Gabriela "Gabi" Guimarães, Brazil's national volleyball team captain

Gabi, Brazil's charismatic volleyball captain, a two-time Olympic medalist, and one of South America's greatest volleyball star

The charismatic captain of the Brazilian volleyball national team, Gabriela Braga Guimarães, or simply Gabi, is recognized as one of the best players to ever emerge from the South American volleyball-loving country. With two Olympic medals and many other victories at both the club and the international levels and a dynamic and entertaining playing style, Gabi continues to solidify her name among the legends of the sport.

A late start to volleyball

A very active child, Gabi was involved with many different sports before falling in love with volleyball. She swam for four years, played tennis for nine and also experimented soccer in her native Belo Horizonte before giving volleyball a try at the age of 14. What attracted her to the courts was the possibility of staying around her high school friends who played the sport, but Gabi’s clear talent and determination pushed her to reach new heights.

Her first attempt to give a step forward in the sport, however, ended in frustration as she was rejected in a trial with traditional Brazilian club Minas Tênis Clube because she was considered too short to play volleyball. Gabi was then accepted at Mackenzie, where she continued to develop and became a professional at the age of 16.

A long history with the national team

Gabriela Guimarães, Brazil's national volleyball team captain at the Paris 2024 Olympics

Gabi leading Brazil's national volleyball team at the Paris 2024 Olympics

If Gabi’s start in volleyball was somewhat late, her trajectory with Brazil’s national team took an entirely different path as in her first year playing the sport, she was called up to the country’s youth team.

Gabi led Brazil to win gold at the U18 South American Championship in 2010 and two years later, was already with the country’s senior team. In 2013, at the age of 19, she played her first match as a starter and in 2022, after the international retirement of Natália Pereira, was selected as the captain of Brazil’s national team.

Success with club and country

Gabi’s career has been marked by success at both the club and the international levels. In 13 years with Brazil’s national team, she has been to three Olympics, winning silver in Tokyo 2020 and bronze at Paris 2024. She also took her country to the podium in two editions of the FIVB World Championship, winning silver in 2022 and bronze in 2014, and helped them win three FIVB World Grand Prix titles and three silver medals in the Volleyball Nations League.

At the club level, she has six golds at the Brazilian Superliga with Unilever and Minas, as well as five South American titles. During her five years with VakifBank, she won two Turkish League, two European Champions League and one FIVB Club World Championship titles.

A new challenge in Italy

Gabi, a star player for Imoco Volley Conegliano

Gabi shines bright in her Italian debut with Imoco Conegliano

After nine years in Brazil and another five in Türkiye, Gabi embraced a new challenge in 2024-2025, joining Italian giants Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano, arguably the most successful club team in the world in the last decade. The shiniest star in a team with plenty of them, the Brazilian found immediate success win her new home, lifting the Italian Supercup trophy in her first weeks in the country.

The daughter of the volleyball God

Gabi’s ability to perform virtually every volleyball skill at an elite level has earned her some nicknames in the sport. She’s been known for years as Miss Everything and in 2024 was referred to as “the daughter of the volleyball God” by Polish national team head coach Stefano Lavarini, who worked with her for one season at Minas.

Very technical and explosive, Gabi is known by her ability to remain calm and focused in situations of high pressure, delivering strong plays in key moments of matches.

Watch Gabi in action with Brazil and Conegliano on VBTV