MILWAUKEE — With four games remaining in the regular season, Marquette volleyball is tied with Creighton atop the Big East standings, with a freshman from Brazil helping lead the Golden Eagles.
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Luanna traveled thousands of miles to make Milwaukee her new home, arriving with little familiarity with Wisconsin.
“Did you know of Wisconsin before?” she was asked.
“No, nothing,” Luanna said.
Marquette was the first and only school Luanna visited from Brazil. Despite Milwaukee's snowy weather, she quickly decided it was where she wanted to be.
“I talked to my mom like, 'OK, I think I want to do that and change my life,'” Luanna said.
The adjustment has included embracing a new culture, getting used to Wisconsin winters and becoming more comfortable communicating with her teammates.
“Yeah, no, mhm, OK, I (used to) just say like that,” Luanna said. “Now I feel comfortable like to talk and explain what I feel and talk a lot and I know if I say something wrong they help me too.”
On the court, Luanna is first in the Big East in assists per set with 9.83, an accomplishment she has reached as a freshman.
“I always think like, 'OK, I want to be perfect. I wanna be the best setter,' but now I understand like you don't need to be perfect,” Luanna said. “You just like need to be good to the team."
While Luanna misses her family in Brazil, she said her mother remains a major part of everything she has accomplished.
“All I have now is just because my mom helped me, so I think if you see the Luanna on the court, probably there's my mom too,” Luanna said.
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