Greek). 2022-11-26. Retrieved 2022-12-04.
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