Assistant Coach Teresita Ambrogi-Torres ’21 knows firsthand that Randolph-Macon Field Hockey is often a family affair. Throughout her time with the team, first as a prolific forward and now on the coaching staff, she has played with and coached seven sets of siblings.

That includes her own: coaching her younger sister Valentina ’27. 

“I always joke that I’ve been bossing her around her whole life, so it’s not that much different than normal life,” Teresita jokes.

Field hockey has been a constant in the sisters’ lives. Their mother, who played in high school and college, made sure a stick was in their hands from an early age and coached them throughout their childhood. Both sisters tried other sports, but their passion was always field hockey.

As she was deciding where to attend college, Teresita heard pitches about RMC from her uncle Anthony Ambrogi who worked in the Admissions office, then decided to make a formal visit after receiving an email from Head Coach Jessica Weiss.

“Once I got here, I fell in love with the school and the community, then also the field hockey side of it,” Teresita said.

She was a natural attacking player, scoring 46 goals across her career, the sixth most in program history. With the COVID pandemic suspending her senior season to the spring of 2021, Teresita chose to return for a fifth year and play that fall as well. In all five seasons, she earned recognition on All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference teams and often led the Yellow Jackets in scoring.

But, as a member of the first recruiting class to play all four years under Coach Weiss, what she takes more pride in is being part of a group that established the team’s culture.

“We helped build the foundations of the program, which was really special,” she reflected. “We wanted to be the ones that started us strong and got the program where we want it to be and they can keep building on.” Already a team captain and veteran leader, the transition to assistant coaching was a seamless one.

While Valentina chose to play at RMC as well, she hardly followed in her sister’s footsteps. On the field, they couldn’t be more different. In contrast to Teresita, the high-scoring attacker, Valentina has played goalie since she was eight years old.

Because of their six-year age gap, the sisters never played on the same team growing up. That doesn’t mean they’ve never shared a field;  the duo would regularly practice together, Teresita taking shots against Valentina, iron sharpening iron. During the offseason, Valentina would often face shots from Teresita and her teammates in addition to attending RMC clinics.

When it came time for her own college decision, Valentina didn’t immediately choose Randolph-Macon, instead weighing her options from a variety of NCAA Divisions and areas of the country. Ultimately, the combination of a high-quality school and high-quality field hockey won her over to be a Yellow Jacket, with the chance to join her sister an added bonus.

“You always have the joke that I copy everything you do, and I swear I don’t!” Valentina laughed with her sister and coach.

The sisters, who already refer to each other with the shorthand “T” and “V,” quickly worked out a system to handle the sister-player-coach dynamic. If Valentina has a question about what time the team is in the weight room, her text begins with “Hey Coach T.” If it’s about a family matter, it begins “Hey Sister T.”

“It’s gone really well and it’s made both relationships go so naturally,” Valentina said. “That little adjustment has made such a big difference.”

Things went well on the field for the Yellow Jackets in 2025 as well. RMC finished with a 12-7 record, the most wins for the program in well over a decade, and made the ODAC semifinals for the first time since 2013. Much of that success was due to the team’s stellar defensive performance, led by Valentina.

The junior, in her third year as a starter, won ODAC Defensive Player of the Year honors for her efforts in the cage. Her nine shutouts were a single-season school record and her .876 save percentage was the second-best mark in the nation.

After games, the team gives high fives down the line of coaches. After RMC beat Bridgewater in the ODAC quarterfinals, a huge win, the sisters opted instead for a big hug. Sharing those moments with each other has made the accomplishments even more special.

“I’ve been here for so long that I’ve seen the progression of RMC Field Hockey, where we started and where we are now,” Teresita said. “We never got to play together, but now we’re on the same team.”

“I don’t think I would be half as happy if I had chosen a different school,” Valentina reflected. “Both for the school itself, Randolph-Macon in general, but also for this opportunity.”