She has played with two of
Beach Volleyball’s hottest stars but now
Tatiana Minello is making her way
through the 2003 season with her sixth
partner
Alexandra Fonseca da Silva. And what a
tough season it has been.
Minello and
Alexandra teamed up at the beginning of
2003 following a solid 2002 season for
both of them with their respective
partners
Ana Paula Connelly (finishing 5th) and
Monica Rodrigues (finishing 8th).
But
now the two Rio girls are looking for a
top-draw performance at the Women's Beach
Volleyball World Championship to rectify
their season.
Currently 11th on the
SWATCH-FIVB World Rankings Minello and
Alexandra head to Rio having failed to win
a medal throughout the season and they're
coming off three straight defeats at the
Los Angeles Grand Slam - their worst
performance of the year.
In 2001 Minello finished second on the
World Tour standings with Sandra Pires,
including a World Championship silver
medal, but now the 33-year-old is finding
things a lot tougher trying to make things
gell with Alexandra.
Following an early career in Volleyball,
which included five seasons in Italy,
Minello switched to Beach, where she has
become renowned for her defensive skills.
In her six years in Beach Volleyball the
2001 Goodwill Games title in Australia
with Sandra Pires Tavares stands out as
one of her best achievements.
Like Minello, Alexandra, who turned 33 on
the opening day of the World Championship,
has an extensive background in Volleyball.
She played for five years before deciding
to participate on the Brazilian circuit in
1997.
In the following year, she entered for the
college of Physical Education in Rio and
found Beach Volleyball a good way to
combine studies and sport. Now she is
making a good trade on the international
Beach Volleyball circuit but with Brazil
having a plethora of Beach Volleyball
talent Alexandra she is part of the third
ranked Brazilian team.
After two full-time seasons on the World
Tour Alexandra continues going to lessons
and isn't contemplating quitting, aiming
for post graduate studies.
But
now the two Rio girls are looking for a
top-draw performance at the Women's Beach
Volleyball World Championship to rectify
their season.