CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Head coach Chris Tamas announced on Monday the signing of San José State transfer Talita Gonçalves for the 2026 season. Gonçalves, a 5-foot-7 libero/defensive specialist from Brazil, will join Illinois with three years of eligibility remaining.
"Tali has an exceptional feel for the game," Tamas said. "She is a smooth passer and makes great reads on defense. She will be a great addition to our backcourt play, and fans will see her passion for the game from day one. We are excited to welcome Tali to the Fighting Illini famILLy!"
"Illinois has always been a childhood dream to me," Gonçalves said. "As soon as I got the chance to actually see the campus and met all these incredible people, I knew this was where I was meant to be."
Gonçalves competed in all 29 matches for San José State in 2025, averaging 3.4 digs and 0.2 aces across her 106 sets played. She logged 19 outings with double-digit digs, including six matches with at least 20.
A native of Brazil, Gonçalves was named the best libero of the nationals in 2023 and 2024 at the U18 and U19 levels. Competing for Fluminense and Flamengo at the club level, she was selected for her state team in 2022 and 2023 and was called up to the youth national team practice camps in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Gonçalves brings a wealth of winning experience prior to competing collegiately, claiming state and national championships in Brazil across the U14-21 levels.
