The 2023 season was a busy and successful one for Brazil as the South Americans secured a spot at the Paris Olympics and won their 23rd continental title, but if you ask volleyball fans in the country what the best news of the year was, their answer will be unanimous – the return of Thaisa Menezes to the national team.
After five years, the legendary middle blocker decided to resume her history with the yellow uniform she wore for so long and finally said yes to the insistent calls of head coach Jose ‘Ze Roberto’ Guimaraes.
The return of the 36-year-old, two-time Olympic champion middle blocker happened during the second week of the Volleyball Nations League 2023, in the country’s capital Brasilia, allowing the thousands of fans who long dreamed about that moment to fully experience it.
Thaisa showed that, even after five years away from the international game, she continues to be among the best in the world in the position and also someone who players from around the world look up to and are willing to break the protocol to get a post-match photo with.