Thursday, October 22, 1998

Brazilian star Lima,
Wahine speaking the
same language

The freshman has fit in
nicely with the Hawaii
volleyball team

By Cindy Luis
Star-Bulletin

She likes playing with architectural designs.

She likes playing with the English language.

Mostly, though, Veronica Lima likes playing volleyball. And her play is best described by what the Hawaii bench yells after a successful Wahine block.

"Que beliza!"

That's Portuguese -- Lima's native tongue -- for "That's beautiful!"

That it is.

The 6-foot-2 freshman from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, is a walking Berlitz course. Not only is the 21-year-old freshman teaching her teammates a foreign language, but she's giving them a lesson in international volleyball.

"She has more experience than anyone on the court," roommate and fellow middle hitter Heather Bown said. "She does every skill so well. I love being on the court with her. She's doing a great job.

"We hear the Portuguese, especially when she does something wrong. She's made it fun for us."

Lima's overall numbers aren't particularly impressive, although she has had impressive matches. She had a career-high 19 kills, hitting .394, in UH's victory over Pacific last month, and she had 12 blocks in a five-set victory at San Diego State last Saturday.

The player nicknamed "V" by her teammates has been hampered by two herniated discs in her back. She is not the same player she was in spring ball.

"She was so dynamic," Wahine assistant Charlie Wade said, referring to her performance in the spring. "She was jumping higher, moving faster. I know it's frustrating for her because she can't play at the top of her game, not putting up the kind of numbers she'd like to.

"But she does a lot of stuff out there that don't show up statistically. She doesn't always hit for a high percentage, but by the end of the night, she's had a very positive influence on the match. We're very pleased with her contributions."

Lima first contacted Wade by e-mail in the summer of 1997. She was hoping to come to America to study architecture and play high-level volleyball.

The former Brazilian national team player narrowed her choices to Penn State, Southern Cal and Hawaii. The islands got the nod because of the interest shown by Wade and an endorsement by Juliana Lima (no relation), the setter for Brigham Young-Hawaii.

"I called Juliana and she said, 'Come, come, you'll love it here,'" Lima said. "The weather here is warm like Brazil. I did not know anything about the fans, but it is so nice to play in the arena. It is my favorite building."

As much as she enjoys Hawaii and playing for the ninth-ranked team in the country, there's no guarantee Lima will return next year. She will return to Brazil for Christmas to consider her options.

One of the biggest incentives to return is getting her architecture degree. She was recently informed that Brazilian policy had changed and that a degree from an American university would be recognized at home.

"Whether I stay four years is a hard question," Lima said. "If I go home, I won't be able to play volleyball, only go to school. They only have pro teams in Brazil and you are not able to study and play. That's why I wanted to come to the U.S. Here I can do both.

"I don't want people to think that if I don't come back it is because I don't like the team or don't like Hawaii. Some of it is because of my back and I get very frustrated not being able to play well because of my back."

Lima said she's learning to relax more on the court -- being tense can tighten her back. Fans have been treated to her impromptu samba-style warm-ups that help keep her loose.

"I want to play hard and I get frustrated when I can't," she said. "But I am relaxing more. I'm learning that sometimes you have to use your brain and not just keep hitting your head against the wall to make the hole. You realize you have to use a hammer."

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