Lacrosse sisters compete together at VCU

Andrew McGhan, Contributing Writer

VCU senior attacker Juliana George and sophomore attacker Mia George are sisters on the VCU women’s lacrosse team.

Both sisters are top three in goals and points for the team, as Juliana George has 30 goals and 40 points, while Mia George has 22 goals and 29 points, according to the VCU Athletics. 

It’s an all around team effort that helps the two sisters score goals, and everyone on the team helps impact the game, according to Mia George. 

Juliana George decided to go to VCU because of the culture and campus being the right amount of distance from where she lives, she said. 

“I wanted to be far enough from home where I was away from everything but so close enough where my family could come to all my lacrosse games and such,” Juliana George said. 

She committed to VCU during her sophomore year of high school, according to Juliana George.

Outside of her freshman year of college, Juliana George ranked second on the team with the most goals scored during her sophomore year, according to VCU Athletics.

When their family would come down to support Juliana George, Mia George would also come down to show support, she said. 

“I was around here a lot because of her; I would come to her games,” Mia George said. “I saw the dorms and the facilities.”

When it came time for Mia George to be recruited, Juliana George didn’t push for her to come to VCU; she wanted Mia George to make her own decision on where she wants to play, according to Juliana George.

“I kind of just totally let her decide on her own,” Juliana George said. 

When it became time to make a decision, Mia George chose VCU because of the distance from home and because she was able to see the campus when she went to support Juliana George, according to Mia George.

“Once I knew I wanted to come here, I talked to her about it and made sure I wasn’t, like, overstepping, because I know some people don’t like to go to college with their siblings,” Mia George said. “So we talked about it a little bit and she was like, ‘No, I think it would be an awesome experience.’”

The two sisters have played together before, but only for a small amount of time, because Juliana George tore her ACL during her senior year of high school, according to Juliana George. 

Since both sisters have been at VCU, they have played in about 27 games together, according to VCU Athletics.

The two sisters’ connection on the field is very high and gives them an advantage when playing, according to Juliana George. The connection grew strong as the pair would play lacrosse in the backyard of their home.

“I think I know what she’s [Juliana] trying to do a lot of the time, and she’s a very shifty player, so she can be unpredictable and some people think that’s hard to work with,” Mia George said. 

They play together on the field together because they’re the most talented and contribute to winning, according to VCU head coach Nicole Flores. The two sisters also challenge everyone around them and make everyone better.

“They play because they’re our most talented,” Flores said. “They’ve kind of proven for the past two years, which I’ve coached them that, they have the speed, they have the IQ, they have great stick work, and they have the ability to — challenge everybody else around them and make everybody better.”

The legacy Juliana George is proud to have here at VCU is that she helped build the name of VCU women’s lacrosse, she said.