Thursday, November 18, 1999
Lima has been
mature influence
on young Wahine
The 22-year-old sophomore
Wahine Playbook
from Brazil hopes to take the Hawaii
volleyball team to the big danceBy Cindy Luis
Star-BulletinMambo No. 5.
"A little bit of Monica,'' is the way Lou Bega sings it.
"A little bit of Veronica,'' is the version used by the No. 3 Hawaii women's volleyball team during warmups at the Stan Sheriff Center.
The popular song is part of the Wahine's pregame ritual. And mambo-ing right along to the music is sophomore blocker Vero-nica Lima, a key ingredient in Hawaii's national title hopes.
"I like to dance before the game,'' said Lima, a native of Brazil. "It helps me get excited about playing."
Mambo No. 5 has special significance for Hawaii, as it attempts to win the WAC title outright against Rice tonight at the Sheriff Center. The Wahine (23-1) are hoping they'll be dancing on Dec. 18 after winning national championship No. 5.
Despite being homesick and having major back problems, the 6-foot-2 Lima returned for her second year in hopes of doing just that. She lost 15 pounds during the off-season, which helped take some pressure off her two herniated discs.
Coach Dave Shoji had anticipated a need to rest Lima more because of her back problems. But it was a stomach virus that kept Lima out of the starting lineup for several matches, including the loss to Stanford.
"I hate the bench,'' said Lima, who was dehydrated and on an IV minutes before gametime. "I've played sick before but I couldn't do it. At least I tried (playing sparingly in Games 2 and 3)."
"Without her out there, it was unnerving,'' said Wahine freshman setter Jennifer Carey. "We had never really practiced without Veronica. She is such a calming influence. Nothing fazes her. As one of the oldest (22) players, she has a lot of experience and brings a lot of knowledge to the court."
Lima's contribution to the pregame warmup music is Marc Anthony's "I Need to Know.'' It could have been her theme song when looking for an American university that offered architecture as well as top-notch volleyball.
She checked out the Top 25 poll, narrowing her choices to warm-weather schools. Lima's search turned up Florida, several schools in California and Hawaii.
The encouragement to come to UH was bilingual. Wahine assistant coach Charlie Wade asked for a tape, her friend Juliana Lima (no relation), Brigham Young-Hawaii's setter who is also from Brazil, told her she'd love the islands.
"I made the right choice to come here,'' Veronica Lima said. "If I had chosen USC, I'd be back home in Brazil by now.
"Playing here is so great. My mom visited last year and she loved it. Everyone asks when she's coming back. That's part of how volleyball is different here. The fans come to love you as a person.
"I love the crowd, I love the arena. I went to BYUH to watch them play. This little boy came up with this look in his eyes. He said I was his favorite player. It makes you feel good that you can be a role model and influence people in a good way."
Wahine Playbook
VS. RICE OWLS
Tonight: Rice (11-20, 2-9) at No. 3 Hawaii (23-1, 12-0), 7 p.m., Stan Sheriff Center.
By Cindy Luis, Star-Bulletin
http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu
