Brazilian outside hitter Gabriela Braga Guimarães, universally known as Gabi, has built her career around an unusually complete combination of scoring, serve reception, defense and leadership. Born in Belo Horizonte on May 19, 1994, she progressed from Mackenzie Esporte Clube to championship-winning teams in Brazil, Türkiye and Italy while becoming one of the central figures of Brazil’s national team. Since taking over the captaincy in 2022, she has led Brazil through a World Championship silver medal, an Olympic bronze medal and further international podium finishes.
Gabi has competed at three Olympic Games, winning silver at Tokyo 2020 and bronze at Paris 2024, and has repeatedly been selected among the best outside hitters at the sport’s biggest tournaments. At club level, five seasons with VakıfBank produced European and world titles before her 2024 move to Conegliano. Her first season in Italy ended with a sweep of every competition available to the club, and she has since extended her contract with the Panthers through 2028/29. In September 2026, she returned to the Brazilian lineup as captain and tournament MVP as Brazil won the South American Championship and qualified for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Player Information
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Gabriela Braga Guimarães |
| Known as | Gabi Guimarães / Gabi |
| Date of birth | May 19, 1994 |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Born | Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil |
| Position | Outside hitter |
| Height | 181 cm |
| Weight | 65 kg |
| Spike reach | 305 cm |
| Block reach | 289 cm |
| Dominant hand | Right |
| Previous clubs | Mackenzie Esporte Clube, Rio de Janeiro Vôlei Clube, Minas Tênis Clube, VakıfBank Istanbul |
| Current club | Prosecco DOC A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano |
| Club number | 1 |
| National team | Brazil Women’s National Volleyball Team |
| National-team number | 10 |
| National-team role | Captain |
| @gabiguimaraes10 |
Conegliano’s current club profile lists Gabi at 181 cm, while Volleyball World competition profiles commonly list her at 180 cm. The current club figure is used here; her 305 cm spike reach and 289 cm block reach are also recorded in CEV player data.
Early Life & Volleyball Beginnings
Gabi grew up in Belo Horizonte and was involved in several sports before volleyball became her primary focus. She spent years swimming and playing tennis and also enjoyed football, a natural interest in a Brazilian sporting environment where football was far more visible to her as a child. Volleyball entered the picture comparatively late: FIVB records that she began seriously pursuing the sport at around 14.
Her height initially made her an unconventional elite prospect for an attacking position. At roughly 1.80 m, she did not have the physical dimensions associated with many international outside hitters, but her jumping ability, speed and technical development quickly changed the trajectory of her career. By 2009 she was with Mackenzie Esporte Clube, one of Belo Horizonte’s established development programs, and within a short period she was moving into Brazil’s youth national-team system.
The first major international indication of her potential came at the 2010 South American U18 Championship. Brazil won the title, and Gabi was recognized as both the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and Best Attacker. Those awards were particularly significant because they came before her physical profile resembled that of the stereotypical international power hitter; her rise was already being driven by timing, elevation, technique and ball control rather than height alone.
Gabi moved from Mackenzie to Rio de Janeiro in 2012, joining one of the dominant club programs in Brazilian women’s volleyball. Around the same period she entered the senior national-team orbit. FIVB has described the 2012 Pan American Cup as her senior international breakthrough, while its career profile records José Roberto Guimarães bringing her into the senior national-team group in 2013. By then, the transition from youth standout to senior-level outside hitter was effectively complete.
Club Career
Rio de Janeiro and the Brazilian championship years
Joining Rio de Janeiro in 2012 placed Gabi in a team built to compete for domestic and continental titles every season. She remained there for six years and developed from a young attacker into one of the primary outside hitters in Brazilian volleyball.
That period produced five Brazilian Superliga championships and four South American Club Championship titles. The repetition matters as much as the raw trophy count: Gabi was developing inside a system that played high-pressure finals almost every season, requiring its outside hitters to contribute not only as scorers but through reception, transition defense and out-of-system play. FIVB’s career overview credits her Rio team with five league titles during the six-season spell.
Her performances also gained recognition internationally. At the 2017 FIVB Club World Championship she was selected as one of the tournament’s Best Outside Hitters, an early senior award that reflected her growing reputation as a complete wing player rather than simply an undersized attacker compensating with athleticism.
