Kevynne Aleman
Setter Luanna Emiliano sets up Middle Blocker Luisa Silva Dos Santo against Stephen F. Austin University last Thursday in the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
From humbling roots in Belo Horizonte, to planting her legacy in Edinburg with the Vaqueros, junior setter Luanna Emiliano is a dominant player on the court. She is in her third season with the UTRGV Volleyball team.
She started her volleyball journey when she was 10 years old in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Before coming to UTRGV, Emiliano played professional volleyball for two years in her hometown.
In 2021, she made the decision to transfer to UTRGV to focus on her academics and volleyball play.
During this season, Emiliano broke her record of 3,000 assists, 1,000 digs and was named Setter of the Week multiple times by the Western Athletic Conference. Emiliano talked about the fuel and motivation to earn those records.
“I don’t earn those things by myself and, of course, I tell myself to work hard every day to get those things,” she said. “My motivation is playing and doing good for my team.”
Head Coach Todd Lowery has the privilege of coaching Emiliano. Lowery talked about how he is able to put his trust in her on the court.
“You watch her play and obviously her physical gifts, like she doesn’t mishandle balls,” he said. “She can be falling down and still set balls to the outside, but I think the big thing that allows me to have a lot of trust in her is just how she sees the overall game and she plays the game to win.”
Emiliano shows a lot of chemistry with her teammates on and off the court.
Senior middle blocker Luisa Silva Dos Santos and Emiliano played club volleyball in their hometown when they were 12 years old.
Santos spoke about the confidence Emiliano gives her on the court.
“She’s different,” she said. “I feel really comfortable playing with her. I’m not scared. I know she always got my back. If I make a mistake or something, she tells me, of course. She’s always with me, she always makes me comfortable.”
The dominating junior continues to shine throughout her season. You can watch her in action at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 9 at the UTRGV Fieldhouse when the volleyball team takes on Tarleton State.
For more information, visit goutrgv.com
This is the one and only Kevynne Aleman for Vaquero Radio.
