Greatest Volleyball Player - Gilberto Godoy Filho - Giba

Giba (born 23 December 1976 in Londrina), is a Brazilian professional volleyball player. Born in Londrina, but raised in Curitiba, Giba is known for passing through many adversities in life, he had leukemia when he was a baby, injured his arm badly as a child and he was suspended for some time in 2002.

This superstar’s full name is Gilberto Amaury de Godoy Filho, but he is much better known as Giba.

Giba is the best known player in one of the greatest volleyball teams ever, Brazilian men’s volleyball team from this decade. Giba may be the best player in Brazilian superb volleyball team and is a superstar among volleyball fans all over the world.

Giba is not only an excellent professional volleyball player, but also has passion, energy and charisma which make him lovable by the volleyball fans – and the power to inspire the whole Brazilian team to play its best.


The high-strung Giba, an outside hitter, was the team’s leading scorer at the 2007 World Cup, with 127 points (14th overall). An omnipresent figure on the court with his his sweat-soaked hair plastered to his head, he plays with great emotion and flair, and for a big man, has exceptionally quick feet. The MVP of his first international tournament — the 1993 World Youth championships — Giba played in his first World League tournament in 1997, and was a member of the Brazilian team that placed fourth at the 1998 Worlds.


He played his first Olympic Games in Athens 2004. Athens was a special defining moment in Giba’s life; Brazil won the Olympic Gold Medal and during the Olympics Giba’s first daughter, Nicole was born.

Giba has been crowned the Most Valuable Player in 2004 Olympic Games, 2006 World League and 2006 World Championships.

For the 2007-2008 season Giba signed a 3-year contract to play professional volleyball in Russia after playing several club volleyball seasons in Brazil and Italy. He represents Iskra Odintsovo, a club team in small Odintsovo town near Moscow.


With the Brazilian national team he has won a total of 7 South American Cups, 3 American Cups, 8 World Leagues, 2 Grand Championship Cups, three World Championships (2002, 2006, 2010) and the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Since 2003 he is married with the Romanian-Brazilian former international volleyball player, Cristina Pîrv.

Spiking a Volleyball | How to Spike a Volleyball - Volleyball Hitting Terms

About the Sport

Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.

Volleyball Hitting Terms

Here are some volleyball hitting terms that spikers should learn in order to increase their attacking options.

The "spike" is when the ball is hit or smashed across the net. It is the most powerful shot in Volleyball – and the most effective way to win a rally.

Spiking a volleyball is the spectacular part of the game. That's what everyone wants to learn and what everyone wants to see when they pay to watch a great game. To better understand some of the more commonly used volleyball spiking terms, I've given some explanations for the approach, the hit, the spike, and the attack.

Approach - The approach is the pattern or series of steps and/or strides a player uses to elevate themselves into the air so they can spike a ball over the net. The spike approach will vary in speed and in length according to the set a player receives. The spike approach can be compared to an airplane's pre-flight takeoff because it needs to travel a certain distance forward in order to gain the momentum needed for it to lift itself up off of the ground.

Hit or Spike - To hit or spike a volleyball requires a player to take a spike approach as described above followed by an arm swing that is used to bring the player's hand above their head to make contact with the ball so that it clears the net and finishes in the opposing team's court. Of the three attempts a team has, to get the ball into the opposing team's court, the spike can be attempted on the second or third contact.

Attack - An attack is the offensive team's attempt to get the ball into the opposing team's court by either spiking the ball, tipping or dumping or using an off speed hit.

Kill - A kill is registered when a player has scored a point or a side out by successfully attacking or hitting the ball against the opposing team.

Dink or Tip - A dink or a tip is a slow speed hitting option for players to use to get the ball over the block to an open area of the court. In indoor volleyball, the tip is performed with an open-hand where the pads of the tip of the fingers contact the ball to push it over the block.
In beach volleyball it is illegal to open hand tip the ball, but you are permitted to do the same type of shot with a closed fist making contact with the ball with your knuckles.

Cobra - The cobra shot is primarily used on the beach as a closed fist tip or shot where the player uses their knuckles to guide the ball either deep or short into an open area in the opposing team's court. A cobra shot can also be used to tool the block.

Volleyball is the sport through which I am able to express my God-given talents of being an athlete. It is a sport which involves relating, pushing, and encouraging your teammates.

Volleyball Is My Life - Play Hard…WIN BIG