Brazilian opposite Tainara Santos developed as a middle blocker and outside hitter before settling into the right-side role that now defines her senior career. Born in Jandira, São Paulo, on March 9, 2000, she came through the Barueri pathway, reached Brazil’s senior national team as a teenager and went on to play for Barueri, Osasco, Praia Clube, Shanghai Bright Ubest and Sesc RJ Flamengo. Her international résumé includes a silver medal at the 2022 World Championship and an Olympic bronze medal at Paris 2024.
Her career has combined that positional adaptability with periods of high-volume scoring. Tainara helped Praia Clube win both the Brazilian Superliga and South American Club Championship in 2022/23, finished the 2023 Club World Championship as the tournament’s leading scorer, then spent the 2024/25 season in China before returning to Brazil with Sesc RJ Flamengo. She remains part of Brazil’s senior national-team group and helped the country win the 2026 South American Championship, securing qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Player Information
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Tainara Lemes Santos Figueiredo |
| Date of birth | March 9, 2000 |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Born | Jandira, São Paulo, Brazil |
| Position | Opposite spiker |
| Height | 190 cm |
| Weight | 81 kg |
| Spike reach | 320 cm |
| Block reach | 293 cm |
| Dominant hand | Right |
| Previous clubs | Barueri / São Paulo-Barueri, Osasco São Cristóvão Saúde, Dentil/Praia Clube, Shanghai Bright Ubest |
| Current club | Sesc RJ Flamengo |
| Club number | 10 |
| National team | Brazil Women’s National Volleyball Team |
| National-team number | 19 |
| @tainaras10 |
Early Life & Volleyball Beginnings
Tainara grew up in Jandira, in the São Paulo metropolitan area and close to the established volleyball centers of Barueri and Osasco. Volleyball was not her first sporting interest. In a 2020 interview with Olimpíada Todo Dia, she recalled preferring football as a child and having little initial interest in volleyball. That changed in 2012, when she was 12. A physical-education teacher at her school encouraged her to play because of her height, and a schoolmate who was already involved with the GRB Barueri youth system suggested that she attend a tryout. Her parents, Fábio and Maria Tereza, took her to the evaluation, beginning a pathway that kept her close to home while connecting her with one of Brazil’s most productive development programs.
Her position changed repeatedly during those formative years. Tainara initially trained as a middle blocker, later appeared as an opposite and eventually shifted toward outside hitter. The changes were not cosmetic: moving from the middle required her to develop reception and different attacking timings, while her previous experience on the right side left her particularly comfortable attacking behind the setter. She also developed through Brazil’s youth national teams, winning South American youth titles in 2016 and 2018. In the 2016 tournament she was named MVP while still playing middle blocker; by 2018 she was competing as an outside hitter.
Her senior club opportunity arrived early. After spending time in the ADC Bradesco youth program, Tainara joined Barueri’s professional setup and made her first senior appearances in Superliga B in 2017, at 17. Working under José Roberto Guimarães accelerated a transition from prospect to first-team player and eventually put her on the path to Brazil’s senior national team.
Club Career
Barueri breakthrough and Osasco move
Barueri gave Tainara the platform for her first significant senior seasons. Initially used across the wing positions, she gradually earned a larger role and showed that her youth-level success could transfer to senior volleyball. One of her early breakthrough performances came in the 2018/19 Superliga playoffs against Osasco. Entering from the bench, she scored 18 points — 16 in attack, one ace and one block — during a five-set Barueri victory and received the VivaVôlei award.
The following season brought a team milestone. São Paulo-Barueri won the 2019 Campeonato Paulista, defeating Osasco in the final, and Tainara was no longer merely a young reserve around the senior group. The title closed an important developmental phase in which she had progressed from youth volleyball into a player capable of carrying attacking responsibility in high-level domestic matches.
