With volleyball in her veins, 18-year-old Ines Campos is preparing for her first EuroVolley

At just 18 years of age, Ines Sol Campos made her debut for Portugal’s senior national team during the 2026 CEV Volleyball European League. Carrying on a family legacy started years ago by her mother Daniela Sol, a former Portuguese international, the talented young hopeful is now ready to take on her first senior European Championship challenge, as she has been selected among coach Hugo Silva’s 14 athletes to travel to Baku next week and represent the country at CEV Trendyol EuroVolley 2026.

Ines Campos’s debut with the national team at 18 arrived sooner than she expected, bringing with it a wave of emotions.

“During my first time on the court, I remember feeling a mix of nervousness, anxiety and deep emotion. I was so happy to be living that moment, especially because I didn't expect to reach the senior team so early,” the outside hitter confessed.

Up in the stands, experiencing the game from a completely new perspective, was her mother – 49-year-old Daniela Sol, who was still a competitive athlete until some three years ago. She admitted to the anxiety of the moment: “During Ines's debut, I felt much more nervous than when I used to play. I was sitting in the stands, unable to do anything except support her – a mix of pride and anxiety."

Although they don't bring lucky charms to the court, the family ritual is always kept when the final whistle blows. Win or lose, Ines receives a bar of chocolate from her mother.

“It's a post-game tradition. It has been passed down through generations, and of course, for my debut match, the post-game chocolate bar couldn't be missing,” said Ines.

Before the first whistle, Dani's message is simple: “What I always tell Ines is to have fun and enjoy the game."

For Ines, growing up in a household where volleyball was always front and center – given that her father also played at the highest level – meant having her greatest role model under her own roof.

“My mother is without a doubt my biggest inspiration. At the same time, it brings a bit of extra pressure, because I always want to live up to the player that she was,” the 1.78m-tall athlete admits.

Analyzing her daughter from the perspective of an insider, Dani highlights the differences between them.

“Ines has different physical traits from mine, but in terms of character and attitude towards the sport, we are very similar. She is taller, stronger, and in my opinion, understands volleyball better than I did at her age. I had more defensive qualities, like receiving and defending, whereas Ines is more balanced across all aspects of the game.”

Outside the court, the passion for the sport never stops.

“When we watch matches together at home, we are always commenting. Of course, my mother understands more than I do and has a different perspective of having played at the highest level, but even though we don't always agree on everything, we love watching matches together,” Ines reveals.

Dani agrees on the atmosphere at home: “We talk as two players, and of course, we don't always see eye to eye because we view volleyball differently, based on our experiences. But deep down, we love learning from each other.”

With her sights set on the future and the final stage of EuroVolley, Ines clearly outlines her goals.

“My main goal is to keep getting called up to the senior national team and continue developing as a player,” she said. “I would love to help Portugal feature in more European Championships and contribute to raising the team's overall level.”

To achieve this, she relies on her mother's wisdom, who offers her words of advice: “It's essential to stay humble, listen, and let things flow naturally. To play volleyball, you need patience, resilience, dedication, hard work, passion and enthusiasm.”

For the Sol Campos family, having two generations wear Portugal's senior jersey confirms that talent and love for the sport truly run in the blood.

“Representing the senior national team is an honor and a privilege that will forever be part of our story,” the mother and the daughter concluded, united by the same crest on their chests.

Portugal are set to make their second appearance at a European Championship, after their historic debut in 2019. The team, currently number 47 in the FIVB World Ranking and number 28 in the CEV European Ranking, will travel to Baku after playing two friendly matches against Montenegro and another two against Greece. At the start of EuroVolley 2026, they will compete in Pool C against hosts Azerbaijan, Belgium, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain.