Thiago Lopes joined the team as director of sand volleyball operations in January 2015, assisting the staff with operational and logistical needs for the sand volleyball program. Lopes expanded his role to support the indoor squad in the fall.
Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Lopes was a setter for Fluminense FC, winning multiple local championships. The sports enthusiast has tied his passion for volleyball into his studies. Prior to graduating with a degree in international relations, Lopes focused his thesis on the politics within the Olympic Games through the history. Lopes earned his undergraduate degree from Brazil's Centro Universitário Curitiba - Unicuritiba. In 2009, Lopes coached the Unicuritiba men's squad to a porgram-best second place finish at the state championships.Â
However, his biggest accomplishment took place when he was in charge of the Department for International Affairs of World Youth Day Rio 2013, one of the largest events ever held in Brazil. Being responsible for groups of young people from all over the world and dealing frequently with Roman Curia, Lopes had the opportunity to be in touch with multiple cultures and improve his skill set in areas such as negotiation and conflict resolution. The highest point of his work came when he met and shook hands with Pope Francis.
Thiago obtained his masters in international studies from the University of San Francisco in December 2015. He chose USF because of its Jesuit mission and values, along with the desire to continue the connection between sports and international relations. Along with his his native language Portuguese, Lopes speaks English, German and Spanish.Â
