Michigan State University Athletics
Victoria Radwell: A Spartan's Journey
10/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Oct. 21, 2015 
By Derek Blalock, MSU Athletic Communications Student Assistant
EAST LANSING, Mich. - When Victoria Radwell was in second grade, she spent each day striving to follow in the footsteps of her older sister, Amanda. So much so, Victoria picked up the sport of field hockey solely because it was the sport her sister was playing.
Fast forward nearly 15 years, the Medford, N.J., native is now a senior forward for the MSU field hockey team, which is just two years removed from their fourth Big Ten Championship in program history.
"I started playing because my older sister played and, obviously, I wanted to be just like her," Radwell said. "Eventually, field hockey was the only sport I played. I got to play with my sister for a year in high school, which was really fun."
Radwell also has two younger sisters, who she is equally close to, though neither of them play field hockey.
"They don't, which I'm very disappointed in them for," Radwell joked. "But my little sister is a cheerleader, so we're very different in the competitiveness area, but she's just as athletic as I am. She trains and works just as hard."
As a member of the 2013 squad, Radwell appeared in 18 games, including seven starts, to help right the ship after the Spartans entered October with a losing record.
Not only did they turn the season around to win the Big Ten Championship, the Spartans also won two games in the NCAA Tournament, including an upset of No. 2 Syracuse to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 2009.
"It was really exciting to see where we had come from," Radwell said. "It was such a process, and that's something we talk about all the time. We stuck to the process to get us where we wanted to go, so our outcome was amazing and really exciting."
Despite being from New Jersey with no personal connections to the state of Michigan, Radwell was wide-eyed during the recruiting process and found herself genuinely enjoying several aspects of Michigan State.
The size of the campus and student body, as well as the success of the athletics department, were just some of the reasons the Radwell decided to be Spartan.
But, as she reflects on her time at MSU, Radwell said that she will always remember the school pride of fans and alumni.
"One thing I'll remember is the school pride, which is nationwide," she said. "I'll go home to New Jersey, and people are excited to talk about Michigan State. We'll travel, (and when) we went to Florida a couple years back for spring break and went on a run, we saw Michigan State flags on some of the houses, which was really cool to see. It's not just this area that this school is a big deal; it's everywhere."
As her college career is drawing to a close, Radwell, who would like to become an occupational therapist, is looking to continue her education by attending grad school.
"Ultimately, I want to go home and be close to family," Radwell said. "I'm really close to my three sisters."
By Derek Blalock, MSU Athletic Communications Student Assistant
EAST LANSING, Mich. - When Victoria Radwell was in second grade, she spent each day striving to follow in the footsteps of her older sister, Amanda. So much so, Victoria picked up the sport of field hockey solely because it was the sport her sister was playing.
Fast forward nearly 15 years, the Medford, N.J., native is now a senior forward for the MSU field hockey team, which is just two years removed from their fourth Big Ten Championship in program history.
"I started playing because my older sister played and, obviously, I wanted to be just like her," Radwell said. "Eventually, field hockey was the only sport I played. I got to play with my sister for a year in high school, which was really fun."
Radwell also has two younger sisters, who she is equally close to, though neither of them play field hockey.
"They don't, which I'm very disappointed in them for," Radwell joked. "But my little sister is a cheerleader, so we're very different in the competitiveness area, but she's just as athletic as I am. She trains and works just as hard."
As a member of the 2013 squad, Radwell appeared in 18 games, including seven starts, to help right the ship after the Spartans entered October with a losing record.
Not only did they turn the season around to win the Big Ten Championship, the Spartans also won two games in the NCAA Tournament, including an upset of No. 2 Syracuse to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 2009.
"It was really exciting to see where we had come from," Radwell said. "It was such a process, and that's something we talk about all the time. We stuck to the process to get us where we wanted to go, so our outcome was amazing and really exciting."
Despite being from New Jersey with no personal connections to the state of Michigan, Radwell was wide-eyed during the recruiting process and found herself genuinely enjoying several aspects of Michigan State.
The size of the campus and student body, as well as the success of the athletics department, were just some of the reasons the Radwell decided to be Spartan.
But, as she reflects on her time at MSU, Radwell said that she will always remember the school pride of fans and alumni.
"One thing I'll remember is the school pride, which is nationwide," she said. "I'll go home to New Jersey, and people are excited to talk about Michigan State. We'll travel, (and when) we went to Florida a couple years back for spring break and went on a run, we saw Michigan State flags on some of the houses, which was really cool to see. It's not just this area that this school is a big deal; it's everywhere."
As her college career is drawing to a close, Radwell, who would like to become an occupational therapist, is looking to continue her education by attending grad school.
"Ultimately, I want to go home and be close to family," Radwell said. "I'm really close to my three sisters."
Players Mentioned
Forward
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