VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WTKR)- First Colonial and Floyd Kellam each fell just one win shy of state titles a year ago. This season, they're looking to finish the job and relying on their respective twin stars to provide a boost.
You've probably heard the saying "good things come in pairs." That's evident at First Colonial with junior midfielders Sydney and Skylar Miller. They've been on the same soccer team for as long as they can remember and now they pace the Patriots.
"It's been awesome," Sydney said of playing with her sister. "I always have somebody by my side the entire time."
"It mean's a lot to me always having someone, never having to go to tryouts or training alone and always knowing that you're going to know someone at practice," Skylar added.
Across town at Kellam, the Knights have their own dynamic duo in juniors Alyssa and Ava Chuderewicz. They mark another tandem of lifelong teammates and twins who call Virginia Beach home.
"I think it has grown me a lot as a player and it's helped me a lot," Ava noted. "She's my main competition and we're always competing, like who's going to be better than each other."
"I've always just had Ava and we've always just had that bond together," added Alyssa. "I think we have that special connection on the field."
Both sets of sisters feel that connection on the pitch. It's just a little bit different than what they have with other teammates and can prove to be a valuable weapon during a match.
"We always know where we're going to be," Skylar said. "Without even talking, we just know where to run or run off of each other."
"We come up with plays on our own, little things that trick people out," smiled Alyssa. "We like switching positions because it confuses people on the field."
Many siblings share a common love and soccer is that passion for each of these duos. It brings them together and is a constant topic of conversation long after practice and games come to an end.
"Me and Alyssa will go into each other's rooms at night and talk for hours about soccer," laughed Ava. "Car rides, we're always talking about soccer."
"It's definitely a big part of our life," Skylar said. "We're constantly talking about soccer, watching videos, watching film, talking about other soccer players and constantly looking for ways to get better."
The road to getting better, at least for their teams, runs through each other. First Colonial and Kellam are often among the top squads in Hampton Roads, with 2023 shaping up to be no different. It's unique to see another set of twins across the field, but these players have fun with it.
"Obviously the Miller twins are very talented," said Alyssa. "It's just a little competition, a little rivalry, like who can be the better twins?"
"They're pretty fierce competitors, super physical and it's always fun playing them," Sydney added. "It's kind of like an unspoken rivalry and there's always tension."
As for the future, all four players are juniors, meaning they'll battle for Hampton Roads supremacy once again in 2024. After their high school days are done, the Millers will take their talents to the SEC, while Ava and Alyssa are still going through the recruiting process.
"We're going to play at Tennessee together, so we'll do that and then hopefully we'll go pro in the future," Sydney said of her and her Skylar's plans.
"I don't think I could see me being apart from her for so long," Alyssa said of the possibility of attending the same college as Ava. "I can't really see myself playing soccer without her by my side."
No matter what the future holds, each player is thankful for the journey that's gotten them here, along with the sisters by their sides.
"Me and Ava are definitely best friends," Alyssa said. "She's my sister and my best friend. We can yell at each other, we can hype each other up, we definitely motivate each other to become the best."
"It's been great," Skylar said. "We're not only sisters, we're also best friends, so it's really fun to see and I'm excited for where we're going to be."
The Millers and Cuderewiczes will face off on the pitch next Thursday, April 6.
