# Vitória S.C. (volleyball)

Vitória Sport Clube is a Portuguese sports club in the city of Guimarães, where different sports are practiced. This article is about its professional volleyball section, whose senior men's and women's teams compete, respectively, in the Portuguese Volleyball First Division and the Women's Volleyball First Division, both of which are the main levels of the sport in Portugal.
The teams, from youth to senior level, train and play their games in the Vimaranense Unit Sports Pavilion, which is located in the Vitória SC Academy.

## History

Vitória SC opened the doors of Guimarães to volleyball in 1947 by forming a men's team to play a match against Académico de Braga, in what was the first demonstration of volleyball in the city. Of all the sports, it was through volleyball that some of the prejudices against women's sport that affected society at the time were overcome. As a result, at the beginning of the 1960s, with the sport being adopted by other teams in Portugal, it was possible to form the first women's volleyball championship.
It was in 1962 that Vitória SC, along with other clubs, made its debut in official competitions. However, it wasn't until 1976 that women's volleyball team became a permanent part of Vitória Sport Clube's history. The following decade was an extremely successful one, with the team making its way up through the top flight, making five consecutive appearances in European competitions.
However, in 1987 Vitória stopped taking part in the national volleyball championship, declaring the women's team extinct due to financial difficulties and a lack of proper infrastructure.
Nevertheless, after a decade, in 1998, Vitória SC formed a senior team again and began competing in national competitions, winning the Second Division in 2006/07 and entering the top tier of Portuguese volleyball in 2020/21. They have won one more title so far in 2023/24, the Federation Cup 3-2 against SL Benfica.
It was also in 1998 that the men's volleyball team was founded, and in just three seasons they reached the First Division in 2000/01. Their success was such that during their first 9 seasons in the top flight, Vitória's worst finish was 4th place. During that time, they were also national champions in 2007/08, won the Portuguese Cup in 2008/09 (beating SC Espinho 3-2) and made several excellent appearances in European competitions. They would later win the Federation Cup in 2018/19, beating AJ Fonte do Bastardo 2-0, after finishing runners-up in 2016/17.

## Men's Achievements

Portuguese Volleyball League A1: 1
* 2007/08
Portuguese Volleyball League A2: 1
* 2000/01
Portuguese Volleyball Cup: 1
* 2008/09
Federation Cup: 1
* 2018/19
Portuguese Volleyball Second Division: 1
* 1999/00
Total Trophies: 5 Nationals
Portuguese Volleyball Third Division: 1
* 2010/11 (Vitória SC B)

## Current Squad 2021-22 Men's

| No. | Nationality | Player | Position |
| 15 | Portugal | Francisco Pombeiro | Setter |
| 19 | Portugal | Pedro Albuquerque | Setter |
| 16 | Portugal | João Lanhas | Libero |
| 18 | Brazil | Miguel Henriques | Libero |
| 4 | Brazil | Allan Guimarães | Middle blocker |
| 9 | Portugal | Carlos Fidalgo | Middle blocker |
| 14 | Brazil | Garça | Middle blocker |
| 2 | Brazil | Leonam Domingues | opposite |
| 6 | Portugal | Francisco Fabião | opposite |
| 7 | Portugal | João Oliveira | Opposite hitter |
| 8 | Portugal | Junio Pinheiro | Opposite hitter |
| 10 | Portugal | Rui Moreira | Outside hitter |
| 11 | Portugal | Miguel Cunha | Outside hitter |
| 13 | Portugal | Diogo Santos | Outside hitter |
| 17 | Portugal | Rodrigo Pereira | Outside hitter |

## Women's Achievements

Portuguese Women's Volleyball Second Division: 2
* 1980/81, 2006/07
Federation Cup: 1
* 2023/24
Total Trophies: 3 Nationals

## Current Squad 2021-22 Women's

| No. | Nationality | Player | Position |
| 2 | Portugal | Mariana Freitas | Setter |
| 3 | Brazil | Marina Scherer | Setter |
| 9 | Portugal | Margarida Valentim | Setter |
| 7 | Portugal | Joana Bragança | Libero |
| 13 | Portugal | Márcia Costa | Libero |
| 17 | Portugal | Mariana Pinto | Libero |
| 5 | Portugal | Margarida Fernandes | Middle blocker |
| 8 | Portugal | Marta Araújo | Middle blocker |
| 14 | Brazil | Beatriz Machado | Middle blocker |
| 22 | Brazil | Simone Scherer | Middle blocker |
| 23 | Portugal | Rita Novais | Opposite |
| 6 | Portugal | Isabel Castro | Outside hitter |
| 10 | Brazil | Nayara Ferreira | Outside hitter |
| 11 | Portugal | Bruna Rosa | Outside hitter |
| 16 | Portugal | Bruna Moura | Outside hitter |
| 18 | Brazil | Juliana Souza Silva | Opposite hitter |