LEGENDARY

Aury Cruz reaching for the ball at the net during a Puerto Rico's National Team volleyball match.

Aury Cruz’s legacy is defined by her unwavering passion, exceptional skill, and dedication to the sport of volleyball. From her remarkable achievements with Puerto Rico’s national team to her groundbreaking performances in top-tier international leagues, Aury’s journey has been nothing short of legendary. As one of the most decorated athletes in the history of Puerto Rican volleyball, she has not only earned countless accolades but has also paved the way for future generations of women in sports. Aury’s influence reaches beyond the court, as she continues to inspire, mentor, and lead by example, proving that true greatness is built on resilience, hard work, and a love for the game.

MY JOURNEY

Aury Cruz with the Puerto Rico's National team celebrating on an important win.
Aury Cruz in action, preparing to receive the ball with the Puerto Rico's National team.

A LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE

Welcome to the Aury Cruz journey, a timeline of passion, dedication, and unparalleled achievement in the world of volleyball. From humble beginnings to becoming one of the best volleyball players in Puerto Rico’s history, Aury’s career is a testament to the power of hard work, resilience, and commitment. Here, you’ll walk through each chapter of her journey filled with accolades, unforgettable moments, and personal growth.

Aury Cruz and her sister Eva Cruz wearing basketball uniforms of Puerto Rico's National team.

Aury’s story begins in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, where her love for volleyball started to take root.

Collage of Aury Cruz art spelling 'AURY'

MINOR LEAGUES

AVOLI LLANERAS

First Steps Representing Toa Baja.

Aury Cruz’s journey in volleyball began at a young age, with her first steps on the court representing the Avoli Llaneras Club. It was here that she honed her skills, showcasing her natural talent and passion for the sport. As a young athlete, Aury’s commitment and dedication quickly set her apart, laying the foundation for what would become a legendary career. Her time with the Avoli Llaneras not only marked the start of her volleyball path but also instilled in her the values of teamwork, discipline, and resilience that would guide her throughout her illustrious journey.

Colorful geometric "40" surrounded by the words "Avoli Llaneras Aniversario" on a circular badge with stars.

VISIONARY

Aury Cruz horizontal Logo 'AC' in white with blue outline, and the name 'Aury Cruz' in smaller green font below.

HIGH SCHOOL

BAYAMON MILITARY ACADEMY

She attended secondary school at the Bayamón Military Academy since 1995, where she managed to stand out in different tournaments at the collegiate level, as well as being part of the team that participated in the 2000 World School Championship in Portugal.

    • Youth Champions 1996

    • Junior Champions 1997

    • Junior Champions 1998

    • Senior Champions 1999

    • Senior Champions 2000

    • Runners-Up vs ADC 1997

    • Elite 8 vs Radians 1998

    • Champions vs ADC 1999 (MVP)

    • Champions vs ADC 2000 (MVP)

    • 8th Place - Portugal 2000

BMA Leadership logo with eagle emblem and the year 1975 on a blue shield background.

GATORS

ONCE A GATOR, ALWAYS A GATOR

Aury Cruz horizontal logo "AC" outlined in orange, with "Aury Cruz" written below in orange text.
Aury Cruz in Florida Gators uniform jumping to hit the ball during a game.

She continued to open paths in the sport of high mesh and due to her great performance she managed to sign at the prestigious University of Florida in the city of Gainsville, FL where she also achieved multiple awards, standing out from 2000 to 2003. In 2000 she won “SEC Freshman of the Year” and from 2001-2003 she won “SEC Player of the year”. She received “Three times AVCA All American” in 2001, 2002 and 2003; In 2013 she was recognized in the university's “Athletic Hall of Fame.”

    • 2000 SEC Freshman of the Year

    • 2000 Volleyball Magazine All Freshman Team

    • 2000 AVCA Region Freshmen of the Year

    • 2000 SEC Champions

    • 2000 NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen

    • 2001 SEC Player of the Year

    • 2001 AVCA All American

    • 2001 AVCA All South / East Region 

    • 2001 NCAA All Tournament Region

    • 2001 Volleyball Magazine All American

    • 2001 SEC Champions

    • 2001 NCAA Tournament Final Eight

    • 2002 SEC Player of the Year

    • 2002 AVCA All American

    • 2002 AVCA All South / East Region 

    • 2002 NCAA All Tournament Region

    • 2002 NCAA All Tournament Region MVP

    • 2003 SEC Champions

    • 2002 NCAA Tournament Final Four

    • 2003 SEC Player of the Year

    • 2003 AVCA All American

    • 2003 AVCA All South / East Region 

    • 2003 NCAA All Tournament Region

    • 2003 NCAA All Tournament Region MVP

    • 2003 NCAA All Tournament Team

    • 2003 SEC Community Service Team

    • 2003 Ben Hill Griffin Award

    • 2003 SEC Champions

    • 2003 NCAA Tournament Final (Finalist) 

