I completely whiffed the first ball.
We were late in the game against Kansas City, fighting for a spot in the Summit League Tournament, and I remember the cross coming from my right. I tried to play it and practically did a 360. The ball went all the way to the other side.
Then another cross came back in.
My thought was simple: just go. Sprint into the box.
The ball was perfect. I redirected it into the net with enough momentum that I fell over and practically tumbled into the goal. When I got up and turned around, my teammates were running toward me. Everybody was celebrating.
That is probably what I remember most.
I had come to Omaha as a freshman expecting an adjustment, but I didn’t realize how quickly everything would happen. Within months, I was playing significant minutes and helping our young team reach the postseason. Now, as a sophomore, I’m one of our captains.
There is some symmetry to doing all of that here. My mom played on Omaha’s first women’s soccer team. My dad wrestled here. I grew up in Omaha.
But this has never felt like I’m simply repeating their story.
I’m building my own.
Choosing Home for Myself
Omaha Athletics was always part of my life, but probably not in the way people might assume.
My parents don’t talk about their college careers very often. My mom, Jessica, scored the first goal in Omaha women’s soccer history, and my dad, Mack, was a four-time All-American wrestler here, but those weren’t stories they constantly brought up.
Usually, I was the one asking questions.
When recruiting started, they never pushed Omaha on me either.
Omaha was my first college visit, and I was pretty confident afterward that this would be my place. I still took a few other visits because I wanted to see what was out there, but nothing changed that feeling.
Coach Tim Walters was a big part of it. He had been one of my assistant coaches in club soccer, so there was already trust and comfort there.
Being close to home was important, too. I wasn’t choosing Omaha simply because my parents had competed here. I was choosing a place where people I truly care about could be part of the experience.
My parents could see that. When I committed, they were happy because I had found the right place for me.
Learning to Adapt
I started soccer when I was probably 4 years old at the YMCA, with my mom coaching me. I played just about everything growing up before basketball and soccer became my main sports.
Soccer eventually separated itself. I was better at it, which made it fun, but I also loved the culture around my teams. At Gretna Elite, I had the same coach, John Brzezinski, for years. My teammates and our families grew close through all the practices and travel.
High school felt similar. Our teams were close, and winning came from enjoying playing together rather than making every moment stressful.
And we won a lot. Eighty-three wins to just one loss. Four state championships.
But college challenged that comfort almost immediately.
After my first couple practices at Omaha, I called my mom and basically said, “Whoa, this is different.” I was frustrated because I expected myself to pick things up faster.
Eventually, I realized there were two choices: You adapt and give yourself a chance to succeed, or you don’t.
That lesson carried through my freshman year. Even the Kansas City goal started with me completely missing a ball. I couldn’t stay stuck on that mistake. I had to get back into the play.
That’s still how I try to approach things now: next play.
Finding My Voice
Being named a captain as a sophomore means I’m still learning how to lead while I’m learning plenty myself.
The loud part probably comes from my mom. We’re very similar. I’m naturally vocal, and on the field I feel comfortable communicating. I’ve learned that if you’re going to say something, you have to be confident enough that people trust what you’re telling them.
That doesn’t mean I’m always right. If I’m wrong, somebody can correct me. That’s part of being on a team.
For me, communication is about helping the people around me get into the right spots, which usually helps me do my job better, too.
Leadership has also been a learning curve because being vocal isn’t enough. We have multiple captains, and I think we balance each other well. We understand what each person brings without trying to overstep one another.
That’s the kind of teammate I want to become known as.
When my time at Omaha is finished, I hope people remember that I worked hard, stayed positive and made a difference on and off the field. Soccer matters to me, but it isn’t everything.
I want people to be able to say I was a good person who impacted the program the right way.
The People in the Stands
Playing at home makes that journey even more meaningful because my support system is actually here to experience it.
I love both sets of grandparents, but my GG and J-Pa almost never miss a game. I can look into the stands and know they’re there. Afterward, J-Pa sends me a long text. It’s always positive, and he usually ends it the same way: “Thank you for the memories.”
That sticks with me.
I tend to think about what their support gives me, but those texts remind me that playing also gives something back to the people who have invested so much in me.
Soon that connection will become even stronger. I’m the oldest of three girls, and my sister Taylor has committed to Omaha. We played high school basketball and soccer together when I was a senior and she was a freshman, and hopefully we’ll get two college seasons together, too. Our youngest sister, Hadley, is still coming up behind us.
Away from soccer, I’m studying kinesiology, minoring in psychology and hoping to pursue physical therapy next. I want to help people in a way where I can actually see the difference I’m making.
Maybe that’s connected to what I value here, too.
I want to make a difference people can feel.
And when something doesn’t go my way, I want to keep fighting for the outcome I believe in.
Next play. Keep going.