One season with Minas
Gabi returned to Belo Horizonte for the 2018/19 season to play for Minas Tênis Clube. It was only a one-year stay, but it became one of the most productive domestic seasons of her Brazilian career.
Minas won the Brazilian Superliga, Copa Brasil and South American Club Championship in 2019. Gabi also helped the team reach the final of the FIVB Club World Championship, adding another world silver medal at club level. The Brazilian league title was her sixth, following the five she had accumulated in Rio.
The Minas season also reunited her with coach Stefano Lavarini, who would later publicly use the nickname “daughter of the volleyball God” when describing her remarkable ability to perform across nearly every phase of the sport. The phrase endured because it captured something that statistics alone did not: Gabi had become a player without an obvious weak phase to target.
VakıfBank and the move to Europe
In 2019, Gabi left Brazil for the first sustained overseas chapter of her career, joining VakıfBank Istanbul. The move placed her in one of European volleyball’s most demanding environments under Giovanni Guidetti and alongside a constantly changing collection of international stars.
Her first two seasons included Club World Championship bronze and silver medals, but the larger breakthrough came in 2021. VakıfBank won the Turkish league, Turkish Cup and Turkish Super Cup, then captured the FIVB Club World Championship at the end of the year. Gabi was selected among the best players at the Club World Championship and had by then become essential to VakıfBank’s first-contact structure as well as its attack.
The 2021/22 season elevated that European chapter further. VakıfBank won both the Turkish championship and Turkish Cup and captured the CEV Champions League. Gabi was named Champions League MVP, becoming the first Brazilian woman to receive the competition’s top individual honor. Her influence was particularly valuable in a roster with heavier terminal scorers because she could absorb difficult reception assignments while still remaining an attacking option through the front and back row. CEV later highlighted her Champions League MVP season when assessing her role among Europe’s leading outside hitters.
VakıfBank repeated as European champion in 2023. Across Gabi’s five seasons in Istanbul, the club collected two Champions League titles, a Club World Championship, multiple Turkish championships, cups and super cups. By the time she left in 2024, her European career no longer represented a successful experiment abroad; she had become one of the defining outside hitters of the era.
Conegliano and an immediate clean sweep
Gabi joined Prosecco DOC Imoco Conegliano in 2024, becoming the first Brazilian to play for the Italian powerhouse. She took jersey number 1 and entered a roster that also featured Isabelle Haak, Zhu Ting, Joanna Wołosz and Monica De Gennaro.
Her first season produced an extraordinary team result: Conegliano won every competition it entered. The sequence began with the 2024 Italian Super Cup and FIVB Club World Championship, followed by the 2025 Coppa Italia, Serie A1 championship and CEV Champions League. The Italian Olympic Committee’s review of Gabi’s debut season summarized the five-trophy sweep, while Gabi herself was named MVP of the Italian championship finals and a Best Outside Hitter in the Champions League.
The 2025/26 season was less absolute but still highly successful. Conegliano lost the Italian Super Cup final and finished second at the 2025 Club World Championship, where Gabi was selected as a Best Outside Hitter. The Panthers then won the Coppa Italia, with Gabi scoring 22 points in the final against Scandicci and earning tournament MVP, before securing another Italian league title in April. Conegliano later finished third in the 2026 Champions League.
In January 2026, Conegliano secured Gabi’s long-term future. CEV confirmed her three-year extension, keeping her under contract through the 2028/29 season.
Club Career Timeline
| Seasons | Team | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2009–2012 | Mackenzie Esporte Clube | Brazil |
| 2012–2018 | Rio de Janeiro Vôlei Clube | Brazil |
| 2018–2019 | Minas Tênis Clube | Brazil |
| 2019–2024 | VakıfBank Istanbul | Türkiye |
| 2024–present | Prosecco DOC A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano | Italy |
Conegliano’s official player record lists the same five-club progression and places her current contract through 2029.
National Team Career
Gabi entered Brazil’s senior program at the beginning of the 2010s after a decorated youth career. Her early senior period overlapped with a Brazilian team still containing several players from the country’s Olympic championship generation, but she quickly established a role of her own. By 2013 she was appearing as a starter and contributed to Brazil’s FIVB World Grand Prix title. Further Grand Prix gold medals followed as she became a more regular part of José Roberto Guimarães’s plans.
Her first Olympics came at Rio 2016. Brazil entered the tournament as defending two-time Olympic champion but was eliminated in the quarterfinals, leaving Gabi’s first Games without a medal. The following years reshaped her importance to the team. After recovering from a knee injury suffered in 2017, she returned in the 2018 VNL and was producing at a much higher level by 2019. FIVB recorded her as Brazil’s leading scorer in the 2019 VNL with 323 points and the best receiver in the final round at 37.66% efficiency as Brazil won silver.
Tokyo 2020, played in 2021, delivered her first Olympic medal. Brazil advanced to the final before losing to the United States and finished with silver. That same international season also included VNL silver and the South American Championship title, where Gabi was named tournament MVP.
A major leadership transition followed in 2022. After Natália Pereira’s international retirement, Gabi became Brazil’s captain. The change coincided with one of her strongest national-team seasons: Brazil again finished runner-up in the VNL and then reached the World Championship final. Gabi was selected as one of the tournament’s two Best Outside Hitters after Brazil took silver behind Serbia.
At Paris 2024, Gabi captained Brazil through an unbeaten pool and quarterfinal run before a semifinal loss to the United States. Brazil responded by defeating Türkiye for bronze. Gabi finished the Olympic tournament with 110 points, including 97 kills at a 47.09% attacking success rate, and was selected as a Best Outside Hitter in the Paris Dream Team. It was her second Olympic medal in three Games.
Her 2025 season reinforced both her scoring role and leadership responsibility. Brazil again reached the VNL final, and despite joining the competition only midway through the preliminary phase, Gabi scored 112 points in nine matches and earned her fourth VNL Dream Team selection.
At the 2025 World Championship in Thailand, she produced one of the most demanding weekends of her international career. Gabi scored 29 points in Brazil’s five-set semifinal defeat to Italy and, less than a day later, delivered 35 points in a 3-2 bronze-medal victory over Japan. Volleyball World described her as the driving force behind Brazil’s return to the podium, and she was again named a Best Outside Hitter on the tournament Dream Team.
Gabi did not participate in the 2026 VNL, but she returned when Brazil hosted the South American Championship at the Maracanãzinho in September. With direct qualification for Los Angeles 2028 at stake, Brazil went through the tournament without dropping a set. Gabi scored a team-high 13 points in the decisive 3-0 win over Argentina, captained Brazil to the continental title and Olympic berth, and was named tournament MVP. Volleyball World’s tournament report confirmed both her return and the MVP award.
Playing Style & Strengths
Gabi’s most distinctive trait is not one isolated skill but the amount of the game she can handle at a high level. She functions as a genuine all-around outside hitter: a significant serve-reception target, a transition defender, a back-row attacker and, when required, one of her team’s primary high-volume scorers. Her 2019 VNL is an early statistical example of that dual responsibility. She led Brazil with 323 points while also producing the best reception efficiency in the tournament’s final round.
Her attacking profile is built around speed, timing and elevation rather than exceptional height. Gabi approaches quickly, creates significant vertical separation and can contact the ball at angles that make her play larger than her listed height. Her recorded 305 cm spike reach helps explain how a roughly 1.80 m outside hitter has remained effective against the largest blocks in international volleyball. She is particularly dangerous when the setter can involve her at tempo, but her value extends to slower and less-perfect situations because of her ability to use the block, vary direction and remain technically controlled while airborne.
Major tournaments repeatedly show that the all-around workload does not prevent her from carrying elite attacking volume. At Paris 2024 she converted 97 attacks at a 47.09% success rate and finished with 110 total points. At the 2025 World Championship she followed a 29-point semifinal with 35 points in the bronze-medal match against Japan. Those are not simply high-scoring lines for a reception outside; they demonstrate her ability to remain a first-contact anchor while becoming a terminal attacker when the match demands it.
Conegliano has used the same balance. CEV has highlighted Gabi’s agility, court awareness and defensive quality while documenting her reception contribution alongside another high-level six-rotation outside in Zhu Ting. That flexibility gives a setter more freedom in transition and gives the team a stable passing foundation without sacrificing front-row scoring. CEV’s analysis of the Gabi–Zhu pairing specifically emphasized Gabi’s all-around contribution rather than reducing her role to attacking statistics.
