Helena Havelkova is currently one of the biggest icons of Czech women’s volleyball. Her career included prestigious clubs like the Italian Yamamay Busto Arsizio, the Turkish Eczacibaaı VitrA Istanbul, the Chinese Shanghai Donghao Lansheng, and the Russian volleyball club Dinamo Moscow. Her name is associated with winning titles from European Cups and numerous awards. Helena Havelkova was awarded the Best Outside Hitter of the Champions League 2014/2015, MVP of the Italian Cup 2011/2012, and the Russian SuperCup 2018/2019. She is the European Golden League 2012 champion with the Czech national team, as well as twice CEV Cup champion, Challenge Cup champion, and Champions League silver medalist.
Helena Havelkova was born on July 25, 1988, in Frydlant, Czechoslovakia, currently the Czech Republic. She started playing volleyball at an early age not far from her hometown, in Liberec. She was called for the Czech U19 national team in 2002 to play at the World Championships U19.
Helena Havelkova made her professional debut in 2003 for the volleyball club TU Liberec in the Czech Extraliga. In the next season signed with SK Slavia Praha to play for the team three season until 2007, winning the silver and the bronze at the Extraliga, as well as the bronze at the Czech Cup. With the national team, she played at the European Championships U18 2005, European Youth Olympic Festival 2005, Junior European Championships 2006, and European Championships 2007.
As an eighteen-year-old, Helena Havelkova fulfilled her volleyball dream and went abroad, where her first team was the Italian club Unicom Starker Kerakoll Sassuolo for two years, but without reaching any significant success with the club in the Italian Serie A1.
In 2009, Helena Havelkova signed with the Yamamay Busto Arsizio, reaching her first major success to win the CEV Cup 2009/2010. The same season she also played with the national team at the World Championships 2010. In the 2010/2011 season, Yamamay Busto Arsizio won the bronze at the Italian Cup and Italian Serie A1, while in the 2011/2012 season made a treble, winning the gold at the Italian Cup, Italian Serie A1, and CEV Cup. She was awarded the Best spiker and the MVP in Italy. During the season she won the title at the European Golden League 2012 with the national team.
In 2012, Helena Havelkova moved to Russia and signed with Dinamo Krasnodar. In her only season with the club, she won the bronze at the Russian Cup and the gold at the Challenge Cup.
In 2013, Helena Havelkova moved to Turkey and signed with Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul. With the club, she won the silver at the Turkish Supercup, the bronze at the Turkiye Kadinlar Voleybol Ligi and Turkish Cup. She played at the Champions League and her team played in the semi-finals.
In 2014, Helena Havelkova returned to Italy, singing again with Unendo Yamamay Busto Arsizio. Her team finished third in the Italian Cup, second in the Italian Supercup and won the silver at the Champions League. With the national team, she won the bronze at the Yeltsin Cup 2015 and played at the European Championships 2015.
Helena Havelkova moved to Poland in 2015, singing with Chemik Police. In her only season with the club, they made a treble, winning the Polish Cup, Polish Supercup, and TAURON Liga. She played also at the Champions League reaching the quarter-finals.
In 2016, Helena Havelkova signed with the Chinese volleyball club Shanghai Donghao Lansheng for one season. With the club she won the Chinese National Championship, while with the national team she played at the European Championships 2017.
In 2017, Helena Havelkova returned to Europe and signed with the Italian club Saugella Team Monza. She played in the Italian Serie A1, where finished 5th, while won the bronze at the Italian Cup.
In 2018, Helena Havelkova moved back to Russia and signed with the Russian champion Dinamo Moscow. In her maiden season with the club they made a treble, winning the Russian Superleague, Russian Cup, and the Russian SuperCup, but also reached the quarter-finals in the Champions League. In the next season, Dinamo Moscow finished second in the Russian Cup and was the runner-up at the Russian SuperCup, as well as fourth in the Russian Superleague.
In 2020, Helena Havelkova signed with the Italian team Bartoccini Fortinfissi Perugia to play in the Italian Serie A1. In 2022, she started playing beach volleyball, competing at the World Tour Torquay and World Tour Cape Town. In 2023, she played at the European Championships 2023, where the Czech Republic reached the quarter-finals.
Helena Havelkova photos
