RE Girls’ Varsity Soccer has had quite the run in the last couple of years, from stacking regular-season wins to making the state championship for the first time. But behind that surge in success is a senior class that has played together for so long that they’re practically sisters.
Their connection shows up in almost every moment on the field together. They can anticipate each other’s movements without ever having to say a word.
For Olivia Geller ’26, that bond is the backbone of the group. “We’ve been playing together since freshman year, and some of us even longer through club, so we’ve built a bond I don’t think could ever be replaced,” she said. “We push each other, we hold each other accountable, and we always seem to know where the other one is going to be.” She added that fellow senior Stella Colombo is her best friend “on and off the field,” and that relationship shapes how naturally they play. “I always know where Stella’s going. It’s just instinct at this point.”
Stella Colombo ’26 sees it too, though she frames it a little differently. For her, the closeness of the team affects its energy. “Playing together for years gives you chemistry, but also makes you want to play for your friends,” she said. “I think our senior class pushed the younger girls to want to be better. The trust we’ve built shows on the field.”
Their bond became unbreakably deeper during last season’s run to States, when the moments off the field, like long bus rides, late-night hallway walks, and dinner runs, reminded them that their connection mattered as much as the games themselves.
Kenzie Connell ’26 said one of the defining parts of this year’s group is how honest they can be with each other. “We are hard on each other when we need to be, but we also know how to lift each other up. As seniors, it feels important to keep our heads up and show the younger girls what it looks like to lead the right way.”
One senior, Jojo James, will be continuing her soccer career, playing Division III at Amherst College next year. For her, the consistency of the group is what stands out most. “We’ve had different coaches, different lineups, different styles,” she said. “But our group has always stayed the same, and I think that’s grounded the team.” She said one of her favorite memories is the moment they secured a spot at States last year. “Looking back, I realized how much fun we were having. That’s what I want to take with me to college. I also want to remember that soccer is the sport I love, not just play, and I should remember to enjoy myself.”
What final senior Avery Almazan said was that she values most the feeling of being understood by the people around her. “We’ve been through so much together, and I think that’s what makes us close,” she said. “When I’m having a bad day or a tough practice, they just get it and that’s not something that you can create overnight.”
When I watched them at practice, their bond was blatantly obvious. They moved through drills with ease that can only come from years of practice, always bringing energy to whatever was happening on the field. The seniors were always the first ones in line, setting the pace, and their teammates followed them without hesitation. It looked like a group that truly enjoys being around each other, and in a season that will finish with this class’s last run together, that comfort and familiarity seem to be the thing holding everything steady.