Tainara crossed that rivalry in 2020, joining Osasco São Cristóvão Saúde for the 2020/21 season. At the time she was still presented primarily as an outside hitter, and the move exposed her to a different team structure alongside established Brazilian internationals. Osasco won the 2020 Paulista Championship, giving Tainara consecutive state titles with two different clubs. She also contributed during the Superliga run, including double-digit scoring performances as Osasco advanced deep into the postseason.
Praia Clube and a first overseas season
The next major phase began when Tainara moved to Dentil/Praia Clube in 2021. Over three seasons in Uberlândia, she became increasingly associated with the opposite position and collected the most important club titles of her career to that point. Praia won the 2022/23 Brazilian Superliga and the South American Club Championship in the same season, with Tainara part of a squad competing regularly for domestic and continental trophies.
Her scoring ceiling was especially visible at the 2023 FIVB Club World Championship. Although Praia finished fourth, Tainara ended the tournament as its leading individual scorer with 93 points across four matches: 24 against Sport Center, 17 against VakıfBank, 20 against Eczacıbaşı and 32 against Tianjin in the bronze-medal match. That run reinforced her development into a high-volume right-side attacker rather than simply a multi-position prospect.
After three years at Praia, she made the first overseas club move of her career. A 2024 ge report on her transfer to Shanghai confirmed that she would join Shanghai Bright Ubest for the 2024/25 Chinese season. The move placed her alongside international talent in a shorter but highly competitive league and marked the first time she had played a full club season outside Brazil. She opened her Chinese league campaign with 16 points in a straight-sets victory over Liaoning.
Sesc RJ Flamengo
Tainara returned to Brazil in 2025 when Sesc RJ Flamengo made her one of the leading additions to Bernardinho’s roster. Volleyball World described the Olympic medalist as the headline signing after her season with Shanghai, bringing her back into the Superliga as an established opposite rather than the positionally fluid young attacker who had left Barueri years earlier.
Her first season in Rio produced the Taça Brasil and Campeonato Carioca titles and a strong Superliga campaign. Sesc RJ Flamengo finished the 2025/26 league season with 22 victories in 27 matches but was eliminated by Praia Clube in a three-match semifinal series. Tainara scored 23 points in the deciding five-set defeat, ending a season in which Flamengo had established itself among the league’s strongest teams.
The club retained her for 2026/27. Tainara immediately became a major figure in Sesc RJ Flamengo’s early-season offense, scoring 26 points against Fluminense in the Copa SuperVôlei opener and another 25 in the five-set comeback victory over Praia Clube that secured the title. She later added another state championship when Flamengo defeated Fluminense in straight sets in the 2026 Carioca final.
Club Career Timeline
| Seasons | Team | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2017–2020 | Barueri / São Paulo-Barueri | Brazil |
| 2020–2021 | Osasco São Cristóvão Saúde | Brazil |
| 2021–2024 | Dentil/Praia Clube | Brazil |
| 2024–2025 | Shanghai Bright Ubest | China |
| 2025–present | Sesc RJ Flamengo | Brazil |
National Team Career
Tainara’s relationship with Brazil’s national-team program began well before her senior debut. She won South American titles at youth level and was already being developed across multiple positions when she was invited into senior training in 2019. That year she entered the senior-team environment at 19 and featured during a season in which Brazil reached the VNL final and finished with silver.
Her senior role became more substantial during the next Olympic cycle. In 2022, Tainara was part of the Brazilian team that finished runner-up in both the Volleyball Nations League and the World Championship. One of the clearest examples of her impact came against China at the World Championship. Volleyball World reported that she scored 22 points, including 19 kills at a 53% success rate and three aces as Brazil won 3-1. The tournament ultimately ended with Brazil taking silver after losing the final to Serbia.
Tainara remained in the international picture in 2023 and was part of Brazil’s team at the Pan American Games in Santiago. Brazil advanced to the gold-medal match before losing to the Dominican Republic and taking silver; Tainara was used prominently during the tournament and helped Brazil respond during the final even though the Dominican side ultimately won in straight sets.
The next major milestone was Paris 2024. Tainara made Brazil’s Olympic roster wearing number 19 and collected the first Olympic medal of her career when Brazil won bronze. Her role was primarily as part of Brazil’s opposite depth rather than as its main scorer; Volleyball World’s tournament statistics record 11 points, including eight attacks and three blocks. The medal nevertheless represented an important step in a senior international career that had already included World Championship and VNL podium finishes.
She continued with Brazil in 2025. Tainara was registered as an opposite for the VNL squad that reached another final and finished runner-up to Italy, and she was also part of the team that won bronze at the 2025 World Championship in Thailand. Brazil defeated Japan 3-2 in the bronze-medal match.
In the 2026 VNL, Tainara produced 80 points across eight matches during her participation in the competition, with 68 attack points, five blocks and seven aces. She was unavailable for the Finals in Macao, where Brazil progressed to another gold-medal match before finishing second to Türkiye.
Her 2026 international season then ended on a major positive note at home. Brazil selected Tainara as one of its opposites for the South American Championship at the Maracanãzinho, where the tournament champion would qualify directly for Los Angeles 2028. Brazil won the title, and Tainara scored 11 points in the deciding match against Argentina, helping secure both the continental championship and Brazil’s Olympic berth.
Playing Style & Strengths
Tainara’s positional history is central to understanding her game. She is now an established opposite, but she did not develop exclusively as a right-side scorer. She started as a middle blocker, spent meaningful time as an outside hitter and learned the reception responsibilities that came with that transition. In her own early-career interviews, she described the adjustment to passing as one of the harder parts of moving away from the middle, while also noting that attacking from the right side felt more natural because of her earlier opposite experience. That history gives her a broader technical base than an opposite developed only as a front-row terminal attacker.
That versatility still matters at senior level. When Sesc RJ Flamengo signed her in 2025, Bernardinho specifically described Tainara as an attacking player who could also contribute in other responsibilities, including reception. The coach’s assessment, reported by Web Vôlei in its coverage of Flamengo’s signing class, fits her background as a former outside hitter: she can remain a primary right-side option without making the lineup completely dependent on protecting her from first contact.
Her clearest strength, however, remains point production. The 22-point match against China at the 2022 World Championship demonstrated the combination of attack and serving that can make her difficult to contain. The same pattern appeared again in September 2026, when she scored 26 points against Fluminense with 18 kills, five aces and three blocks. Two days later she added 25 against Praia in the Copa SuperVôlei title match. Those performances show an opposite capable of generating points from all three front-line scoring routes rather than relying entirely on high-ball swings.
Her best stretches also show the capacity to carry significant volume across an entire competition. The 93 points she produced in four matches at the 2023 Club World Championship remain one of the strongest examples. For teams using her as the primary opposite, Tainara’s value comes from that combination of right-side comfort, serving pressure, physical blocking contribution and enough previous reception experience to give a coach additional lineup options.
Major Achievements
Selected National Team Honors
| Year | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Volleyball Nations League | Silver |
| 2022 | Volleyball Nations League | Silver |
| 2022 | FIVB Women’s World Championship | Silver |
| 2023 | Pan American Games | Silver |
| 2024 | Olympic Games | Bronze |
| 2025 | Volleyball Nations League | Silver |
| 2025 | FIVB Women’s World Championship | Bronze |
| 2026 | Volleyball Nations League | Silver |
| 2026 | South American Championship | Gold |
Selected Club Honors
| Year / Season | Competition | Result | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Campeonato Paulista | Champion | São Paulo-Barueri |
| 2020 | Campeonato Paulista | Champion | Osasco São Cristóvão Saúde |
| 2022/23 | Brazilian Superliga | Champion | Dentil/Praia Clube |
| 2023 | South American Club Championship | Champion | Dentil/Praia Clube |
| 2025 | Taça Brasil | Champion | Sesc RJ Flamengo |
| 2025 | Campeonato Carioca | Champion | Sesc RJ Flamengo |
| 2026 | Copa SuperVôlei | Champion | Sesc RJ Flamengo |
| 2026 | Campeonato Carioca | Champion | Sesc RJ Flamengo |
Selected Individual Awards & Distinctions
| Year | Competition | Award / Distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | South American youth competition | MVP |
| 2023 | FIVB Club World Championship | Tournament top scorer — 93 points |
| 2026 | Copa SuperVôlei | Troféu Fabi Alvim / Best Player |
Tainara’s 2026 Copa SuperVôlei award followed a 50-point performance across Flamengo’s two matches, including 25 points in the title-clinching comeback against Praia Clube.
