Goncalves ready to lead volleyball at nationals

Fernanda Goncalves as always had the dream of playing volleyball in the United States, but it took a few years after high school to achieve that dream.

Goncalves graduated from high school in Brazil in 2008 and was just playing club volleyball with hopes of getting the opportunity to play collegiate in the states. That is when Western Nebraska Community College volleyball coach Giovana Melo came calling and Goncalves was ready to make the 5,700 mile trip to Scottsbluff.

“I wanted to come here since I graduated in high school and then coach Gi watched a video and contacted me,” the freshman setter said. “It’s great for me to have Gi as a coach because she was a setter. She is a great example and I’m learning a lot with her.”

Goncalves has come a long ways in her four months in the States from hardly speaking English and volleyball. During that early learning time, Goncalves blossomed into being named Region IX’s Freshman and Setter of the Year. She also can speak relatively good English.

On top of all that, Goncalves is leading the Cougars into the NJCAA national tournament which begins next Thursday in West Plains, Mo.

Goncalves still can’t believe what kind of season she is having, and when she was named the Freshmen and Setter of the year, she was flabercasted.

“I felt really happy and it was an unexpected award,” she said. “The volleyball season is going great because we just won regionals and we are now going to nationals.”

Goncalves and the rest of the team will open the national tournament on Thursday when they face Wallace State-Hanceville at 2 p.m. Goncalves said the team is practicing hard to represent the college well with hopes of bringing home a national title.

“I feel that we can win nationals because I feel in practice how the girls want this,” she said. “The beginning of the season we had problems to get along in the court, but now we are like a family.”

Goncalves is averaging 10 set assists a game and ranks second in Region IX. But her success in volleyball should come as a surprise to anyone. Goncalves has been playing volleyball for seven years, and was named Region IX all-region along with her teammates Debora Araujo, Tania Torres and Ariel Austin.

Her goal is to continue playing volleyball as long as she can, including playing professionally someplace besides Brazil.

“I want to go pro, but I don’t want to play in Brazil again,” she said. “I want to play professionally in somewhere else. But this is just after I graduate.”

Goncalves, the youngest of three sisters, is the only sibling that has turned to sports. Her older sisters are pursuing degrees in Brazil. She said she owes a lot to her parents.

“I miss my family a lot,” she said. “Everything that I have is because my parents always stay with me and if I won something, I want to dedicate it to them.”

Goncalves has also learned a lot about volleyball from Coach Gi, who was in the same shoes Goncalves was in when she attended WNCC about eight years ago.

“It is great for me to have coach,” she said, “especially because she was a setter. She is a great example and I’m learning a lot with her.”

The biggest adjustment for her though was learning English as well as volleyball. She said that volleyball in the states is more intense since the season is within a four-month time frame.

“I thought I would never get used to this town especially because when I came I didn’t know English,” she said. “The hardest part when I came here was the fact that I have to communicate in English because when I came here, I didn’t know any English and now I can understand people. But, I still have to learn more.”

The other thing that Goncalves is getting used to is snow. In fact, when she woke up Thursday morning and saw snow, she couldn’t wait to go out in the white stuff.

“This is the first time I have seen snow,” she said. “When I woke up, I was so excited.”

What will excite Goncalves even more is capturing a national title and seeing her father in the stands watching her accomplish it.

“In Brazil, my dad went to all my games,” she said. “I would love to have him come over here to watch me.”