Cuba's Sultan Of Spike -- Some Hail Despaigne As World's Top Player

For a volleyball player gaining consideration as perhaps the best in the world in his sport, Joel Despaigne has lived a amazingly anonymous existence. The one thing those outside Cuba can say with any certainty about him is, well, the man is colorful.

Today it is yellow day.

And red day.

Which seems to be every day, at tournament time.

Despaigne, having watched a Luca Cantagalli spike sail long past him, is talking macho through the net at his Italian opponent. A yellow card ensues. Now, one point later, he is blowing mock kisses at the Italians. The referee reaches for red.

Despaigne bows, first to the referee, then on each side to the Edmundson Pavilion crowd.

Point, game, match: Despaigne. The Italians lose six of the next eight points to drop the game, then, ultimately, the meeting between the world's top two teams.

``We lost our concentration,'' Italian Coach Julio Velasco said later Tuesday. ``We talked too much to their players.''

Cuba Coach, Orlando Samuels Blackwood confirmed: ``Psychologically we were stronger.''

There may be better passers and better servers in volleyball, but no player packs the punch of the one who leads Cuba into the Goodwill Games semifinal tomorrow night against the Soviet

Union. As captain of the reigning World Cup champions, Despaigne - pronounced Des-pon-ya - has become their unrepentant, emotional juggernaut.

And the dependable hitter who, going into tomorrow night's match against the Soviet Union, has scored on more than 70 percent of his kill attempts in the Games.

Because volleyball and basketball tend to draw the same kind of athlete, picture for a moment Dominique Wilkins. Imagine him thrusting into the air and spiking the way he dunks, in a blur of sudden power and bravado.

That is Despaigne, 24, whose resemblance to Wilkins is inescapable. He looks similar, has the same squared-off hairdo, even bears a French name and heritage.

``He is the equal of any hitter in the world, and not only because of the velocity and power he puts behind the ball,'' said Doug Beal, senior director of the U.S. men's volleyball team. ``What makes him special is that he contacts the ball sooner than the block is prepared.

``His arm swing is so fast, and his lead step or two is so quick, that he beats the defense to the block.''

Beal estimates Despaigne, who is a muscular 6-feet-4, puts 75 mph behind a spike, which is about as hard as a human being can hit a ball. The design of a volleyball, which when struck compresses to about half its diameter, prevents it from traveling much faster.

Few of the world's kill specialists, including John Root of the U.S., hit at less than 68 mph, Beal said.

Despaigne, though, does not hesitate to conduct his assaults from anywhere on the court or at any stage in the game. He is just as likely to wind up from the back line off an errant pass - and score - as he would on a marshmallow set near the net.

Factor in Despaigne's primal-like scream upon hitting, and international volleyball has its nastiest action bite.

``He's not the reason that team is as good as it is,'' said Beal, who prefers the all-around work of Idalberto Valdes and Felix Milian. ``But clearly, he is the soul of that team. He draws a lot of attention from opponents, and that's good for everyone else.''

Although Despaigne has been on the international scene for several years, almost nothing has been documented on him personally, giving him an exotic, mysterious air. One widely circulated story has Despaigne, who does not have a Hispanic last name, originally coming from Tahiti. Or could it be Haiti?

None of the above, said Despaigne, who says he was born and raised in Santiago, Cuba. His French name comes from grandparents who moved to Cuba from France. He does not know why.

What else does Despaigne offer about himself?

Not much.

Through an interpreter he said that at 14 he joined the junior national team, moving away from his parents to Havana to train full-time. He recalls missing his parents, but does not regret the move.

``I've always wanted to be the best, to take my team to the highest level of volleyball,'' Despaigne said. ``I want us to be as big as other countries.''

Like many Cuban athletes at the Games, Despaigne is filled with the revolutionary spirit, or at least rhetoric.

Despaigne said he has been approached by European players inquiring whether he would like to join the professional leagues there, where a player his calibre could make more than $500,000 a year.

Despaigne said: ``I will want to remain playing for my country, not for money or any other reason except my country and my personal satisfaction.''

The prospect of competing on a regular basis with the top players in the world, though, clearly interests him.

He speaks with reverence about ``my teachers,'' former American stars Karch Kiraly and Steve Timmons, who both will play in Italy next season.

When asked whether he believes the political situation will change in Cuba to where he can be allowed to play professionally, Despaigne shrugged and said, ``I'm young.''

Young indeed, which is the reason Despaigne, voted the top player at the 1989 World Cup, is being sized up as heir apparent to Kiraly's throne as the world's best player.

Not even his coach, Samuels, cares to place that title on him yet.

Although a premier spiker and blocker and a strong all-around player, Despaigne lacks the tactical sense of Kiraly. His game is heavy on macho, light on touch.

``I know he's powerful but for him to be the best player in the world he needs to play more intelligent,'' said Argentina Coach Luis Fernando Muchaga.

To Despaigne's credit, his game has become more refined since he emerged on the international scene as the latest great physical specimen.

Or at least post-point screaming and gesturing has been reduced.

Now Despaigne saves his most demonstrative acts for the big matches - say, when an Italian needs to be rattled.

``I'm very verbose,'' he said. ``I do like to talk a lot during matches.''