Leadership has become another tactical part of her value. Since becoming Brazil’s captain in 2022, Gabi has often been the player receiving the largest volume of difficult balls during elimination matches while also directing the emotional rhythm of the team. Her 35-point bronze-medal performance at the 2025 World Championship and her return for the Olympic-qualifying South American Championship in 2026 are clear examples of that responsibility translating directly into on-court production.
Major Achievements
Selected National Team Honors
| Year | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | FIVB World Grand Prix | Gold |
| 2014 | FIVB World Championship | Bronze |
| 2014 | FIVB World Grand Prix | Gold |
| 2016 | FIVB World Grand Prix | Gold |
| 2017 | FIVB World Grand Prix | Gold |
| 2019 | Volleyball Nations League | Silver |
| 2021 | Volleyball Nations League | Silver |
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Silver |
| 2021 | South American Championship | Gold |
| 2022 | Volleyball Nations League | Silver |
| 2022 | FIVB World Championship | Silver |
| 2024 | Olympic Games | Bronze |
| 2025 | Volleyball Nations League | Silver |
| 2025 | FIVB World Championship | Bronze |
| 2026 | South American Championship | Gold |
Gabi’s Olympic record now stands at three appearances with two medals, while her World Championship résumé includes bronze in 2014, silver in 2022 and bronze in 2025.
Selected Club Honors
| Year / Season | Competition | Result | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012/13–2016/17 | Brazilian Superliga | Champion five times | Rio de Janeiro |
| 2013–2017 | South American Club Championship | Champion four times | Rio de Janeiro |
| 2018/19 | Brazilian Superliga | Champion | Minas |
| 2019 | Copa Brasil | Champion | Minas |
| 2019 | South American Club Championship | Champion | Minas |
| 2020/21 | Turkish Championship | Champion | VakıfBank |
| 2021 | Turkish Cup | Champion | VakıfBank |
| 2021 | Turkish Super Cup | Champion | VakıfBank |
| 2021 | FIVB Club World Championship | Champion | VakıfBank |
| 2021/22 | Turkish Championship | Champion | VakıfBank |
| 2022 | Turkish Cup | Champion | VakıfBank |
| 2022 | CEV Champions League | Champion | VakıfBank |
| 2023 | CEV Champions League | Champion | VakıfBank |
| 2023 | Turkish Cup | Champion | VakıfBank |
| 2023 | Turkish Super Cup | Champion | VakıfBank |
| 2024 | Italian Super Cup | Champion | Conegliano |
| 2024 | FIVB Club World Championship | Champion | Conegliano |
| 2025 | Coppa Italia | Champion | Conegliano |
| 2025 | Italian Serie A1 | Champion | Conegliano |
| 2025 | CEV Champions League | Champion | Conegliano |
| 2026 | Coppa Italia | Champion | Conegliano |
| 2026 | Italian Serie A1 | Champion | Conegliano |
Conegliano’s official player profile records Gabi’s major club titles across Brazil, Türkiye and Italy, including the 2025 Champions League and back-to-back Italian championships in 2025 and 2026.
Selected Individual Awards
| Year | Competition / Award | Recognition |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | South American U18 Championship | MVP |
| 2010 | South American U18 Championship | Best Attacker |
| 2017 | FIVB Club World Championship | Best Outside Hitter |
| 2019 | Volleyball Nations League | Dream Team / Best Outside Hitter |
| 2021 | South American Championship | MVP |
| 2021 | Volleyball Nations League | Best Outside Hitter |
| 2022 | CEV Champions League | MVP |
| 2022 | Volleyball Nations League | Best Outside Hitter |
| 2022 | FIVB World Championship | Best Outside Hitter |
| 2024 | Olympic Games | Best Outside Hitter |
| 2025 | Italian Serie A1 Finals | MVP |
| 2025 | CEV Champions League | Best Outside Hitter |
| 2025 | Volleyball Nations League | Best Outside Hitter |
| 2025 | FIVB World Championship | Best Outside Hitter |
| 2025 | Brazilian Olympic Awards | Best Volleyball Athlete |
| 2025 | Brazilian Olympic Awards | Fan Favorite Female Athlete |
| 2025 | FIVB Club World Championship | Best Outside Hitter |
| 2026 | Coppa Italia | MVP |
| 2026 | South American Championship | MVP |
Her 2025 season alone included Best Outside Hitter selections in the VNL and World Championship, the Italian finals MVP award and recognition at Brazil’s national Olympic awards.
