The world of volleyball mourns this Saturday the passing of Alexeis Argilagos, former player of the Cuban men's national team who died in Italy at the age of 51, as confirmed by the specialized portal VolleyTimes and the CubanSp1ke account on Facebook.
Argilagos belonged to the golden generation of Cuban volleyball in the late 1990s, the one that reached the pinnacle of world sports with the victory in the 1998 World League —Cuba's only title in that tournament— and the bronze medal at the World Championship held in Japan that same year.
He represented the national team from 1995 to 2000, during which he also earned a silver medal in the 1999 World League, a bronze in the 1997 Champions Cup, and a gold medal at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg.
His last performance with Cuba was at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, where the team finished in seventh place.
The account CubanSp1ke, which shared the news on Facebook, described him as a pioneer in Cuban volleyball: "Argilagos, who had been living in Italy for over 20 years, was a player who, I would say, emerged as the first libero in Cuba, standing at 199 cm tall, when the position first came about."
After the Sydney Games, Argilagos left Cuba—"through the back door," according to CubanSp1ke, like many other players of that generation—and spent some time in Qatar before settling permanently in Italy.
There, he developed an extensive career in the lower divisions of Italian volleyball, wearing the jerseys of Salerno, Isernia, Castellana Grotte, Sora, Mantova, Segrate, Brolo, Asti, Cirié, Canavese, and finally, Chieri, the team with which he retired in the 2021/22 season at the age of 47.
Outside the courts, Argilagos trained as a Level II coach and graduated in Physical Education and Sports Science, dedicating his later years to the development of young talents.
The most visible legacy he leaves in volleyball is his son Bryan Argilagos, born in Italy in 2007, a setter with an Italian-Cuban profile who had a breakout season in 2025-26 with Sir Susa Vim Perugia, training alongside the captain of the Italian national team, Simone Giannelli.
This summer, Bryan signed a biennial contract with Cuneo Volley to become their starting setter in SuperLega, the top tier of Italian volleyball.
Argilagos shared the court with historical figures of Cuban volleyball such as Leonel Marshall, Osvaldo Hernández, Ramón Gato, and Pavel Pimienta, all members of that generation that defined the golden era of that team.
VolleyTimes summarized its journey as follows: "His contribution to the sport will not be forgotten, and his legacy will live on, not only through the players he inspired but also through his son, who now carries the Argilagos surname to the grandest stages of volleyball."
CubanSp1ke concluded his tribute with a phrase that encapsulates the former player's essence: "Another figure departs, a friend to his friends and a lover of volleyball until the end."
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