Natalia looking ahead to semifinals

Brazil women’s national team head coach Jose ‘Ze Roberto’ Guimaraes has another option to work with ahead of the 2021 FIVB Volleyball Nations League semifinals as star outside hitter and team captain Natalia Pereira is finally available for selection in the tournament.

A London 2012 Olympic champion, the 32-year-old Natalia broke a finger on her left hand during Brazil’s preparation for the VNL and missed all of the team’s first 13 matches at the Italian Adriatic Resort of Rimini.

She finally appeared in the tournament in Brazil’s 3-0 win against the Netherlands as she played in the final minutes in each of the three sets and scored two points.

“This was a really important match for me,” she said after the game. “Not being able to play and help my teammates is the worst thing in the world for an athlete. I couldn’t wait to play and it was a good first step.”

Natalia’s injury required surgery and she spent several weeks after it training with limitations. She wasn’t cleared to block until last week, but questions concerning her fitness were answered when she secured Brazil’s last point against the Dutch in a block.

“I have no more pain at all,” she explained. “It was fun because in my first play at the net, a Dutch player hit off my block and all my teammates came to me asking if I was fine and how I was feeling. I’m better every day and now all it takes is to get into a better rhythm. I hope I can play more before the end of the VNL.”

Brazil are already guaranteed a place in the Final Round of the VNL alongside the United States, Japan and Turkey. The South Americans won silver in the 2019 edition after falling to the Americans in the gold medal match.