Pereira puts spark into Jakarta Electric

Pereira puts spark into Jakarta Electric

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

It could have been a listless Aline "Lily" Pereira who took
the court for the opening of the 2005 Proliga Volleyball
championship.

The Brazilian, who arrived here only a few days before the
tournament began last Friday, instead provided a much-needed
boost to defending champion Jakarta Electric PLN.

Although her team lost 2-3 in its first outing against Jakarta
Monas Bank DKI, Pereira was singularly impressive in her debut.

The team returned to beat Gresik Phonska Bank Jatim, with
Pereira once again playing a starring role.

She proved a great asset to her team, an all-rounder whose
powerful spikes and jumped serve helped win many points, while
her blocks and digs were invaluable on defense.

Pereira, who turns 24 on May 5, also became a crowd favorite.
She gave her all on every point; pulled out of position, she
would use every bit of her 1.78 m frame in a desperate lunge to
keep the ball in play.

Every winner was greeted with a joyous shriek, meant to spur
on her teammates, most of them young rookies who were not part of
2004's winning side.

"My strength is my serve and my spike, I am confident of
those. But I know that I must improve my block," she said after
the match against Gresik.

Overnight, she became a force to be reckoned with by other
teams.

"Pereira is a good player, she has powerful spikes," coach
Yopie H of rival team Jakarta Monas Bank DKI said.

"If she could get one good teammate, Jakarta Electric PLN
would be a stronger team, and they could beat us."

Although other foreigners have been recruited to strengthen
local teams, including from China, Belarus and the United States,
Jakarta Electric PLN manager Hendra Saleh said Pereira was the
standout in helping her team.

"That's what we saw in the first series of Proliga in
Jakarta," he said.

Pereira, the oldest of four siblings from Sao Paulo, was
introduced to the sport by her aunt when she was eight.

"My aunt used to play in a club next to my home and she took
me to play volleyball with her," she said.

"Since then, I could not stop playing volleyball and I decided
that volleyball is my life."

Her skills led her to George Mason University in Fairfax,
Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. She had an outstanding
collegiate career which included being named the Colonial
Athletic Association player of the year for three consecutive
years, only the second player in league history to receive the
honor.

"When I entered George Mason University in 2000, that was my
greatest moment. It's always great for a Brazilian to study in
the U.S."

In the second half of 2004, she played for a club in
Switzerland, before her friends told her that she should try
Indonesia.

"My friend told me that volleyball competition in Indonesia is
well managed and the quality of the players is quite good, so I
decide to come to Indonesia."

She is quickly adapting to the culture, and already knows a
smattering of Indonesian.

"My teammates helped me to know the culture here," said
Pereira, who, as well as her native Portuguese, also speaks
English and French.

Bandung fans will get to see her skills for themselves when
Proliga moves to the West Java capital from Friday until Sunday.