VNL silver medallists Brazil announce Olympic roster

One day after winning silver at the 2021 FIVB Volleyball Nations League, Brazil women’s national team announced their 12-player squad for the Tokyo Olympics.

Three-time Olympic champion head coach Jose ‘Ze Roberto’ Guimaraes opted for a rejuvenated squad following the team’s fifth-place finish at the Rio 2016 Games and only four players with Olympic experience were included in the list including team captain Natalia Pereira, fellow outside hitters Gabriela ‘Gabi’ Guimaraes and Fernanda Garay and opposite Tandara Caixeta.

Ze Roberto had three other Olympic champions in his VNL squad in star opposite Sheilla Castro, veteran setter Dani Lins and middle blocker Adenizia Ferreira, but none of them were part of his final selection for Tokyo.

On the other hand, 17-year-old outside hitter Ana Cristina Souza, a bronze medallist at the 2019 FIVB U18 World Championships, was picked by Ze Roberto. The daughter of former national team player Cecilia ‘Ciça’ Souza will have in the Tokyo Games just her second tournament with the senior team.

Brazil finished second in the VNL after losing to the United States in Friday’s gold medal match in Rimini, Italy. The South Americans won 14 of their 17 matches in the tournament and believe they have improved ahead of the Olympics.

“We improved a lot during the VNL,” Tandara, who was part of the tournament’s Dream Team, said. “We ended the VNL much stronger than we started it and that shows we’re headed in the right direction in our preparation to Tokyo. We’ll keep working hard in these few weeks we have left to get even better.”

Brazil are in Pool A in the Tokyo Olympics and will face, in order, Korea, the Dominican Republic, Japan, Serbia and Kenya in pool play.

Brazil’s Olympic Roster

· Setters – Macris Carneiro, Roberta Ratzke

· Opposites – Tandara Caixeta, Rosamaria Montibeller

· Outside Hitters – Natalia Pereira, Gabi Guimaraes, Fernanda Garay, Ana Cristina Souza

· Middle Blockers – Carol Gattaz, Ana Carolina ‘Carol’ da Silva, Ana Beatriz ‘Bia’ Correa

· Libero – Camila Brait