Brianna Harris, left, and sister Kayla went their separate ways for college but will reconnect on the lacrosse field Saturday in their hometown of Annapolis, Md. (Photo: Jim Burgess/UAA Communications)
Family Affair: Harris Sisters to Square Off in Backyard
Friday, March 1, 2019 | Lacrosse
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By: Ethan Hughes, FloridaGators.com Intern
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – What are the odds of sibling athletes facing each other in college?
There are several things that must happen. First, a family must produce at least two elite-level athletes that play the same sport and are within three years of each other in age. Next, they must choose to attend different colleges. Finally, the scheduling must work out for their teams to play.
Despite the unlikelihood of such a matchup happening once, the No. 11 Gators lacrosse team's game at No. 17 Navy on Saturday represents the second sibling-vs.-sibling showdown involving a UF student-athlete in as many weeks. Last Friday night, gymnast Alyssa Baumann took on her sister Rachel's Georgia Bulldogs.
This week, it's Gators junior midfielder Brianna Harris versus her identical twin, Kayla, two days after their 21st birthday.
"I'm excited to go up against her. I'm excited to see her," Brianna said. "There's like a little pain in my heart. I wish that it wasn't that we were going up against each other. I wish we were on the same team. I wish I could look down across the field and see her wearing the same uniform as me. I'll be cheering for her to do well as well as my team to win."
As natives of Annapolis, Maryland, where the Naval Academy is located, the Harrises will have a ton of relatives, friends and former teammates and coaches in attendance. Some will wear orange and blue, some will wear navy blue and gold and others will wear a combination of both. They've even figured out who the loudest men are and split up their cheering allegiances evenly. Kayla Harris
"Hopefully, Navy wins, but if Florida wins, then I'll get over that and then try to celebrate Brianna's success," Kayla said. "I just hope Brianna goes out and has a really great game, and I know that she can and will. Hopefully, she doesn't have too good of a game. But no matter what she does, I'll be proud of her."
Brianna and Kayla grew up in an athletic household. Their father, Robert, played football and baseball and is the head football coach at Broadneck High School, which they attended. He has won multiple Coach of the Year awards and has coached several Rose Trophy winners, given to Maryland's best high school football player, Brianna said. Their mother, Sarah, played soccer and lacrosse.
Brianna also played basketball and soccer and enjoyed soccer the most at first. Kayla ran track and played soccer. However, their mother's love for lacrosse and the state's reputation as the lacrosse capital of the U.S. led them to focus on playing lacrosse at the collegiate level.
Kayla is nine minutes older than Brianna, and she's assumed the big sister role their entire lives, Brianna said.
"She's always kind of taken care of me here and there," Brianna said. "Not that I don't take care of her, but she definitely growing up has kind of had that role as taking care of me and making sure I'm OK all the time."
When they were in elementary school, they used their near-identical appearances as a joke. On April Fool's Day, they pretended to be each other. Brianna is left-handed and Kayla is right-handed, so they had to write with their opposite hands. It worked for a while on some of the teachers, but the students' laughter eventually gave them away. Once they got a bit older, they started to look just different enough for everyone to tell them apart, and the prank had to be retired.
They briefly talked about attending the same college, Kayla said, but they decided to go separate ways so they could grow as individuals and become more independent.
Junior Brianna Harris returns home Saturday to face her twin sister Kayla, a member of Navy's lacrosse team. (Photo: Jim Burgess/UAA Communications)
"We kind of grew up in a way because we're identical twins, we played all the same sports, have all the same friends," Brianna said. "So, I think that going to different schools, we kind of found ourselves. We grew up. I learned how to be independent. I learned how to order pizza without her. I learned how to get around campus. She was always the person that drove me around back at home. I think being away from her made me realize just how close we were."
Brianna was a top-notch lacrosse recruit (2016 Under Armour All-American) and student, with opportunities to play for UF and the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League school, among others.
"I don't want to be a part of a team that your end goal is not just to win a conference title," she said. "I want to be able to say I won a national championship, and that's why I chose Florida."
Kayla wasn't a highly recruited player, and she wanted to go to a college that would challenge her academically and physically. So, she became a Midshipman, where she hopes to become a pilot after graduation.
"I just want to give back because I've been so lucky with everything I have," she said.
Kayla has a loaded schedule as a student at Navy, while Brianna is a mathematics major with a minor in physics, so her academic load can be demanding. When they do have some free time, they stay in touch with each other as much as possible and watch each other's games.
"If she has a game right before one of mine, while we're getting dressed in the locker room, I'll have it up, and my teammates will be right next to me supporting her 'cause they know how much I love and support her," Kayla said. "They'll enjoy watching Florida lacrosse, too, 'cause those Gators are pretty good. It's pretty cool to be a big Gator supporter."
Brianna started 19 games for the Gators as a freshman in 2017, scoring 19 goals and dishing 11 assists. She ranked second on the team with 43 draw controls. She was named to the All-Big East Second Team.
"She's always been a fighter, if I could describe her in any way," Kayla said. "In high school, she was always like a bulldog. You'd see her running down the field, and everyone would want to get out of her way. She's very aggressive, she's fast and she's strong. I don't think I've ever seen someone as athletic as her."
Brianna didn't think she would have a chance to play against Navy (3-1). When she arrived at UF, the Gators were a rising powerhouse, and Coach Amanda O'Leary likes to play challenging non-conference schedules. At the time, Navy hadn't made the NCAA Tournament since 2013, so Brianna didn't think it would be a possibility.
Then, Navy made the Final Four in 2017. The following fall, O'Leary told Brianna that Navy would be on the schedule in 2018.
It wasn't to be, however.
Brianna torn her anterior cruciate ligament, missed the entire season and had to watch UF's 19-16 victory from the sideline.
"I was looking forward to that all year, and the day I tore my ACL, I knew right away I tore it," she said. "That was kind of my first thought was, 'Wow, I'm not going to be on the field with my sister when we're playing against them.' "
She's healthy and ready to go this time. While not a starter, Brianna's played in all three games, scored a goal and won five draw controls.
"I miss her so much every single day, but it's also really great to see her thrive and succeed without me right there breathing down her neck," Kayla said.
Meanwhile, Kayla was more skilled on defense than offense in high school, but she's developed into Navy's top goal-scorer in 2019 with 11. She's also won a team-best 20 draw controls.
"That girl never gets tired," Brianna said. "She's insane at defense, like incredible defender. I think my biggest thing about her is she just never gives up. She's never given up and she's always working hard and she always wants to win."
Kayla said she admires Brianna's strong work ethic and the positive attitude she displayed during her ACL rehab.
"No matter what it is, she'll step up to the plate and face the challenge without backing down," she said. "You can see that in all aspects of her life. Academically, she doesn't want to take the easy route by doing an easy major and letting her life be a little easier. She wants to strive for the best. That might mean four extra hours of homework than other people after a four-hour practice or having to study on the weekend when everyone else is out."
Conversely, Brianna said Kayla is the most thoughtful and caring person she knows.
"When people ask me what she's like, I like to say she's just like me except the best version of me," she said. "She's always thinking about others and also making sure that everybody around her is successful."
A lifetime of hard work and some good fortune has led up to Saturday's game. Brianna and Kayla are both looking forward to it, especially after the injury derailed their chances to play against each other in 2018.
However, Saturday is more than just a family reunion. Bragging rights are at stake.
"Growing up, Brianna's always been a sore loser but so have I," Kayla said. "So, no matter what, it'll be – whoever loses, maybe it'll be a tie, whatever, whatever the case may be – I think we're going to have to try to focus on just being together and just being happy that we are together."
