Two siblings welcome their younger sister to the field hockey team

When Emily Dykema was only 13 years old, she watched her older sisters Ashley and Bethany play in a qualifying match for the U-16 field hockey National Indoor Tournament. She went as a spectator, but she brought her equipment along, just in case she had the opportunity to participate. 

“Ashley and Bethany were on the team, but I was not because I was a lot younger than them,” Emily said. “But I showed up and my coach was like, ‘You want to play?’ and I said ‘Sure!’ So we all qualified together.”

That tournament was the first and last time all three Dykema sisters played together on the same team. 

Until now. 

This season they are reunited at Liberty for one final opportunity to compete together.

After graduating high school one semester early and dominating on her club team, Liberty freshman Emily arrived on campus this semester ready to join her sisters and help the Flames field hockey program reach new heights in the Big East Conference. 

The Dykema sisters grew up in a military family and began playing field hockey as part of a homeschool physical education class when at young ages. Throughout their teenage years, they frequently played at home, and their father even made them a turf practice area in their backyard. 

As they grew older and improved, all three sisters proved to be stellar athletes, garnering scholarships from DI schools. As the youngest, Emily always looked up to both her sisters and especially to Ashley, the oldest.

“I watched (Ashley) develop and (saw) how she took things in stride and how she improved on her game,” Emily said. “I definitely would watch that, and that is how I improved myself as well. I kind of followed in her footsteps.”

Before Emily reached high school, Ashley accepted an offer from Liberty and left for college. Ashley quickly became a standout player for the Flames in her first two years, yet she still held on to the hope of joining forces with her younger sisters at the collegiate level.

“That was my dream when I committed,” Ashley said. “It was to be able to play with my sisters.”

Ashley had part of her dream fulfilled in 2018 when her middle sister, Bethany, finally committed to Liberty after a drawn-out recruitment process. Bethany struggled to choose between Wake Forest University and Liberty, but ultimately made the decision to join her sister and the Flames.

As delayed and uncertain as Bethany’s college decision was, Emily was the opposite.

“Not long after Bethany had committed, Emily called me out of the blue and was like, ‘I committed to Liberty too,’” Ashley said. “It surprised me because it was early at the time, but it did not surprise me at all that once Bethany committed, Emily was ready to go.”

Emily had the opportunity to graduate early from high school, which she took advantage of. Two weeks ago, she moved into her new dorm and is now Bethany’s roommate. 

Arriving early allowed her to join the field hockey team during their offseason training, which began Jan. 20 with a running endurance test at 6:30 a.m.

 “It was probably 20 degrees outside, and I had seen this before in practices when I was visiting,” Emily said. “But the mentality and the encouragement that the girls next to you are pushing you and telling you that you can do it — that is something I have not really seen anywhere else.”

Gabrielle Calhoun | Liberty Photography
SISTERS — In 2018, Bethany (pictured above) joined her sister Ashley at Liberty, and now Emily completes the Dykema trifecta. 

For Ashley, having both sisters in Lynchburg as part of the same field hockey team is the fruition of a dream she had before coming to Liberty herself.

“It is almost surreal, having Emily here now,” Ashley said. “(Thinking about) my time in college, this was what I was anticipating.”

All three sisters are not content with just playing together, though. They already have their minds set on what they want to achieve as a team.

“I want to win a Big East (championship),” Emily said. “That is something I would love to do this year because I have both my sisters with me, and I think they both deserve a ring.” 

The Flames have made it to the cusp of a conference championship but come up short each time in the last three years. The team lost in the championship game to rival UConn in Ashley’s freshman and sophomore seasons and fell in the semifinals against Providence in 2019.

Ashley joked that a third Dykema sister is what the Flames need to tip the scales in the Big East.

“If there is any year I could have picked to win the Big East, it definitely would be with both of my sisters,” Ashley said. “I think we are going to come out in this next season ready to win a ring.”

Weaner is a sports reporter. Follow him on Twitter.

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