    • 2013 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee

LVSF

Las Changas Puerto Rico's volleyball team Logo with text "Changas Volley" in orange and turquoise.
Aury Cruz in las Changas white jersey performing a pass on the court.
Aury Cruz in las Changas white uniform holding a yellow and blue volleyball, preparing to serve during an indoor volleyball game.
Aury Cruz in action during a match, with one player in a las Changas white jersey attempting to spike the ball over the net, opposed by a player in a blue jersey ready to block.

2025

Changas Volley logo with orange and teal text.

Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino de Puerto Rico

Logo of LVS Femenino, featuring a silhouette of a female volleyball player in white against a red background, with the text 'LVS FEMENINO' next to it.

    • Rookie of the Year

    • Best Passer

    • LVSF Champions

    • Finals MVP

    • Best Passer

    • LVSF Runner-up

    • Best Passer

    • LVSF League MVP

    • Best Passer

    • Best Attacker

    • Top Scorer

    • LVSF Champions

    • LVSF Finals Runners-up

    • LVSF Finals Runners-up

    • LVSF Finals Runners-up

    • Still Writing My Story…

She was Rookie of the Year 1998, Best Passer 1999, Best Spiker, Points Leader 2004 and Most Valuable Player Final Series 1999 and Regular Series 2004 are some of the awards that Aury won while participating in the Puerto Rico Superior Women's Volleyball League (LVSF), where she played with the sextet from his hometown, the Llaneras de Toa Baja. Returns to the LVSF with the Amazonas de Trujillo Alto team for the 2020 season.

Logo with large blue letters "AC" and smaller text "Aury Cruz" beneath.

CONSISTENCY

Aury Cruz - Volleyball players in red jerseys celebrating with fans, holding a flag, in a crowded indoor arena.
Aury Cruz holding Puerto Rico flag while walking representing her country.
Aury Cruz - Parade with people in blue jackets and red berets, holding Puerto Rican flags, with a large Puerto Rican flag prominently displayed.
Aury Cruz - holding Puerto Rico flag, wearing red hat in a crowd at a nighttime event.

PUR🇵🇷

Aury Cruz - in red uniform spiking ball over net against two defenders in blue and white uniforms during a match.

At fifteen years old, she was called up and entered the PR Women's National Volleyball Team where she also obtained countless achievements, including being the standard bearer of the Puerto Rican delegation in the Central American and Caribbean Games Veracruz 2014 and the historic classification for the Olympics. of Rio 2016.

Aury Cruz - in a blue and red uniform spikes the ball over the net, while two players in red uniforms attempt to block during a match.

1997-2020

Aury Cruz - "A" and "C" blue logo on a black background.

