Luiza Imbuzeiro Andrade—a decorated libero globally—boasts a lengthy resume as a player and young coach in the world of collegiate volleyball. In her second year at Texas Woman's University, Andrade adds a wealth of knowledge and experience to a solid Pioneer program.
Andrade grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where her love for volleyball propelled her to success at a young age. In 2011, she competed with the Brazilian Youth National Team, when the team placed first in the South American Championship. After winning the tournament, Andrade was named the Best Libero of the South American Championship. She also played club volleyball for Flamengo, who won the Copa Minas International Volleyball Tournament in 2012 and 2013. While playing in international tournaments, she earned many accolades. Andrade earned the title of Best Libero of the South American Champions Tournament and the Best Libero in the nation at Taca Parana. Additionally, she was named the best defender in the nation at the Copa Minas International Volleyball Tournament.
After experiencing national success, Andrade caught the attention of college coaches in the United States, which prompted her to move to San Jose, California in 2015 to play collegiate volleyball and pursue a degree at San Jose State University. Andrade attended San Jose State from 2015 to 2019.
During her four years as a Spartan, Andrade made her mark on the volleyball program, while playing indoor volleyball and beach volleyball.
For indoor volleyball, Andrade finished her career ranked second all-time in digs with 1,653 and is currently tied for ninth in all-time service aces with 122. She became the eighth player in school history to record 1,000 career digs, which she hit in a match against Colorado State on October 12, 2017. She also closed her career in eighth place on the Mountain West Conference career digs list and in the Top 10 on the conference career service aces list. She was a six-time Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week and named to the All-Mountain West team in 2018.
During her sophomore season at San Jose State, Andrade played as a member of the 2016 Mountain West All-Star Team, who played in the 2016 European Global Challenge in Croatia, where they placed third.
Transitioning outdoors to the sand volleyball court, Andrade played in every match during her four years. She helped lead the team to upset wins over top 20 ranked teams in Stanford, Tulane, and Grand Canyon. In 2019, during her senior year, she played a significant role in leading the Spartans to their most wins in a season in school history.
Andrade graduated Cum Laude in 2019 with her Bachelor Degree in Communication Studies with a minor in Business. For her academic achievements, Andrade was a three-time Academic All-Mountain West Honoree and a three-time Mountain West Scholar Athlete.
After graduating, Andrade transitioned to Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, where she worked as a Graduate Assistant for the beach volleyball program. As a GA, she helped start the beach volleyball program at Stephen F. Austin, leading the team to a .583 finish in their inaugural season.
Andrade graduated with her Master of Interdisciplinary Studies in Mass Communication, Student Affairs and Public Administration in the Spring of 2021. She started at TWU as the Assistant Volleyball Coach in Fall 2021.
In her first year at TWU, Andrade was named a 2021 AVCA Diversity Award recipient.
