The volleyball is a national passion in Brazil, having won a special place in the hearts of sports fans. The players then play a crucial role on the global stage, carrying Brazil’s name in competitions around the world.
With this in mind, we’ve created a list of the 20 greatest Brazilian female volleyball players of all time for you to get to know! You’ll see that these athletes have amassed an impressive list of achievements, not only in terms of titles, but also by breaking records and leaving a legacy that lasts to this day.
Whether through Olympic medals, world titles or simply inspiring future generations of athletes, these women are true ambassadors for Brazilian volleyball. So let’s find out who are the 20 greatest Brazilian female volleyball players of all time?
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The 20 greatest Brazilian female volleyball players of all time: complete list
- Sandra Pires
- Ana Moser
- Leila Barros
- Fofão
- Sheilla Castro
- Jaqueline Carvalho
- Adenízia da Silva
- Fabiana Claudino
- Virna Dias
- Sassá
- Ana Paula
- Paula Pequeno
- Fabiana Alvim (Fabi)
- Érika Coimbra
- Fernanda Venturini
- Fernanda Garay
- Dani Lins
- Tandara Caixeta
- Thaísa Menezes
- Welissa “Sassa” Gonzaga
The 20 greatest Brazilian female volleyball players of all time: find out more about them
1. Sandra Pires
- Titles: Gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics (1996).
- Teams: Brazilian Beach Volleyball Team.
- Curiosities: Sandra is recognized as one of the greatest beach volleyball players in history, being the first Brazilian to win an Olympic gold medal in the sport.
- Life story: Born in São Paulo, Sandra began her career in court volleyball before making a name for herself in beach volleyball.
2. Ana Moser
- Titles: Grand Prix champion (1994, 1996), bronze medal at the Atlanta Olympics (1996).
- Teams: Brazilian national volleyball team.
- Curiosities: In addition to her volleyball achievements, Ana is known for her social activism and founded the Instituto Esporte & Educação.
- Life Story: Born in Rio de Janeiro, Ana had a brilliant career that led her to be recognized as one of Brazil’s greatest volleyball players.
3. Leila Barros
- Titles: Grand Prix champion (1994, 1996, 1998, 2004), bronze medalist at the Sydney Olympics (2000).
- Teams: Brazilian national volleyball team.
- Curiosities: Leila is one of the tallest players in the history of Brazilian volleyball, with a height of 1.92m.
- Life story: Born in Brasilia, Leila started playing volleyball at the age of 12 and quickly became one of the best in the country.
4. Fofão
- Titles: Olympic Champion in Athens (2004), Grand Prix Champion (1994, 1996, 1998, 2004).
- Teams: Brazilian national volleyball team.
- Curiosities: Fofão is known for her technical ability and precision as a lifter.
- Life story: Born in São Paulo, Fofão started playing volleyball at the age of 14 and went on to become one of the world’s greatest lifters.
5. Sheilla Castro
- Titles: Olympic Champion in Beijing (2008) and London (2012), Grand Prix Champion (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014).
- Teams: Brazilian Volleyball Team.
- Curiosities: Sheilla is known for her attacking power and skill on the serve.
- Life story: Born in Belo Horizonte, Sheilla started playing volleyball as a teenager and quickly became one of the best in the world.
6. Jaqueline Carvalho
- Titles: Olympic Champion in Beijing (2008) and London (2012), Grand Prix Champion (2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014).
- Teams: Brazilian Volleyball Team.
- Curiosities: Jaqueline is known for her versatility, being able to play both as a striker and defender.
- Life story: Born in Recife, Jaqueline started playing volleyball at the age of 14 and soon caught the attention of her coaches for her skill and determination.
7. Adenízia da Silva
- Titles: Olympic Champion in London (2012), Grand Prix Champion (2009, 2013, 2014), World Champion (2013, 2017).
- Teams: Brazilian national volleyball team.
- Curiosities: Adenízia is one of the best blockers in the world, known for her height and agility at the net.
- Life Story: Born in São Paulo, Adenízia started playing volleyball as a teenager and quickly made a name for herself as one of the best blockers in the country.
8. Fabiana Claudino
- Titles: Olympic Champion in Beijing (2008) and London (2012), Grand Prix Champion (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014), World Champion (2014).
- Teams: Brazilian national volleyball team.
- Curiosities: Fabiana is known for her leadership on the court and her skill as a blocker.
- Life story: Born in Belo Horizonte, Fabiana started playing volleyball as a teenager and quickly became one of the best central midfielders in the world.
9. Virna Dias
- Titles: Olympic Champion in Atlanta (1996), Grand Prix Champion (1994, 1996), bronze medal at the Sydney Olympics (2000).
- Teams: Brazilian Volleyball Team.
- Curiosities: Virna is known for her attacking power and blocking ability.
- Life story: Born in Recife, Virna started playing volleyball as a teenager and quickly made a name for herself as one of Brazil’s best attackers.
10. Sassá
- Titles: Olympic Champion in Beijing (2008) and London (2012), Grand Prix Champion (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014), World Champion (2014).
- Teams: Brazilian Volleyball Team.
- Curiosities: Sassá is known for her skill as a libero and her determination on the court.
