Have to use reverse lifter to go in 2nd

[Macgyver]

Yes, I had this happen when I removed the transmission and replaced the clutch/flywheel. The shifter cable isn't aligned. The Aveo uses a cheap 1 cable setup for lateral and longitudinal shifter movement when there should really be one cable for each.

Anyways - you need to loosen the shifter cable clamp underneath the car (it's near the firewall towards the center), remove the shifter boot inside the car, and essentially zip tie the shifter in the middle neutral position. Then go underneath the car and re-tighten the cable clamp. Afterward, make sure the trans goes into each gear perfectly before putting the boot back on inside the car. After the 4th or 5th time, I got it aligned. This will take a few hours and is a complete pain.