Life Away from Volleyball & Leadership
Gabi’s public profile increasingly extends beyond match results. In 2025, Volleyball World released the six-part documentary series Gabi – Destined to Shine, Built to Inspire, which explored her career as well as routines and relationships away from competition. Individual episodes focused on yoga, breathing, nutrition, family bonds, friendships, her position as a role model and her ambitions beyond the court. Volleyball World’s announcement of the series presented those subjects as an important part of how she manages the demands of elite volleyball.
Her influence has also moved into formal athlete representation. Gabi was appointed to the FIVB Athletes’ Commission for the 2024–2028 cycle, representing not only Brazil but the South American volleyball community. She described the role as an opportunity for athletes to participate more directly in discussions affecting the sport.
That public role expanded again in 2025 as her profile crossed into broader cultural and fashion spaces. FIVB highlighted her appearance in ELLE View as part of a group of women recognized for influence beyond their immediate professional field. The development fits naturally with her status as captain of Brazil and one of volleyball’s most recognizable international athletes without changing the core of her public identity, which remains closely tied to the sport.
Where Is Gabi Guimarães Playing Now?
As of October 22, 2026, Gabi plays for Prosecco DOC A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano in Italy’s Serie A1, wearing number 1. She is in the third season of a Conegliano spell that began in 2024, and her contract now runs through the end of the 2028/29 season. The club’s 2026/27 outside-hitter group also includes Zhu Ting, Anna Piovesan and Fatoumatta Sillah.
Conegliano began the 2026/27 domestic season as reigning Italian champion. Gabi was already making a two-way impact early in the campaign: on October 14 she scored 12 points in a straight-sets victory over Chieri and was named match MVP.
She also remains captain of the Brazil Women’s National Volleyball Team. After sitting out the 2026 VNL, Gabi returned for September’s South American Championship in Rio de Janeiro, where Brazil won all five matches in straight sets. Her 13-point performance against Argentina secured the continental title and Brazil’s direct place at Los Angeles 2028, and she finished the tournament as MVP.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is Gabi Guimarães?
Conegliano currently lists Gabi at 181 cm. Volleyball World competition profiles often list her at 180 cm, while older CEV records used other measurements. The current club listing is the figure used in this profile.
What position does Gabi Guimarães play?
Gabi is an outside hitter. She is known for combining attacking responsibility with a substantial serve-reception and defensive workload.
Which club does Gabi Guimarães play for?
Gabi plays for Prosecco DOC A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano in Italy. She joined the club in 2024 and is contracted through the 2028/29 season.
What number does Gabi Guimarães wear?
She wears number 1 for Conegliano and number 10 for Brazil.
Is Gabi Guimarães Brazil’s captain?
Yes. Gabi became captain of the Brazil women’s national team in 2022 and continues in the role. She captained Brazil to the Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medal, the 2025 World Championship bronze medal and the 2026 South American title.
How many Olympic medals has Gabi Guimarães won?
Gabi has won two Olympic medals: silver at Tokyo 2020 and bronze at Paris 2024. She also competed at Rio 2016.
References
- FIVB — Gabi Guimaraes player feature
- FIVB — Gabriela “Gabi” Guimarães: The Brazilian gem with a silver lining
- Volleyball World — Gabi: From Brazilian Talent to Global Volleyball Star
- Imoco Volley Conegliano — Gabriela Braga Guimarães official player profile
- CEV — Superstar Gabi to stay with Conegliano for another three years
- Brazilian Olympic Committee — Gabi ends first Italian season with five trophies and individual awards
- CEV — Gabi Guimarães and Zhu Ting powering Conegliano
- Volleyball World — Gabi selected to the Paris 2024 Olympic Dream Team
- Volleyball World — Gabi selected to the 2025 VNL Dream Team
- Volleyball World — Brazil beat Japan for 2025 World Championship bronze
- Volleyball World — 2025 Women’s World Championship Dream Team
- Volleyball World — Gabi leads Brazil to the 2026 South American title and Olympic qualification
- Volleyball World — Gabi named MVP as Conegliano win the 2026 Coppa Italia
- Volleyball World — VBTV releases Gabi: Destined to Shine, Built to Inspire
