It's about time Bridget and Katie Boyce are on the same team again.

Despite growing up together, Bridget and Katie Boyce never played on the same team until Katie's senior year in high school.

"It has been kinda funny," said Katie, the older Boyce. "It was always a joke in our family, because we always played the same sports, but were never on the same team."

The two finally managed to play together two years ago when Katie was a senior and Bridget was a junior at Mother McAuley High School in Chicago.

"It was so much fun to have her on my team," said Katie. "It really made my senior year to finally play with her, because in volleyball we weren't on the same team either."

Both sisters were two-sport standouts in high school, playing volleyball in addition to basketball, at Mother McAuley, a private, all-girls high school. The fact that they participated in the same sports brought the two together growing up in Oak Lawn, a Chicago suburb.

"We were the closest in age of all our siblings, and we just have so much in common," Katie said.

In a family that includes an older brother and four younger sisters, Katie and Bridget were only a year apart in age. However, their relationship extended beyond their closeness in age.

An unforgettable experience that the Boyces were privileged to share was that of the J. Kyle Braid Leadership Ranch, located in Villa Grove, Colo. Both sisters attended the ranch the summers following their sophomore years of high school.

"It was a great experience, and it became yet another thing that Bridget and I shared, and brought us even closer together," said Katie.

However, the two were soon apart, as Katie was the first to decide on Saint Mary's. They come from a family that loves both Saint Mary's and Notre Dame, and grew up going to football games in the fall.

"I really felt at home here [at Saint Mary's and Notre Dame], and I wanted to be at a small school where I could play basketball," said Katie.

However, she was surprised when Bridget chose to follow her footsteps.

"I really thought that she was going to go to a big school," Katie said. "I never imagined her here."

Now that both Boyces have arrived at Saint Mary's, they look to leave their marks, both on and off the basketball court, as they have become a key part of the Belles squad.

"They are two players who try their hardest all the time and push themselves to be better," Coach Suzanne Bellina said.

Bridget, a 5-foot-7 shooting guard, has stepped up as a freshman this year, starting 13 games and averaging 7.4 points per game. She also leads the team with 24 3-pointers and shoots 80 percent from the free throw line. Bridget leads the team in minutes played as well.

"Bridget has had to come in a step into a big role right away," said Bellina. "She's had to contribute early, just as the other young players."

Katie, on the other hand, is naturally a point guard. The 5-foot-2 sophomore averages 4.4 points and a team high 1.9 steals per game. She also shoots 37 percent from beyond the arc and has started 12 games for the Belles.

However, Katie's contributions have not been limited to her play on the court. She has been instrumental in helping Bridget adjust to the college life.

"Their family is extremely close," said Bellina. "Katie had a tough time adjusting last year, and this year having Katie here has helped Bridget so much."

Although Katie has helped Bridget adjust, both girls have benefited from attending the same college.

"It has been so nice for both of us," Katie said. "To have someone in your family here is great because it makes it feel more like home."

It is because of their family ties that the Boyce sisters have been able to handle this season's disappointing record for the Belles who are (5-16, 1-9).

"It has been disappointing so far, but the season is not over," said Katie. "We just have to learn to have a winning attitude, and take it one step at a time."

Now that they're on the same team again, the Boyce sisters can take that step toward winning together.

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