Competing tooth and nail; shouting over disagreements. Yet, unparalleled closeness. At times, the sports field is really no different from the lives of siblings.

Over the years, many siblings have graced the Guilford campus and the sports fields. This year is no different.

“We played together before we came here on the same team,” said sophomore Lizz Carella about her sister, senior Kat Carella. “She was kind of like a role model because she told me what to do because we played the same position when I first got here, so it’s kind of like I looked up to here as someone who could tell me what I was doing wrong.”

Lizz — sometimes teasingly referred to as “Little Kat” by others — and Kat spent two years together on the Guilford women’s lacrosse team. This however is not the first time they’ve played together.

Kat said, “We were on the same —”

“Basketball team,”  interjected Lizz.

Kat continued, “We were on the same softball team, we did track —”

“Together,” said Lizz, “We did a lot of things together because we’re only —”

“Two years apart.”

Of course, these sisters have also enjoyed some mild sibling rivalry.

“We get along basically all the time,” said Kat. “But sometimes we just get in little fights, that literally last, like, five minutes (about) just the dumbest thing. Like, it could be that she didn’t pick up a ground ball or something and I yell at her … and five minutes later we’re just like, ‘okay’ and then we’re best friends again like nothing happened.”

In addition to Lizz and Kat, sophomore twins Rebecca and recent Guilford transfer Lily Colley also play on the lacrosse team and have been playing lacrosse together for all their lives.

“The transition to playing college lacrosse — ’cause at my other school I played college basketball — was a lot nicer having her there, because she also talked to me before about the type of players that are on the team,” said Lily. “Its really nice having her on the field too, because she’s always going to be 100 percent honest being my sister and she wants whats best for me so she’ll push me as far as I can go.”

“Siblings are family and they’ve been around you longer than anyone else has. So, that bond is always going to be stronger than any type of friendship you make,” said Rebecca

Rebecca emphasized a very close relationship and understanding of one another that allows them push and support each other

“Everyone always thinks, ‘Oh, you must be so jealous when Lily gets ODAC (Old Dominion Athletic Conference) Player of the Week’ or blah, blah, blah and I’m like, ‘no’. I’m more for what’s better for the team,” said Kat. “You know, its awesome that she’s going to get the recognition she deserves, because she never got that in high school and that would always just make me mad because I always would rave about her skills, but no one ever saw it.”

On the other hand, some siblings have not found that being at school together brought them as close together.

“We really don’t see each other much. She does her thing, I do mine,” said junior basketball player Travis Tracy.

“We actually were really close when he was a freshman,” explained Travis’s sister, sophomore volleyball player Kia Tracy. “I think just being away (from him) kind of made us realize that we do actually like each other. I mean, we didn’t not get along during high school but we didn’t really talk much. And then when he left, we talked more frequently, and then last year we hung out a lot.”

“This year, since he’s not on campus, I can’t just walk to his dorm or whatever. Then, our schedules are pretty conflicting so we don’t really get to hang out, but whenever we’re both home we do get along and everything. So, it’s not awkward.”

This year, Kia and Travis have spent less time together than they have in the past, partially due to Kia’s home on campus and Travis’s, off-campus, in addition to scheduling conflicts.

On different teams and at different ages and different class years, sometimes it can be difficult to keep up with family, even if they are at the same school.

Nevertheless, it was Kia’s desire to remain close to family that landed her at Guilford with Travis and despite location and scheduling separating them, they are still siblings and see each other at home.

Whether playing the same sports or not, nothing can truly separate siblings.

“At the end of the day, you’re still blood,” said Rebecca. “Any problem can be worked through.”