Fofão (volleyball player)

Hélia Souza
Hélia Souza
	Fofão in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Hélia Rogério de Souza Pinto
Nickname	Fofão
Nationality	Brazilian
Born	10 March 1970 (age 54); São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight	63 kg (139 lb)
Spike	283 cm (111 in)
Block	264 cm (104 in)
Volleyball information
Position	Setter
Current club	Retired
Number	15 (1992–1996); 7 (1999–2008)
National team
1991–2008	Brazil
Honours
Women's volleyball
Representing Brazil
Olympic Games
World Championship
FIVB World Cup
World Grand Champions Cup
FIVB World Grand Prix
Pan American Games
Final Four Cup
CSV South American Championship

Hélia Rogério de Souza (born 10 March 1970, in São Paulo), nicknamed Fofão, is a retired^[1] Brazilian female volleyball player who competed for her country's national team in five consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1992. She won a gold medal in 2008 and twice won a bronze medal, in 1996 and 2000. She also claimed the gold medal at the 1999 Pan American Games.

She is nicknamed Fofão because of her large cheeks similar to a famous character of a 1980s children's TV program in Brazil named "Fofão".^[2]

Career

Fofão participated at the 1999 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup.^[3] She won the 2006–07 CEV Cup with the Italian club Sirio Perugia and was awarded Best Setter.^[4] The next season with Grupo 2002 Murcia she was awarded "Best Setter" at the 2007–08 CEV Indesit Champions League.^[5]

Fofão retired from the Brazil national team on 7 September 2008, after helping her country beat Dominican Republic 3-0 and won the Final Four competition.^[6] From 1991, when she played her first game for Brazil, to 2008, she played 340 games for the national team.^[6]

Fofão signed with the Turkish club Fenerbahçe Acıbadem since 4 July 2010.^[7]

Fofão won the bronze medal at the 2010–11 CEV Champions League with Fenerbahçe Acıbadem.^[8]^[9]

Fofão won the silver medal at the 2013 Club World Championship playing with Unilever Vôlei.^[10]

During the 2015 FIVB Club World Championship, Fofão played with the Brazilian club Rexona Ades Rio and her team lost the bronze medal match to the Swiss Voléro Zürich.^[1] At age 45, this was Fofao's last match, after which she announced her retirement.^[1]