Vyacheslav Zaitsev was a Russian volleyball player considered one of the greatest of all time. He played for the Soviet national team from the 1970s-1980s, setting a record for most seasons played on the first team. As a setter, he had no equal in the history of the sport. After retiring from the national team in 1988, he was the first Soviet volleyball player to play overseas, spending five seasons in clubs in Italy and Switzerland from 1987-1992. He was known as the best setter in the world and won numerous championships, including Olympic gold and world titles with the Soviet national team.