Bio

The nickname “Bomba” – Spanish for bomb -- fits perfectly. 

At 6-foot-9, Ivan “Bomba” Marquez enjoyed a 17-year career as a pro volleyball player, competing in countries such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, Greece, Finland, Argentina and Brazil.

A native of Caracas, Venezuela, Marquez earned his nickname due to his thunderous spikes that often crashed onto the floor like, well, a bomb.

In 2008, his stellar career took him to China, where he competed with the Venezuelan National Team in the Summer Olympics. In that tournament, Marquez and his Venezuelan side pushed the United States to five sets before losing to the Americans, who went on to win the gold medal.

“Playing in the Olympics was a dream come true,” Marquez said. “As a kid, I dreamt of going to the Olympics as a basketball player. But my destiny was to make it in volleyball.”

While in the Olympic Village that year, Marquez had conversations with superstar basketball player Kobe Bryant and 23-time-gold-medal swimmer Michael Phelps.

“I have a picture with them,” Marquez said. “It was amazing to be there, surrounded by the. world’s greatest athletes. I got to ask them about the training habits of high-performance athletes.”

Marquez took mental notes, and he now gets to share that information with his players at MDC. This season is his third as a full-time Sharks assistant coach.

So far, in Marquez’s first two years at MDC, the Sharks have won a pair of FCSAA NJCAA Region VIII titles and finished as the 2020 NJCAA sixth-place team and the 2021 NJCAA third-place team at the national championships.

As a coach for the past seven years, Marquez has directed all levels of athletes, from beginners to professionals.

“Ivan brings a lot experience and knowledge to our team,” MDC coach Origenes “Kiko” Benoit said. “He’s a very dynamic coach who has accumulated experience while competing all over the world.

“He’s a very important piece for our program."

In just a couple of years, Marquez has already had a tremendous amount of influence on MDC’s numerous international players, helping them acclimate to life in the United States.

“I know what it means to leave home to play volleyball,” Marquez said. “I try to help our players adapt to a new life.

“They understand they are here for a reason. They are good players, and we want to help them grow so that they can reach all their dreams.”

Marquez, who is also the first-year head coach of a Miami high school team, Archbishop Carroll, said he joined the MDC program because of its string of state and national championships.

“There is a lot of prestige to this program,” Marquez said. “It is one of the best volleyball programs in the nation. Being here really helps to project my name as a coach.”

He is married to María Gabriela Torrealba, and they have two beautiful children: a daughter, Ivaney Marquez, 16; and a son, Angel Marquez, 14.