Leila Barros

Leila Gomes de Barros (born September 30, 1971 in Brasília) is a Brazilian female volleyball player who often played as opposite hitter and attacker. She was a member of the Brazilian squad who had great success in the late 1990s and early 2000s, winning the 1996 and 1998 editions of the volleyball Grand Prix and being rated the most valuable player (MVP) in each win.

Barros's sporting talents have catapulted her into stardom and can be measured by the number of titles the player has won.

Career

Barros started competing in volleyball at the age of fifteen. She switched to beach volleyball in July 2001, but returned to the indoor courts in 2003 in order to help the Brazil women's national volleyball team to qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

In the Volleyball Women's World Cups, Barros finished as runners-up in 1995 and was third placed in 1999. She also got silver medals in the 1994 World Championships. In the Olympics, her Brazilian team was 3rd in 1996 and 2000. She has also posed in several magazines and is a favorite in the Philippines.

Awards

*FIVB Most Improved Player 2006

References

* [http://www1.uol.com.br/olimpiadas/2000/volei/brasileiros_leila.shl UOL Profile]