Andrea Nucete-Elliott Is A Woman In Constant Motion

When Andrea Nucete-Elliott hears the word challenge, she balks. She balks because she is the consummate problem solver, and if she sees something as a challenge, it might slow her down. Slowing down is something she has no intention of doing.

Whether it’s on the beach volleyball court or in the stands rooting for her husband–Jerritt Elliott, the head coach of the University of Texas women’s volleyball team–or taking the reins of TIY, the hair-tie company she co-founded, Nucete-Elliott is a woman in constant motion.

Behind The Woman

Born in Venezuela and raised there and in Italy, Nucete-Elliott says she was determined to succeed and was always competitive both in athletics and academics. She credits her competitive edge to having to overcome adversity and being forced to become self-reliant at a young age.

“I was young when we moved unexpectedly to Italy with my grandparents,” Nucete-Elliott said. “Sadly, my mother was abusive and mentally ill, so I grew up on the defensive. I was angry, and I wanted an escape, so I turned that energy into wanting to be ‘seen’ for my accomplishments, academic and athletic.

“I started as a tennis player in Venezuela, and when I got to Italy, that was taken from me. I knew nothing about volleyball, but I was tall and a coach noticed me. He encouraged me to give it a try. At first, I wasn’t very good. I had hand-eye coordination and footwork from tennis, but not the skill set for volleyball. I would practice for six to seven hours a day after school, get home as late as I could, then get up and do it all again the next day. Looking back, I would say that the choices I made and the decision to play volleyball kept me out of trouble and saved my life.”

Shagging balls for hours paid off and Nucete-Elliott signed her first professional volleyball contract at the age of 16. She played professionally and moved up in the rankings at the same time, juggling a modeling career and academics–her long-term plan was to become a neurosurgeon. Without intending to move to the United States, she arrived in Houston and reconnected with her father and his family and decided to pursue the goal of becoming a neurosurgeon. At the time in the U.S., there were no professional volleyball leagues, so Nucete-Elliott considered trying out for college athletics. At 22, though, she was told that she was too old.

Creating A Future In Volleyball

Then she connected with Jerritt Elliott, who coached the Longhorns to a national championship in 2012–the year before she arrived. Conversation and emails eventually led to Nucete-Elliott visiting during SXSW and eventually moving to Austin. She attended The University of Texas, where she left neurosurgery behind and received her degree in liberal arts.

In 2018, Jerritt and Andrea were married, and her connection to volleyball expanded as she took on the role of supportive fan to her husband and mentor to the team.

“I don’t see myself as a team mom. I’m more of a ‘cool auntie,'” she said. “I’ve been there and I know the pressure they are under to perform. I’m totally involved as needed and supportive. I am part of the recruitment process, so I’m there with Jerritt to meet the parents and the girls and go out to dinner with the family. We don’t have children of our own, so I try to be there in whatever way they choose and whatever way they need me. We have an open-door policy. I am a resource for Jerritt and for them. Some of the girls are not from the US, so I can relate to what they are experiencing. Some of the girls get homesick, so we try to be their family away from home. They are always welcome and I can cook a meal for them. I am available to them and try to make it easy to choose the kind of relationship they want to have with me.”

With Jerritt Elliott’s encouragement, Andrea pivoted to beach volleyball and found that she enjoyed it even more than indoor volleyball. The pivot required learning a new skill set and adjusting her style of play but true to her determined forward motion, she continues to train six days a week and is currently an elite beach volleyball player playing in both national and world beach volleyball leagues.

In addition to volleyball, another constant in Nucete-Elliott’s life has been modeling and fashion. She was a finalist in the 2012 Miss Universe Italy pageant and has modeled throughout the world. The intersection of volleyball and fashion led down an entrepreneurial path that Nucete-Elliott is embracing as the CEO of TIY, a company that manufactures the “first customizable hair ties” for active women.

Building A New Business

Like many other innovative products, TIY was born of necessity and the need to solve a specific problem. While he was coaching, Elliott became increasingly frustrated with his players having to adjust or even replace the ties on their ponytails during practice and games. He realized that it was a huge distraction and a problem. In addition to taking focus away from the game, the players complained that the ties were cheap, one-size-fits-all, broke, and damaged their hair. He felt like there had to be a better way and began to research by buying every elastic hair tie he could find and putting them to the test, which they all failed. Elliott set out to create a hair tie that would be soft, durable, and strong as well as customizable for each type of hair, from thick to thin. Enter Andrea while the ties were in the development and sampling stages to bring them to the finish line with a little fashion forward flare.

TIY, which stands for Tie-It-Yourself, aims to be a game-changer for athletes and active women who want to “be in motion” while looking their best. TIY is a true premium hair tie that is stronger, stretchier and will accommodate all hair types without damaging your hair, Nucete-Elliott says. It comes in a variety of colors and can be coordinated as a truly fashionable accessory. Not only is TIY about serving a utilitarian purpose, Nucete-Elliott said, but she believes that it can become a tool for empowerment.

“If you look good, you feel good about yourself,” she said. “As the owner of TIY, I want every woman who wears my product to feel that they can truly be themselves, whether they are struggling to find who they are, or they are taking on conquering the world. It’s more than a hair tie, it’s a constant reminder that you are committed to yourself.”

What’s Ahead For Andrea Nucete-Elliott

Entrepreneurship and taking on the role of CEO since 2020 has been a challenge for Nucete-Elliott, but it’s a career she’s increasingly enjoying. Acknowledging that she has no experience in the role and that making the company profitable has required a learning curve, Nucete-Elliott is looking forward to expanding and getting the word out about TIY. The company is run by women for women and has a female staff. Nucete-Elliott believes that it is important to create a fun and joyful work environment and not lose sight of the connection between the product and empowerment.

“I’m proud of what we have created,” she said. “TIY is a performance product, but it’s more than that. It’s customizable, and that makes it special to the people who wear it. I want us to connect with the individuals – the people who love our products. That’s the thing. When they love it and what it does for them, they will naturally tell their friends and sell it for us. It started with an idea of how to solve a problem for athletes but now we are expanding to everyone that is a person in motion.”

As the face of and (ideal) spokesperson for TIY, Andrea Nucete-Elliott says she’s truly herself. She’s a multi-faceted woman in constant motion and moving ahead with confidence and determination to succeed.