Sisters by chance, teammates by choice: Why Neffs love competing for BYU soccer
By Gracie Belle Richards,
September 18, 2026
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Despite having a five-year age gap, Emma and Anna Neff, two sisters from Salt Lake City, are getting a kick out of playing together for BYU's women's soccer team.Emma, a senior, came to BYU in January of 2022 after graduating high school early. Starting out as a midfielder, Emma now plays as a defender for the Cougars. After having South Field as her home for the last four years, this will be her last season.
Photo by BYU Photo
“I always knew I wanted to come to BYU, that was my dream from the time I was a little girl,” said Emma.Four years later, freshman midfielder Anna followed in her older sister's footsteps by coming to BYU in January of 2026. Similar to Emma, Anna agreed that BYU has always been her dream school, but watching her older sister commit and play, she knew BYU was where she belonged.
Photo by BYU Photo
“Seeing Emma go through the program and seeing the experience she was getting with her teammates and the support staff, it made me want to attend even more,” Anna said.While Anna went through the recruiting process, both were ecstatic when BYU offered Anna the opportunity to join her sister.“When BYU had offered her, I was so excited and wanted her to come,” said Emma.Growing up, the two practiced with each other in the backyard. However, their age gap prevented them from sharing a team growing up, which is why this season is so special.
Photo by BYU Photo
“Since I am five years older, we never got to play on the same team, so it is really fun to be on the same team now,” Emma said.Before coming to BYU, both sisters had many soccer achievements, such as being a 5A Utah High School State Champion. In addition, Emma was named the 2022 USYA TOSH Female Athlete of the Year, and Anna won Utah Celtic F.C. Female Player of the Year.“We’re obviously really close, but I feel being teammates has brought us even closer,” said Anna.Cougar fans can watch the Neff sisters play their first and last college season, respectively, this year. BYU faces the Arizona Wildcats on Friday night in Tucson.
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byu women's soccer
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