A small percentage of youth athletes actually get the opportunity to play their sport in college. Even fewer get the opportunity to play at the highest level in Division I. Quite rare is it to have two siblings both make it into Division I athletics. So what about two sets of siblings? With one from each set each playing at the exact same schools? That's the case with our Women's Soccer team and Kentucky, the Gamecocks' opponent Friday night. Gamecock senior defender Ellen Fahey and sophomore forward/midfielder Danielle Au were both the second people in their families to play Division I soccer as both of their older sisters played for the University of Kentucky. Ellen's older sister, Katie Fahey, played for the Wildcats for the 2006 through 2009 seasons, while Samantha "Sam" Au, Danielle's older sister, was with the team from 2007-2009.
Only two years apart, Ellen has played against her older sister, Katie Fahey, and the Wildcats twice (two Gamecock wins, for the record.) Danielle and her older sister, Sam, are three years apart and did not have to face each other in a game.
"Our first game was at Kentucky so she was really nice and left me cookies and a little note. She drew me a picture of a little wildcat eating a Gamecock and left that in the locker room with the cookies," Ellen shared. "The second year she was a forward and I was a defender and that got a little nasty. We were separate for most of the game but then the ball started coming down on us, she went after the ball [and so did I], and my sister is bigger and stronger than me so she just bulldozed me and tackled me and basically sat on my head. I got really mad and popped up screaming at her [laughing]...My mom just had to pace back and forth, and got very nervous."
Growing up with older sisters who not only played, but were very skilled at soccer as well, helped drive Danielle and Ellen to work hard at soccer and want to play in college.
"It was really competitive because we both played at the same high school and we play the same position," said Danielle. "She pushed me to be better, she helped me in every way she could."
"When my sister started playing club soccer, I was like, 'I wanna play club, I want to be like Katie, I want to do what she does,'" explained Ellen. "Then we got older into high school and started playing together and it was fun, but hard at times because we both knew that each of us could be better so we'd push each other to be better and we would butt heads."
Now that both Sam and Katie are no longer at Kentucky, the sibling rivalry is quieted slightly.
"She still likes Kentucky and wants them to do well, but she'll cheer for me now when we play Kentucky just because I'm her sister," said Ellen, smiling.
Check out Gamecock Spotlights on Danielle and Ellen:
Only two years apart, Ellen has played against her older sister, Katie Fahey, and the Wildcats twice (two Gamecock wins, for the record.) Danielle and her older sister, Sam, are three years apart and did not have to face each other in a game.
"Our first game was at Kentucky so she was really nice and left me cookies and a little note. She drew me a picture of a little wildcat eating a Gamecock and left that in the locker room with the cookies," Ellen shared. "The second year she was a forward and I was a defender and that got a little nasty. We were separate for most of the game but then the ball started coming down on us, she went after the ball [and so did I], and my sister is bigger and stronger than me so she just bulldozed me and tackled me and basically sat on my head. I got really mad and popped up screaming at her [laughing]...My mom just had to pace back and forth, and got very nervous."
Growing up with older sisters who not only played, but were very skilled at soccer as well, helped drive Danielle and Ellen to work hard at soccer and want to play in college.
"It was really competitive because we both played at the same high school and we play the same position," said Danielle. "She pushed me to be better, she helped me in every way she could."
"When my sister started playing club soccer, I was like, 'I wanna play club, I want to be like Katie, I want to do what she does,'" explained Ellen. "Then we got older into high school and started playing together and it was fun, but hard at times because we both knew that each of us could be better so we'd push each other to be better and we would butt heads."
Now that both Sam and Katie are no longer at Kentucky, the sibling rivalry is quieted slightly.
"She still likes Kentucky and wants them to do well, but she'll cheer for me now when we play Kentucky just because I'm her sister," said Ellen, smiling.
Check out Gamecock Spotlights on Danielle and Ellen:
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