Vitória Sport Clube Vitoria or Vitória may refer to: People * Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian * Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer * Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer * Sofia Vitória (b ...

is a Portuguese sports club in the city of

Guimarães Guimarães () is a city and municipality located in northern Portugal, in the district of Braga. Its historic town centre has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, in recognition for being an "exceptionally well-preserved ...

, where different sports are practiced. This article is about its professional

volleyball Volleyball is a 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. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

section, whose senior men's and women's teams compete, respectively, in the Portuguese Volleyball

First Division 1st Division or First Division may refer to: Military Airborne divisions *1st Parachute Division (Germany) *1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom) * 1st Airmobile Division (Ukraine) * 1st Guards Airborne Division Armoured divisions *1st Armoure ...

and the Women's Volleyball First Division, both of which are the main levels of the sport in Portugal. The teams, from youth to senior level, train and play their games in the Vimaranense Unit Sports Pavilion, which is located in the Vitória SC Academy.

History

Vitória SC opened the doors of

to volleyball in 1947 by forming a men's team to play a match against Académico de Braga, in what was the first demonstration of volleyball in the city. Of all the sports, it was through volleyball that some of the prejudices against women's sport that affected society at the time were overcome. As a result, at the beginning of the 1960s, with the sport being adopted by other teams in Portugal, it was possible to form the first women's volleyball championship. It was in 1962 that Vitória SC, along with other clubs, made its debut in official competitions. However, it wasn't until 1976 that women's volleyball team became a permanent part of Vitória Sport Clube's history. The following decade was an extremely successful one, with the team making its way up through the top flight, making five consecutive appearances in European competitions. However, in 1987 Vitória stopped taking part in the national volleyball championship, declaring the women's team extinct due to financial difficulties and a lack of proper infrastructure. Nevertheless, after a decade, in 1998, Vitória SC formed a senior team again and began competing in national competitions, winning the Second Division in 2006/07 and entering the top tier of Portuguese volleyball in 2020/21. They have won one more title so far in 2023/24, the Federation Cup 3-2 against

SL Benfica (), commonly known as Benfica, is a professional football club based in Lisbon, Portugal, that competes in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portuguese football. Founded on 28 February 1904, as ''Sport Lisboa'', Benfica is one of the " B ...

. It was also in 1998 that the men's volleyball team was founded, and in just three seasons they reached the First Division in 2000/01. Their success was such that during their first 9 seasons in the top flight, Vitória's worst finish was 4th place. During that time, they were also national champions in 2007/08, won the Portuguese Cup in 2008/09 (beating

SC Espinho Sporting Clube de Espinho, also known as Sporting de Espinho, is a Portuguese sports club from the city of Espinho in the Aveiro district. Besides football, the club has volleyball and handball departments that usually compete in the major Portu ...

3-2) and made several excellent appearances in European competitions. They would later win the Federation Cup in 2018/19, beating AJ Fonte do Bastardo 2-0, after finishing runners-up in 2016/17.

Men's Achievements

Portuguese Volleyball League A1 The Portuguese Volleyball First Division (Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Campeonato Nacional de Voleibol – I Divisão'') is the top men's volleyball league in Portugal. The competition, which is organised by the Portuguese Volleyball Federati ...

: 1 * 2007/08

Portuguese Volleyball League A2 The Portuguese Volleyball League A2 was the second men's Volleyball league in Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost poi ...

: 1 * 2000/01

Portuguese Volleyball Cup The Portuguese Volleyball Cup () is the men's volleyball cup in Portugal. It is played by teams of all Portuguese divisions, and is organized by the Portuguese Volleyball Federation. The current holders are S.L. Benfica, who have won a record 21 ...

: 1 * 2008/09 Federation Cup: 1 * 2018/19 Portuguese Volleyball Second Division: 1 * 1999/00 Total Trophies: 5 Nationals Portuguese Volleyball Third Division: 1 * 2010/11 (Vitória SC B)

Current Squad 2021-22 Men's

Women's Achievements

Portuguese Women's Volleyball Second Division: 2 * 1980/81, 2006/07 Federation Cup: 1 * 2023/24 Total Trophies: 3 Nationals

Current Squad 2021-22 Women's

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vitoria S.C. Volleyball clubs in Portugal Women's volleyball clubs in Portugal Vitória S.C.