It's an exciting time for the Belmont women's soccer program. The Bruins are 5-5-1 and riding a five-match unbeaten streak. The Bruins began MVC play with two shutout victories last week over Evansville and Illinois State and have put the conference on high alert. The Bruins are hungry.

The team – comprised of 16 returners and 11 newcomers – has proven to be a tight-knit group that enjoys every second of being together. Second-year Head Coach Kelsey Cameron has the team going in the right direction and has already improved upon last season's 3-9-7 finish.

Five seniors serve as the team's backbone; four have played at Belmont their entire careers. The team honored their senior class with Senior Day on Sunday, Sept. 15, against Chattanooga. The players smiled and waved as they walked through a tunnel formed by their teammates, shared a moment with the coaching staff, and took commemorative pictures with their families to celebrate their accomplishments.

Senior captain Carly Ross' entourage looked a little different, with one less player standing to the side forming the tunnel. Carly – along with her parents Mike and Natalie – was joined by her younger sister and a starting forward for the Bruins, freshman Reagan Ross.

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Growing up outside of Columbus, Ohio, Carly and Reagan Ross loved to compete. The sisters both excelled in soccer, but the notion of playing together in college seemed far-fetched. With Carly being three years older, her college decision came first and led her to Nashville and Belmont. Reagan went through the recruiting process twice, as a coaching change was made before her senior year of high school. Her heart was set on Belmont, enrolling in the nursing program and playing alongside her sister. The unlikely story of two sisters, their love for each other and soccer has made this season for the Ross family special in more ways than one.

The Ross sisters discovered their love for soccer in the backyard of their home in Lewis Center, Ohio. The family would invite their neighbors and friends over frequently to play pick-up matches. They played organized soccer in their park district league and for a local travel club before they realized it was time to take the next step. Mike and Natalie knew their daughters needed a change.

"When we changed clubs and went to Ohio Premier and joined the Elite Clubs National League, we started thinking about the opportunity for them and the possibility of playing collegiate soccer," said Mike. "Both Carly and Reagan seemed like they had it and were diligent in their preparation to explore college programs."

Carly and Reagan earned a spot on the top team for their age division. It was during their time at Ohio Premier the sisters found their style of play. As a midfielder, Carly would distribute the ball and become an assist-first type of player. She recognized her younger sister was different.

"She was always a stud," said Carly. "She was a natural goal scorer and one of the best players on her team."

As the two began their next chapter of travel soccer, Carly was almost at the point of becoming a freshman at Olentangy High School.

"I realized how important playing for Ohio Premier was before I started high school," said Carly. "The soccer was at a higher level and more serious, which also showed me I could play at the college level. Once I entered high school, that was when I knew I wanted to play at the next level."

Carly began exploring her options at the collegiate level after her sophomore season. Attending ID Camps, reaching out to coaches and sending highlight reels were all part of the process. She attended a Belmont ID Camp and began a relationship with the Bruins' former head coach. She took a visit and fell in love with Belmont. So much she wanted to stop her search.

"It worried and frustrated us, to be honest," her mother Natalie said when recalling what Carly said. "You never know what's going to happen or what other options are out there. She stuck with what she wanted, pursued coming to Belmont, and wanted to be a part of the culture she heard about."

The culture sold Carly. In the current state of college athletics, the transfer portal is the closest thing to the Wild West one may find. Most of Carly's teammates with Ohio Premier had transferred once or twice during their careers. The path of finding the program with the most playing time or the best team wasn't her focus.

"I wanted to make sure the team I was committing to was truly a team that was kind, respectful, and truly a team that loved one another," said Carly. "The most important thing is playing for a team and university that loves you for who you are."

The COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world soon after. All the travel to practice, tournaments and extra workouts were not possible. Confusion and the unknown left the sisters wondering what to do. A huge part of their lives was put on pause as they waited for the world to return to normal. Carly and Reagan used the time to go back to where their love of soccer began: the backyard.

"This was the time when I felt we started to bond together with soccer," said Reagan. "We didn't have practice or club, so we did everything together and took advantage of the time we had outside. It was like we were kids again."

When restrictions were lifted and schools reopened, the sisters both attended Olentangy High School in the fall of 2020. Carly was named All-Ohio Capital Conference First Team her junior year and prepared for her final high school season.

Reagan was just beginning her high school journey. Following tryouts, she found out she was the only freshman that made the varsity roster. For the first time, both Carly and Reagan would play on the same team.

"It's weird when you think about it because we never played together during club because of our age difference and practice schedules," said Reagan. "We would play against each other's club teams in practice at times, but we finally hit the field together at the same time that year."

There was no progression from a freshman under-level team to junior varsity to varsity for Reagan. She had earned a spot on the varsity team at Olentangy. The one thing that helped her adjust was having Carly by her side.

"It was scary, but I had my biggest supporter and competitor with me," said Reagan describing Carly's influence. "If I did something right, she was the first to cheer for me. She kept me in check and helped me find my place. We played well together, and we took advantage of it."