Where Is Tainara Santos Playing Now?
As of October 22, 2026, Tainara is an active opposite for Sesc RJ Flamengo in Brazil’s Superliga Feminina. Flamengo renewed her contract for the 2026/27 season, keeping her as part of a core that also includes setters Giovana and Vívian, outside hitters Simone Lee, Karina and Mikaela, and middle blocker Lorena. She wears number 10 for the club.
The season began with two trophies before the Superliga even started: the Copa SuperVôlei in September and the Campeonato Carioca in October. Flamengo then opened the 2026/27 Superliga on October 19 with a 3-0 victory over Paulistano Barueri. Flamengo’s report from the Superliga opener confirmed Tainara in the current opposite rotation.
Internationally, she remains in Brazil’s senior setup. Her most recent completed national-team competition was the September 2026 South American Championship, where Brazil won gold and qualified for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is Tainara Santos?
Tainara Santos is listed at 190 cm by current Volleyball World and Sesc RJ Flamengo profiles.
What position does Tainara Santos play?
Tainara is an opposite spiker. Earlier in her development she also played middle blocker and outside hitter before establishing herself on the right side.
Which club does Tainara Santos play for?
She plays for Sesc RJ Flamengo in Brazil’s Superliga Feminina and is under contract for the 2026/27 season.
What number does Tainara Santos wear?
Tainara wears number 10 for Sesc RJ Flamengo and has worn number 19 with the Brazil women’s national team.
Has Tainara Santos won an Olympic medal?
Yes. She won the bronze medal with Brazil at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, her first Olympic appearance.
References
- Volleyball World — Tainara Lemes Santos Figueiredo VNL 2026 player profile
- Brazilian Olympic Committee — Tainara Santos Olympic medalist profile
- Sesc RJ Flamengo — Tainara official player profile
- UOL — Instagram profiles of Brazil’s Paris 2024 Olympic athletes
- Women Volleybox — Tainara Santos player data
- Olimpíada Todo Dia — Tainara arrives at Osasco as one of Brazilian volleyball’s prospects
- Web Vôlei — Tainara’s 18-point Barueri playoff breakthrough against Osasco
- ge — Tainara leaves Praia Clube for Shanghai in her first overseas season
- Volleyball World — Tainara headlines Sesc RJ Flamengo’s 2025/26 additions
- Sesc RJ — Sesc RJ Flamengo’s 2025/26 Superliga semifinal campaign
- Flamengo — Sesc RJ Flamengo retains Tainara for 2026/27
- Volleyball World — Tainara scores 22 as Brazil defeat China at the 2022 World Championship
- Volleyball World — Serbia defeat Brazil in the 2022 World Championship final
- ge — Brazil take silver at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games
- Volleyball World — Tainara Paris 2024 Olympic player profile and statistics
- Volleyball World — Brazil take silver in the 2025 VNL final
- Volleyball World — 2025 Women’s World Championship results and standings
- Volleyball World — Türkiye defeat Brazil in the 2026 VNL final
- CBV — Brazil win the 2026 South American Championship and qualify for Los Angeles 2028
- Flamengo — Sesc RJ Flamengo win the 2026 Copa SuperVôlei with Tainara scoring 25 points
- Web Vôlei — Tainara wins the 2026 Copa SuperVôlei Troféu Fabi Alvim
- Flamengo — Sesc RJ Flamengo win the 2026 Campeonato Carioca
- Flamengo — Sesc RJ Flamengo open the 2026/27 Superliga with a win over Barueri