    • 1998 Maracaibo Venezuela 4to lugar

    • 2006 Cartagena Colombia Bronce

    • 2006 Cartagena Colombia Mejor Anotadora y Mejor Pasadora

    • 2010 Mayagüez Puerto Rico Plata

    • 2010 Mayagüez Puerto Rico Mejor Atacante 

    • 2014 Veracruz Mexico Plata

    • 2014 Abanderada de la delegación de Puerto Rico 

    • 2014 Veracruz Mexico Abanderada y Segunda Mejor Atacante

    • 2003 Santo Domingo 6to lugar

    • 2007 Rio, Brazil 6to lugar

    • 2011 Guadalajara, Mexico 5to lugar

    • 2015 Toronto, Canada 4to lugar

    • 2019 Lima, Peru 5to lugar

    • 2004 Mexicali/Tijuana 5to lugar vs CAN

    • 2005 Santo Domingo 5to lugar vs CAN

    • 2006 Puerto Rico 5to lugar vs PER

    • 2006 Puerto Rico Mejor Anotadora / Mejor Servicio

    • 2007 Colima Mexico 5to lugar vs ARG

    • 2008 Tijuana/Mexicali 4to lugar vs ARG

    • 2009 Miami Florida Bronce vs USA

    • 2009 Miami Florida Mejor Anotadora

    • 2010 Baja California Mexico 6to lugar vs ARG

    • 2011 Ciudad Juarez Mexico 5to lugar vs ARG

    • 2012 Ciudad Juarez Mexico 6to lugar vs ARG

    • 2014 DF Mexico Bronce vs ARG

    • 2015 Lima, Peru 6to lugar 

    • 2016 Santo Domingo Plata vs DOM

    • 2019 Trujillo/Chiclayo Peru 4to lugar vs CAN

    • 2005 Trinidad y Tobago 5to lugar

    • 2005 Norceca Trinidad y Tobago Mejor Pasadora

    • 2007 Winipec Manitoba Canada 5to lugar

    • 2009 Bayamon Puerto Rico Plata

    • 2009 Bayamon Puerto Rico Mejor Anotadora

    • 2011 Caguas Puerto Rico 4to lugar

    • 2013 Omaha Nebraska Bronce

    • 2013 Omaha Nebraska All Star Team Outside Hitter

    • 2015 Michoacán Mexico Bronce

    • 2019 San Juan, Puerto Rico 4to lugar

    • 2002 Germany

    • 2006 Japan

    • 2010 Japan

    • 2014 Italy

    • 2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Aury Cruz - Female volleyball player in blue and red uniform performing a dig during a match, with the volleyball visible mid-air. Spectators and officials are in the background.
Aury Cruz - Logo with the letters 'AC' and the name 'Aury Cruz' underneath in white text on a black background.
Aury Cruz - Volleyball team celebrating victory on court with confetti the Rio 2016 Olympics Qualified Pass.
Aury Cruz - volleyball player in a blue uniform spikes the ball over the net against an opponent in a yellow jersey. Both athletes are positioned mid-air with arms reaching out in an indoor court setting.

WORLD’S FINEST

FOCUSED

INTERNATIONAL

PRO

LEAGUES

Fifteen consecutive years playing in foreign leagues, thus becoming the only volleyball player in the country to achieve this feat. Clubs from countries such as Italy 2005/2006/2009/2010/2011/2015/2016/2018/2019, Spain 2007, South Korea 2008, Azerbaijan 2012/2013/2014 and Turkey 2018, have had the Puerto Rican as a reinforcement player, who on most teams where participated and managed to win several team and individual awards.

    • Terra Salda Tortoli - Italia (Serie A1)

    • Eco Capitanata Altamura - Italia (Serie A1)

    • Icaro Palma Mallorca - España (Super Liga)

    • Campeonas de la Copa de la Reina (JMV) 

    • Sub Campeonas Superliga

    • Hyundai Greenfox - Korea del Sur

    • Mc Carnaghi Villa Cortese - Italia (Serie A1)

    • 2009 Champions All Star Game

    • 2010 Final Four Coppa Italia / Finalista vs Pesaro

    • 2011 Final Four Coppa Italia

    • 2011 Miss Gazzetta della Sport (JMV) / Finalista vs Bergamo

    • 2012 Final Four Coppa Italia

    • 2012 Champions League Final Four - Baku / Finalista vs Busto Arsizio




    • Rabita Baku - Azerbaijan (Super League)

    • 2013 Champion League Final Four - Istanbul / Finalist vs Vakifbank Istanbul

    • 2013 Superleague Champions

    • 2013 Best Passer

    • 2014 Champions League Final Four - Baku  / Superleague Champions

    • 2014 Best Passer

    • 2014 MVP

    • 2015 Champions League Final Four - Baku  / Superleague Champions

    • 2015 MVP


    • Igor Gorgonzola Novara - Italia (Serie A1)

    • Savino del Bene Scandicci - Italia (Serie A1)

    • 2017 Coppa Italia Finalista

    • Sariyer Belediyesi Spor Kulübü - Turkey (First League)

    • Bosca - S. Bernando Cuneo - Italia (Serie A1)

    • Golden Tulip Caserta - Italia (Serie A1)

    • Athlete Unlimited Pro Volleyball

    • Orlando Valkyries - Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF)

Aury Cruz - Volleyball player PUR in action at a match, one in red and white blocking the ball while the other in blue and red spikes it over the net.
Aury Cruz - Two female volleyball players at the net during a match, one spiking the ball and the other attempting to block.
Aury Cruz - Women playing volleyball indoors, one in a defensive position, spectators watching.
Aury Cruz - Illustration of a person playing a trumpet while sitting cross-legged, with musical notes around them, indicating music.

RESILIENT