Freshman middle blocker Mariana Aquino knows that bumps and blocks are just part of the game of volleyball. Fortunately for her, Aquino has not seen many of them in the road since she left her native Brazil to play for UCLA.
Though many students may be intimidated by living independently, Aquino has had little difficulty living in Los Angeles, mainly because she has done her fair share of moving.
“I’ve been living alone since I was 16 years old, in one of my family’s friend’s house,” Aquino said. “It was difficult to play a good level of volleyball in my hometown, so I had to change cities to play at a higher level.”
Born in Curitiba, Brazil, Aquino grew up playing many sports, but ultimately focused on volleyball.
“I always thought that volleyball was more challenging,” Aquino said.
Aquino began playing at the age of 12 and was introduced to club volleyball by a family friend. Throughout the years, her level of growth has required a few address changes.
After spending a few years playing for clubs near Curitiba, Aquino moved north to Belo Horizonte, where she led the Minas Tenis club to a local Junior Team Championship. At 14, Aquino was selected for the 2006 National Brazilian Junior Team, and again in 2008.
With such precocious ability and achievement, Aquino said she wanted the next level to be in a suitable environment. Before deciding where to attend college, Aquino set out three requirements that needed to be met.
“The most important one was volleyball, for sure,” Aquino said.
With possible plans of playing professionally, Aquino preferred a successful program.
“I wanted to be in a really good system with good coaches and teammates, and UCLA has a history of winning national championships,” Aquino said.
Not putting her studies aside, Aquino wanted to attend a top academic university. A first-year business economics student, Aquino mentioned that the strength of UCLA academics was another strong reason for why she chose UCLA.
Aquino also said that the city of Los Angeles offers so much in terms of entertainment.
“(One of my dreams) is to have a music career here,” Aquino said. “It’s a great city for me to pursue my dreams.”
American music has had a tremendous influence on Aquino.
“I sung a lot when I was in Brazil, and I really appreciated the music here … I only listen to American songs.”
With UCLA as the backdrop for her new stage, Aquino’s personality helped her fit into the team immediately.
“The first day we got here, we were like, “˜Oh, we love this girl,'” said junior Katie Camp, a teammate and fellow middle blocker. “She’s so nice and really outgoing, and she’s not afraid to be herself.”
Aquino found that her openness was reciprocated.
“I did my first official visit here in January, and I just had a lot of fun with them,” Aquino said. “It was really nice because everything was new at the time. It’s still new. I’m still learning a lot of things from them.”
Aquino has had to learn the differences of Pac-10 play.
“I think the game in Brazil is very different,” Camp said. “I think in Brazil, blocking-wise, she just reads and does whatever she sees, but here she has to learn to adjust to what the coaches do (and) say.”
But the elements of the game that Aquino is familiar with are still there.
“I’ve always played in good teams. … Now, I think, there is more challenge,” Aquino said. “There’s another language, it’s played a little faster. It’s another way to see volleyball.”