Tifanny Abreu signed By Bauru – Will be First Superliga Trans Player

2017-2018 BRAZILIAN WOMEN’S SUPERLIGA

• 10/15 – 03/02 – Regular Season
• Official League Site
• Teams
• Schedule
• Power Rankings
• Round 1; Round 2; Round 3; Round 4; Round 5; Round 6; Round 7; Round 8; Round 9; Round 10

Vôlei Bauru has announced in its official Instagram page that it has signed Tifanny Abreu to a contract. The Superliga team proudly announced that Tifanny is the first Brazilian transgender player to compete in female professional volleyball:

Translation:

TIFANNY WILL DEFEND BAURU IN SUPERLIGA!
Tifanny, who plays as both an opposite and outside hitter, and is the first Brazilian transgender player to participate in professional women’s volleyball after undergoing sex-reassignment surgery, will strengthen Vôlei Bauru in the 2017/2018 season. The team’s and fans’ receptivity, where she has been training since July, and the fact that she will be closer to family weighed in the athlete’s decision to not return to Europe and formalize a contract with us until the end of the season. Tifanny still has no scheduled date to debut.

View this post on Instagram

TIFANNY VAI DEFENDER O VÔLEI BAURU NA SUPERLIGA! A ponteira/oposta Tiffany, primeira transexual brasileira a atuar no vôlei feminino após concluir o processo de mudança de sexo, vai reforçar o Vôlei Bauru na Superliga 2017/2018. A boa receptividade não só do time bauruense, onde treina desde julho, mas também dos torcedores, e o fato de ficar mais perto dos familiares pesaram para a atleta recuar de sua ideia de voltar para a Europa e formalizar contrato até o final da temporada com o Vôlei Bauru. Tifanny ainda não tem data prevista para estreia. #VôleiBauru #GoBauru #Superliga

A post shared by Sesi Vôlei Bauru (@sesivoleibauru) on Dec 5, 2017 at 8:57am PST

Tifanny’s case will certainly draw more attention from the media than other trangender players’ since she will be playing in one of the world’s best leagues. Up until now, Tifanny herself, having played in Italy’s A2 league, and players like Tia Thompson and Omaira Perdomo, have mostly played in lower divisions of professional volleyball. In addition, Tifanny’s case grabs attention also due to the fact that she has competed in the male version of Brazilian Superliga, and also played professionally in men’s leagues in Portugal, Indonesia, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands and France.

Her playing days in women’s leagues did not come without controversy.  At 32 years old and 6’5″ in height, her debut for Italian A2 club Golem Palmi against Delta Trentino last season saw her came off the bench to secure her team’s come back from behind win with 28 points. Sílvia Fondriest, Trentino’s captain had this to say:

We had two different games, one before she was in it, one after she subbed in. On a personal level, she has all my respect for all that she has gone through. But on a sporting level, her physical parameters are not those of a woman. I had the luck of playing in the A1 league last year, and did not see many players that can jump and attack at the level she does.

Regardless, her teammates in Bauru are very happy with her signing. Here is a toast to “courage and happiness” done in her honor by Paula Pequeno, Bauru‘s most famous player and two times Olympic gold medalist:

View this post on Instagram

Um brinde à vida, à coragem e à felicidade… Tifannyyyyy seja bem vinda…

A post shared by Paula Renata Marques Pequeno (@paulapequeno) on Jul 29, 2017 at 1:29pm PDT

Bauru is currently in 9th place in Superliga standings, notably underachieving after parting ways with coach Marcos Kwiek in the beginning of the season.