- Life story: Born in Fortaleza, Sassá started playing volleyball as a teenager and quickly made a name for herself as one of the best libero’s in the world.
11. Ana Paula
- Titles: Olympic Champion in Barcelona (1992), Grand Prix Champion (1994, 1996).
- Teams: Brazilian Volleyball Team.
- Curiosities: Ana Paula is considered one of the best volleyball players in Brazil in the 1990s.
- Life story: Born in Salvador, Ana Paula started playing volleyball as a teenager and soon caught the attention of her coaches for her talent and determination.
12. Paula Pequeno
- Titles: Olympic Champion in Beijing (2008), Grand Prix Champion (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014), World Champion (2014).
- Teams: Brazilian Volleyball Team.
- Curiosities: Paula Pequeno is known for her versatility on the court, being able to play either as a winger or a back.
- Life story: Born in Fortaleza, Paula started playing volleyball as a teenager and quickly became one of the best players in Brazil.
13. Fabi
- Titles: Olympic Champion in Beijing (2008) and London (2012), Grand Prix Champion (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014), World Champion (2014).
- Teams: Brazilian Volleyball Team.
- Curiosities: Fabi is considered one of the best libero’s in the history of Brazilian volleyball.
- Life story: Born in Rio de Janeiro, Fabi started playing volleyball as a teenager and quickly made a name for herself as one of the best defenders in the country.
14. Érika Coimbra
- Titles: Grand Prix champion (1994, 1996, 1998, 2004).
- Teams: Brazilian national volleyball team.
- Curiosities: Érika is known for her skill as a blocker and her contribution to the success of the Brazilian national team.
- Life story: Born in Belo Horizonte, Érika started playing volleyball as a teenager and quickly made a name for herself as one of the best central midfielders in Brazil.
15. Fernanda Venturini
- Titles: World Champion (1994), Grand Prix Champion (1994, 1996, 1998, 2004).
- Teams: Brazilian Volleyball Team.
- Curiosities: Fernanda is considered one of the best lifters in the history of Brazilian volleyball.
- Life story: Born in Fortaleza, Fernanda started playing volleyball as a teenager and soon became one of the best in the country.
16. Fernanda Garay
- Titles: Olympic Champion in London (2012), Grand Prix Champion (2009, 2013, 2014), World Champion (2014).
- Teams: Brazilian national volleyball team.
- Curiosities: Fernanda is known for her ability as a striker and her contribution to the success of the Brazilian national team.
- Life story: Born in Porto Alegre, Fernanda started playing volleyball as a teenager and quickly made a name for herself as one of Brazil’s best attackers.
17. Dani Lins
- Titles: Olympic Champion in London (2012), Grand Prix Champion (2009, 2013, 2014), World Champion (2014).
- Teams: Brazilian Volleyball Team.
- Curiosities: Dani Lins is known for her skill as a setter and her precision passing.
- Life story: Born in Recife, Dani Lins started playing volleyball as a teenager and quickly became one of the best in the country.
18. Tandara Caixeta
- Titles: Grand Prix Champion (2017), South American Champion (2017), Pan American Champion (2011, 2015, 2017).
- Teams: Brazilian Volleyball Team.
- Curiosities: Tandara is known for her attacking power and blocking ability.
- Life story: Born in Brasilia, Tandara started playing volleyball as a teenager and quickly became one of the best players in Brazil.
19. Thaísa Menezes
- Titles: Olympic Champion in Beijing (2008) and London (2012), Grand Prix Champion (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014), World Champion (2014).
- Teams: Brazilian Volleyball Team.
- Curiosities: Thaísa is known for her ability as a blocker and her contribution to the success of the Brazilian national team.
- Life story: Born in Rio de Janeiro, Thaísa started playing volleyball as a teenager and quickly made a name for herself as one of the best central midfielders in the world.
20. Welissa “Sassa” Gonzaga
- Titles: Olympic Champion in Athens (2004), World Champion (2002, 2006), Grand Prix Champion (2004, 2005, 2006).
- Teams: Brazilian national volleyball team.
- Curiosities: Sassa was known for her skill as an opposite and for her presence of mind in decisive moments.
- Life story: Born in Belo Horizonte, Sassa started playing volleyball as a teenager and soon stood out as one of the greatest players in her position.
The 20 greatest Brazilian female volleyball players of all time
- Sandra Pires
- Ana Moser
- Leila Barros
- Fofão
- Sheilla Castro
- Jaqueline Carvalho
- Adenízia da Silva
- Fabiana Claudino
- Virna Dias
- Sassá
- Ana Paula
- Paula Pequeno
- Fabi
- Érika Coimbra
- Fernanda Venturini
- Fernanda Garay
- Dani Lins
- Tandara Caixeta
- Thaísa Menezes
- Welissa “Sassa” Gonzaga
The 20 greatest Brazilian female volleyball players of all time
These players not only won titles, but also inspired a generation of young athletes and left a lasting legacy in Brazilian and world volleyball!
Their life stories, talent and determination are examples of what can be achieved with dedication and passion for sport. If you enjoyed learning about the 20 best Brazilian women’s volleyball players of all time, take the opportunity to check out our other articles on this and other sports!
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