Jana Vápenková was introduced to volleyball by her older brothers and took up the sport in 1962. Vápenková started playing for a local club in Děčín before representing the Czechoslovak juniors team within a year. After playing four seasons in division two she transferred to Tatran Střešovice in 1969, playing with the team until 1978 and winning four championship titles (1970–73). Vápenkováalso joined the Czechoslovak women’s national team in 1969, finishing fifth at the 1970 World Cup in Bulgaria and winning silver at the 1971 European Championships in Italy. One year later she was part of the women’s team at the 1972 München Olympics, playing in all five matches for Czechoslovakia. In 1971 Vápenková married Milan Vápenka, who also represented Czechoslovakia in volleyball at the 1972 München Games, with both later inducted into the Czech Volleyball Hall of Fame.
Czechoslovakia
Czechia