CONWAY, Ark. — From a six-year-old playing soccer in Phoenix, Arizona, to a freshman kicker at Hendrix College, Emily Vaiasicca never imagined her moment would come on a college football field.

Vaiasicca grew up with two older siblings, but it was her older brother, Austin, who played football and inspired her to try out for the varsity team in her sophomore year of high school.

After earning a starting spot, she began the college recruiting process, which she described as challenging. When she found her home at Hendrix, she said the moment was surreal.

“Coach Philips actually was the one who reached out to me,” Vaiasicca said. “…It didn't matter to him that I was a girl; he just saw me as everyone else.”

This opportunity led to her becoming the first woman in Hendrix College and South

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