It's Competition, but Not Sibling Rivalry for Zullo Sisters on the Pitch

Luciana and Corinna Zullo didn’t initially plan to compete on the same collegiate soccer team, but sometimes things just work out. The senior and freshman sisters on South Carolina’s women’s soccer team may be competing at the same position, but don’t call it a sibling rivalry.

Corinna  Zullo

“It’s really fun being on the same team again,” said freshman Corinna Zullo. “It was fun being on the same team in high school. We play the same position, so it’s good to look up to her, see how she’s doing and try to improve myself.

“We’re both competitive people, but not on this team. I want to play, but I’m not trying to steal her spot.  When we’re at home playing games or doing anything together, we’re very competitive.”

“We have not raced in a while, which is something I think she wants to do,” said senior Luciana Zullo.  “We’ve always been very competitive, but we’ve always been very supportive of each other. We played a year together of high school soccer in New Jersey, and that was so much fun being on the field at the same time. Here, it might be a little bit different. It’s interesting competing with your sister for playing time.”

The year-long family reunion fits in well with the family atmosphere within the program, but each was recruited to play for the Gamecocks based on her own individual merits.

“Recruiting wise, I might have been in her ear a little bit,” Luciana said. “I’ve had such a great experience here, and I knew that she would be able to thrive and grow here, not only as a player, but as a person. When she was being recruited, (associate head coach) Jamie (Smith) didn’t know that she was my sister. He was actually at her game watching another player, and he looked at the roster and was like, ‘you’re kidding me?’ It’s good to know that she was looked at as her own person and not just as my little sister when she was being recruited.”

“When I first started looking at colleges, I didn’t want to go to South Carolina,” Corinna admitted. “I wanted to do my own thing. That changed. When the coaches first saw me play, they were watching someone else on my team. They didn’t come to the game because I’m Luciana’s sister. They found me for what I was doing on my own. That’s the reason I changed my decision.”

“I think we’ve gotten closer since I’ve been here.”
– Corinna  Zullo

For head coach Shelley Smith, it’s nice to be able to bring in another quality player from a family that already knows the program.

“For Corinna, she’s very similar to Luc,” Smith said. “They talk the same. It’s funny to see when she’s come in and how far Luc has grown. We’re excited about where Corinna is going, too. Luc has been a big part of the program, and she has grown every year. For Corinna, it’s wonderful that she wants to play with her sister. Not all sisters want that. It’s a complete respect that they have for each other. Corinna is her own person. Luc is lending a hand to help her. We know Corinna is going to be another great Zullo for us for years to come.”

Luciana  Zullo

Luciana has enjoyed a successful career in the garnet and black with 13 goals entering her senior season, while also being named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll. She hopes she can impart some wisdom to her younger sister, remembering what it was like to be a rookie.

“I’ve just been staying in her ear and telling her to be positive and be confident in what her abilities are,” Luciana said. “That’s something I wish I had been told as freshman. Just be who you are and be open to advice from upperclassmen and your coaches. They see everything and they know what’s best. Just take in everything that you’re hearing and try to use that to better yourself.

“I definitely think that being a senior, I have more of a leadership role on this team now. For me, I’m more naturally a behind the scenes and more quiet person, so being put into this leadership role has forced me to be more communicative with everyone on the team and with the freshmen to make sure everyone is on the same page and feels welcomed here.”

Luciana is a mainstay in the starting lineup, and Corinna is a regular coming off the bench so far this season, but the Zullos are looking forward to the chance of being on the pitch at the same time.

“We play really well off of each other,” Corinna said. “In high school, we connected a bunch. Even in practice here, whenever we’re playing on the same team, I feel like we always connect on our crosses. We always seem to know where the other is. It would be really fun for us to be on the field at the same time. We worked really well together in high school. If we got that opportunity, I think it could work out pretty well. I think we have a lot of things in common when we play. She is better at finishing, but I think I might be better in the air. For the most part we’re very much alike.

“We’ve always been pretty close. I think we’ve gotten closer since I’ve been here.”

“It’s been great,” Luciana said. “She’s my sister, and she’s my best friend. Having her here has been a whole different experience. It’s been great having her on the team and watching her grow every day.”