All freshmen have an upperclassman they look up to. The juniors and seniors are expected to be role models and leaders of the team. When they graduate and pass the torch to the next class, it's the players they mentored and played with that drive the program.

"I told her [Reagan] to stay humble and never expect anything," was Carly's season-long message for her younger sister. "Always keep your head held high and work hard to earn those minutes."

Reagan listened and began to earn more minutes and eventually started for the team. It didn't come easy but seeing her sister grow and continue to get better as a player made Carly respect Reagan more.

"She did a really good job of buying in and trusting the process," said Carly. "Her time came, and I think that experience helped her become the player she is today.

The Ross sisters helped Olentangy reach the state finals that season. Carly earned her second first-team all-conference honor and was focused on graduating in the spring. This was the last time the sisters thought they would play together.

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Carly began her collegiate career at Belmont in the fall of 2021. As a freshman, she made six starts and played 702 minutes in 15 matches. Her role at Belmont grew in 2022 as a sophomore as she started in all 16 matches with over 1,100 minutes played. Back in Ohio, Reagan continued to dominate and become one of the best forwards and goal scores in the area. Following her sophomore season, it was time for Reagan to look at colleges. Carly was a huge resource for her during the initial search process.

"Carly loved Belmont, but I never really thought about going there because I was so young and not even thinking about it yet," said Reagan. "My initial thought was to never follow her, but I knew I wanted to play in college and see why she liked it there so much."

Reagan sent emails to Belmont's coaching staff at the time to get on their radar. She visited campus a few times to see Carly, meet her teammates and walk around the campus, but never had a visit specifically for soccer until her junior year. It was on that visit she saw why her older sister loved Belmont.

"I really liked it, and Belmont was one of my top choices," said Reagan. "But I wanted to keep my options open."

Reagan was no stranger to Carly's teammates. Having her come to Nashville and be around the team was beneficial to her and Reagan.

"I think she saw how I connected with my class and the older girls on the team," said Carly. "She saw the friendships that I had built and saw it didn't matter what age you were. The team loved each other for who we were."

The visit also reignited the idea of playing together. If all worked out, Regan would be a freshman and Carly would be a senior, which would give them one more season together.

"I realized as I got older and matured that college soccer is a lot," said Reagan. "Having your sister would be an advantage, and people don't get to have that experience very much. After a few trips and my visit, it felt comforting knowing she was there."

Reagan continued to look at other programs and explore her options. During that time, Belmont made a coaching change. The Cameron Era began on Dec. 22, 2022. Cameron – a four-year letterwinner at Kentucky and 2007 All-SEC First Team honoree – took over the program after six years serving as the head coach at Division II Trevecca Nazarene.

The coaching change left Reagan wondering: would she be able to play with my sister again? "It sucked knowing I had to restart the process and thought I had lost my opportunity to play with her."

Cameron's first year with the Bruins ended with a trip to the MVC Championship. Carly started in 18 matches for the Bruins and played 1,066 minutes. Carly's mother noticed a difference in Carly's experience that season.

"She respected the former coaching staff and was happy being coached by her," said Natalie. "Some teams shift under a new change, but that wasn't the case. I saw Carly and the team happy, if not happier, with Coach Cameron."

The end of the season also meant it was time for visits from prospective student-athletes. Belmont was still a top choice for Reagan, and the coaching change didn't faze her. The visit allowed Reagan to interact with Cameron and Assistant Coaches Daniel Vieira and Hailey Kerridge.

"I loved the coaching staff, but it was hard to know the atmosphere since Carly had only one season with them," said Reagan. "But I had been with the girls multiple times and loved them. The campus was beautiful, and the coaches were uplifting. When I walked on campus, it felt like home."

The visit impressed Reagan's dad and excited his daughter once again about her future at Belmont.

"Coach [Cameron] threw out a lot of different scenarios on where she could see Reagan playing and helping the team, and it was very positive and comforting for me," said Mike. "I let Reagan do the talking on the way home, and she was overwhelmingly happy and excited. It seemed pretty obvious where she wanted to be."

Having an older sister playing college soccer and having been through the recruiting process was a huge resource for Reagan. Carly advised Reagan on what to look for in a program and a university. A feeling of community and being in the right place were the biggest points Reagan took away from phone calls with Carly.

"She did not want me to follow her because she was at Belmont," said Reagan. "She wanted me to be happy and find a school I loved. She also told me over and over the decision was mine."

It came time for Reagan to make a decision. Belmont and several other programs had offered her a roster spot. Unlike Carly, Mike and Natalie had no idea where Reagan was going to commit.

"Honestly, Mike and I were kept in the dark," said Natalie. "We wanted it to be her choice and not have Carly influence it, but when Carly told her she would love for her to come to Belmont, I think her mind was made up."

