BOULDER, Colo. — The University of Colorado soccer team has had plenty to celebrate this season: Big wins so far, and now, a place as the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
But the heart of the Buffaloes’ success lies in two sisters whose story began long before they put on the black and gold.
Hope and Faith Leyba were born at just 27 weeks. The twins were “mono mono,” meaning they shared both a placenta and an amniotic sac, a rare and risky condition with less than a 40% chance of survival.
“Our parents couldn’t do anything except pray,” Hope said. “They told each other, ‘If it all works out, we’ll name them Hope and Faith.’ And that’s what happened.”
Now, the twins are giving Colorado fans plenty to believe in.
Head coach Danny Sanchez said recruiting the pair was an easy decision.
“We wanted them both,” Sanchez said. “Even for our high expectations, they’ve exceeded everything.”
Hope has become one of the top scorers in the nation, leaping from just two goals as a freshman to 21 this season, a new CU record for most goals in a single year. Faith, meanwhile, anchors the Buffaloes’ defense, providing leadership and grit on the back line.
“When you talk about a leader by example, there’s no one who works harder than those two,” Sanchez said. “It just doesn’t happen.”
Their competitive drive has been a constant since childhood.
“We’d play outside every day after school, just trying to score the most goals,” Faith said. “Even in high school, if I saw Hope increase her treadmill speed, I’d have to increase mine, too.”
The sisters’ bond runs deep and sometimes confuses teammates. They recently started wearing different colored cleats so their coaches could tell them apart.
But there’s no mistaking their impact. Other teams have taken notice of the dynamic duo, and they’ll get another chance to shine when Colorado hosts Utah Valley in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday in Boulder.
