Pereira puts spark into Jakarta Electric<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
It could have been a listless Aline \"Lily\" Pereira who took
\nthe court for the opening of the 2005 Proliga Volleyball
\nchampionship.<\/p>\n
The Brazilian, who arrived here only a few days before the
\ntournament began last Friday, instead provided a much-needed
\nboost to defending champion Jakarta Electric PLN.<\/p>\n
Although her team lost 2-3 in its first outing against Jakarta
\nMonas Bank DKI, Pereira was singularly impressive in her debut.<\/p>\n
The team returned to beat Gresik Phonska Bank Jatim, with
\nPereira once again playing a starring role.<\/p>\n
She proved a great asset to her team, an all-rounder whose
\npowerful spikes and jumped serve helped win many points, while
\nher blocks and digs were invaluable on defense.<\/p>\n
Pereira, who turns 24 on May 5, also became a crowd favorite.
\nShe gave her all on every point; pulled out of position, she
\nwould use every bit of her 1.78 m frame in a desperate lunge to
\nkeep the ball in play.<\/p>\n
Every winner was greeted with a joyous shriek, meant to spur
\non her teammates, most of them young rookies who were not part of
\n2004's winning side.<\/p>\n
\"My strength is my serve and my spike, I am confident of
\nthose. But I know that I must improve my block,\" she said after
\nthe match against Gresik.<\/p>\n
Overnight, she became a force to be reckoned with by other
\nteams.<\/p>\n
\"Pereira is a good player, she has powerful spikes,\" coach
\nYopie H of rival team Jakarta Monas Bank DKI said.<\/p>\n
\"If she could get one good teammate, Jakarta Electric PLN
\nwould be a stronger team, and they could beat us.\"<\/p>\n
Although other foreigners have been recruited to strengthen
\nlocal teams, including from China, Belarus and the United States,
\nJakarta Electric PLN manager Hendra Saleh said Pereira was the
\nstandout in helping her team.<\/p>\n
\"That's what we saw in the first series of Proliga in
\nJakarta,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Pereira, the oldest of four siblings from Sao Paulo, was
\nintroduced to the sport by her aunt when she was eight.<\/p>\n
\"My aunt used to play in a club next to my home and she took
\nme to play volleyball with her,\" she said.<\/p>\n
\"Since then, I could not stop playing volleyball and I decided
\nthat volleyball is my life.\"<\/p>\n
Her skills led her to George Mason University in Fairfax,
\nVirginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. She had an outstanding
\ncollegiate career which included being named the Colonial
\nAthletic Association player of the year for three consecutive
\nyears, only the second player in league history to receive the
\nhonor.<\/p>\n
\"When I entered George Mason University in 2000, that was my
\ngreatest moment. It's always great for a Brazilian to study in
\nthe U.S.\"<\/p>\n
In the second half of 2004, she played for a club in
\nSwitzerland, before her friends told her that she should try
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
\"My friend told me that volleyball competition in Indonesia is
\nwell managed and the quality of the players is quite good, so I
\ndecide to come to Indonesia.\"<\/p>\n
She is quickly adapting to the culture, and already knows a
\nsmattering of Indonesian.<\/p>\n
\"My teammates helped me to know the culture here,\" said
\nPereira, who, as well as her native Portuguese, also speaks
\nEnglish and French.<\/p>\n
Bandung fans will get to see her skills for themselves when
\nProliga moves to the West Java capital from Friday until Sunday.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pereira-puts-spark-into-jakarta-electric-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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