The North Shore fighter, who lines up in the under-70kg class on August 1, knows how important making a statement on the mat is, not only for herself but the sport in New Zealand.
"It's huge. It's only me, so there's quite a lot of pressure, but it's good, because we get the sport out there," de Villiers said.
"That's the main thing. Judo is really tiny in New Zealand and I'm hoping to get a good placing, because that helps our funding, as well."
De Villiers and her coach and partner, Jason Koster, have been training in Barcelona and in the south of the Netherlands over the past four weeks and that period has done the South African-born fighter considerable good, both in terms of her fighting and her state of mind.
"Moira had the chance to fight with nine of the girls she'll possibly be competing against on August 1," Koster said.
De Villiers - the fifth woman and 14th judoka to represent New Zealand at an Olympics - will discover her first round opponent five days in advance.
De Villiers qualified for the single Oceania Continental spot by winning the Commonwealth title in Cardiff this year.
She has an Olympic ranking of 18.