In April 2023, on a bus to another club tournament, Reagan was ready to make the call. She picked up the phone and told Cameron she would accept Belmont's offer. After she hung up, she called her sister.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Carly said to her sister. "Then she asked me to guess where she committed, and I knew. I thought we only had high school to play together, but it was a true blessing to hear she was coming to Belmont."

"She thought I was kidding," Reagan said recalling her sister's reaction. "She almost started crying and was in shock. She could not believe it and just kept saying how excited she was that we would play together."

It was a done deal. Reagan put pen to paper later that spring and signed her National Letter of Intent to be a Belmont Bruin. The anticipation for one final season together grew as August rolled around. They texted and called each other almost daily expressing their excitement to play again with one another.

"I just remember Carly sending me texts telling me how excited she was I was coming to Belmont and how much I will love it," said Reagan. "I couldn't wait to have my sister and to be with her."

Fast forward to the start of the preseason. All the Bruins made their way back to campus or into their apartments. The Ross sisters are in the same position they were four years ago in high school. Carly – named a captain – was preparing for her final year playing soccer. Reagan's journey was just beginning.

"I told her the same thing when we were at Olentangy that she needs to put in more work than what they're telling you," said Carly. "We trained together five days a week over the summer and she put herself in a spot to succeed early."

Joining a new team, playing a collegiate sport and preparing to take college courses is an overwhelming amount of responsibility for any freshman. Reagan relied on Carly for guidance while still getting acquainted with the other freshmen on the team.

"It was difficult when things started getting crazy, but I had her when I needed her," said Reagan. "We talked first thing in the morning, we went to lifting and practice together, and hung out with our friend groups. We try to see each other outside of practice to check in, and it made me feel more comfortable."

The Bruins began their 2024 campaign at E.S. Rose Park against Lindenwood on Aug. 15. Excitement, optimism, and a tight-knit group would face their first test. Belmont returned a majority of their starters and key bench players from last season. Carly was starting for the Bruins in the midfield. A few spots down on the lineup card and circled was No. 16 Reagan Ross.

Not only was it Reagan's first match but she was starting.

"I remember Carly telling me it was just another game and to play how I always do," said Reagan. "I felt I had the upper hand and was confident out on the field. I give her credit for making me feel so comfortable when we are out there together."

The Bruins lost the match, 3-1. It was not the way the team hoped to start the season, but they had a chance to bounce back a few days later against Middle Tennessee. Down 1-0 entering the second half, the Bruins needed an offensive spark. In the 60th minute, senior Leah Firsdon drove to the corner and delivered a cross into the box. Reagan dashed in, went up for the header and found the back of the net. Reagan scored her first collegiate goal in her second match.

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"I immediately ran to my teammates and found Carly," said Reagan. "I was so happy I got to share that moment with her, and I told her how much I love her."

Carly embraced her sister and the two shared a moment before returning to their positions. Time stopped for a few seconds and the sisters soaked in the moment.

"I just felt true joy and happiness because that was a huge moment for both of us, especially her," Carly said remembering the celebration. "I didn't realize how big of a moment that was until after we won that we can't take anything for granted. We both need to cherish those moments and this time we have together."

It was a moment that allowed time for their parents to reflect. The years of traveling to practices, club tournaments and being soccer parents have paid off. The goal was one thing, but seeing their daughters celebrate together was priceless.

"I think we underestimated the depth of their bond because they are pretty close and do a lot together," said Natalie. "Their relationship grew in high school, but to see where they are at now is amazing. It's a pleasure for us to see it as parents and know they are happy.

Reagan scored two matches later at Lipscomb. She has started in 10 matches and has played in 11 for the Bruins totaling 604 minutes. Carly continues to start for the Bruins in every match and commands the midfield.

The unique experience has brought the family closer together. Mike and Natalie rented a house in Nashville for the first month of the season to be around their daughters. The family had dinner every night and enjoyed the time together.

"It was a huge deal to them, and they were just as excited about this season as Reagan and I were," Carly said. "It was a big change when they left, and I realize even more now how thankful I am for them. They really support us and are our biggest fans, and for them to be that available and willing to be with us is not something you take for granted."

Belmont will return to action on Sunday, Sept. 29, against Evansville at E.S. Rose Park. Both sisters know their time on the soccer field is limited. The final whistle will sound at some point - when and where is still unknown. The season has given them a new perspective on what it means to have a sister and a lifelong friend.

"When you're kids, you're close with your siblings, but you have your friends and own life," said Reagan. "Going through this has brought Carly and me closer together and made me realize it is something you can not take for granted. I'm always going to cherish this time with her because I will be sad when she graduates and starts her new life."

Carly wants to make the most of this season; she wants to win the program's first Missouri Valley Conference title. Regardless of the outcome, her time at Belmont is full of happy memories and she attributes this season to bringing her family closer together.

"Regan will be at Belmont and my parents in Ohio when I graduate and start my next chapter," said Carly. "No matter where we are or do, we'll find a way to be with each other. It truly shows how much we love each other."