Thaísa Menezes

Thaísa Daher de Menezes was born on May 15, 1987, in Campo Grande, Rio de Janeiro. Her early athletic endeavors included swimming until the age of 13, when she transitioned to volleyball, following her brother Tiago’s example. A year later, she was accepted into the youth team of the Tizhuk club, where she was coached by Julio Cugna. In 2002, at the age of 15, Menezes joined the Minas team in Belo Horizonte, one of Brazil’s top clubs, and earned her first club-level silver medal in the Brazilian championship that same season. She also made her debut for Brazil’s youth and junior national teams, securing championships in both South American categories. The following year, she achieved world champion status with both the youth and junior teams.

Throughout her career, Menezes has accumulated significant achievements at both club and international levels. She played a crucial role in the Brazilian national team that secured back-to-back gold medals at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Summer Olympics. Her club career includes stints with prominent teams such as Minas Tênis Clube, Rio de Janeiro Vôlei Clube, Osasco Voleibol Clube, Eczacıbaşı VitrA in Turkey, and Hinode Barueri. She has been recognized with numerous individual awards, including Best Spiker and Best Blocker, and was named the Most Valuable Player at the 2013 FIVB World Grand Prix. Menezes temporarily retired from the national team in 2018 but returned in 2023 to participate in the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Nations League and the Olympic qualifying tournament, subsequently winning a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, after which she announced her retirement from international play once again.