After being tutored by the legendary Jackie Silva in the mid-1990s, three-time Olympian Sandra Pires has assumed the role as the player/coach as she starts her 13th season on the SWATCH-FIVB World Tour tutoring Brazilian indoor veteran Virna Dias after spending 2005 with Agatha Bednarczuk.  Sandra will turn 33 during the 2006 season.
 

After playing one SWATCH event in 1993 in Karina Silva, Sandra (21 at the time) skipped the 1994 international season to play on the American domestic tour with Jackie (32 at the time) as the pair won three events along with posting eight podium placements and 10 “final four” finishes.  Sandra and Jackie returned to the SWATCH tour in 1995 and won the international points titles twice along with capturing the gold medals at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games and the 1997 SWATCH-FIVB World Championships at Los Angeles.  For four seasons together on the SWATCH tour, Sandra and Jackie won 84.2 percent of their matches (139-26) and 12 of their 18 title matches.  The pair never finished below fourth in 29 SWATCH stops with 28 podium placements.

Sandra joined forces with Adriana Samuel at the start of the 1998 SWATCH season as the pair played together through the 2000 season.  Sandra and Adriana were fourth at the 1999 SWATCH-FIVB World Championships in Marseille before claiming the bronze medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

After playing with Tatiana Minello (2001, 12 events, 53-22 match record, Goodwill Games gold medal) and Leila Barros (2002, 11, 32-18) the next two seasons, Sandra teamed with Ana Paula Connelly in 2003 to pursue a spot in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.  Highlighted by the 2003 SWATCH points championships, Sandra and Ana Paula qualified for the Olympics where they placed fifth.  Due to injuries, Sandra and Ana Paula played in only 16 SWATCH events with five gold medals, nine medals and an 81-17 match mark.

Pires is one of 14 players to compete in all three Olympic Beach Volleyball competitions.  She had a 5-0 record with Jackie in Atlanta, 4-1 with Adriana in Sydney and 3-2 with Ana Paula in Athens.  Only Natalie Cook of Australia has won more Olympic Beach Volleyball matches (13) than Sandra (12).  Sandra was also honored by her country’s Olympic Committee at the Sydney 2000 Games by becoming the first women to carry the Brazilian flag into the opening ceremonies.

On the Brazilian domestic tour, Sandra has won the 2000 and 2001 Queen of the Beach competition.  She teamed with Jackie to win the 1995 points title followed by championship with Adriana in 1998.  She finished fourth in 2005 with Agatha.

As for her role as Beach Volleyball tutor, Sandra said “it is very rewarding to know that I can continue to play at a high level with athletes that are starting their Beach Volleyball career.  I am very happy to help a inexperienced Beach Volleyball players learn the game.”  Sandra will try for a fourth Olympic spot in 2008.  "Obviously, my last Olympic participations did not match by initial experience in 1996 with Jackie,” said Sandra.  “The Athens experience was very disappointing as Ana Paula and I were never healthy as the same time in 2004.”

• AVP Rookie of the Year 1994
• FIVB Tour Champion 1995 (Jackie Silva), 1996 (Jackie Silva), 2003 (Ana Paula Connelly)