First, there was Kyle — an unheralded walk-on turned defensive cornerstone. Now, it is Griffin and Lara — the twin siblings, anchoring the defense of the Virginia men's and women's lacrosse squads in their own right, just like their older brother once did. And this spring, for the first time in their college careers, they are doing it together.
Griffin, a senior, and Lara, a junior, have taken separate, winding paths to arrive at Virginia. Neither started their career at Virginia, but both, like their brother did in 2021, will likely graduate from the place they so deeply appreciate.
“Just walking around this place, it's so deeply rooted in tradition,” Lara said. “The atmosphere and the environment that you're playing in is so cool, and you can just tell that the school and the people of Charlottesville really rally around these teams, which is so special.”
The siblings’ story started back in Chatham, N.J., where lacrosse was a part of their everyday life. Their oldest sister, Regan, steered her athleticism toward swimming, eventually earning herself a spot at Harvard. But for the three younger siblings, the lacrosse field was home. Kyle, Griffin and Lara spent hours passing a ball in the backyard, imitating the older players they idolized.
Kyle's journey to Virginia set the tone for what was to come. When he arrived at Virginia in 2017, he had no guaranteed spot on the team. Coach Lars Tiffany offered him three days to prove that he deserved a spot on the roster, and that was all Kyle needed. By the end of his trial, he had impressed the coaching staff enough to secure a roster spot.
“[Kyle was] not recruited and [was] offered little optimism from myself for making the team, much less playing,” Tiffany said before his freshman season. “[But] this first-year has quickly proven me wrong. How does an unheralded defenseman quickly make such a shockingly positive impression?”
Kyle played in every game during his freshman season, and every game the next season, and every game the season after that and the one after that. In 2021, his senior year, he ranked No. 8 in the nation with 23 caused turnovers and was named a USILA third-team All-American.
Seeing Kyle excel made Griffin dream, but when no offer from Virginia came, he committed to Richmond instead. There, he immediately took off, starting in all but one game his freshman year in 2022, including a matchup against Virginia, which Richmond won.
After his freshman season, Griffin entered the transfer portal, and Tiffany made sure to bring him to Charlottesville. Griffin earned his place and quickly made an impact, bringing intensity and poise to Virginia's back line, just like his brother before him.
“Kyle was probably the biggest influence I had growing up playing lacrosse,” Griffin said. “Just because he obviously went through everything that I was going to go through … He kind of set the path for me of how to be successful when playing high school and college lacrosse.”
Lara's journey was decidedly more bumpy. Following a torn ACL during her sophomore year of high school, which set back her recruitment process, Lara took a gap year after graduating high school, then committed to Florida. Fate once again intervened — another ACL tear robbed her of her first season with the Gators.
But after months of recovery, Lara returned, playing in every game during her second year at Florida. In the spring of 2024, the team traveled to Charlottesville for a second-round NCAA Tournament game, and while the Gators proceeded to beat the Cavaliers, Lara knew she had found a place with a unique opportunity — to play lacrosse at the same school as her twin, in a place where her family's legacy already lived.
Lara arrived at Virginia this year. For the twins, it has been a rare gift to play alongside each other.
“Griffin and I get this last year together which is unlike any other,” Lara said. “It was so hard to turn down being able to come to school with my brother for a year.”
They have watched each other's games in person, a luxury they rarely had before. Griffin often sits with their mother in the stands at Lara's games, a quiet point of pride as he watches her excel in the same color uniform he wears.
“It's cool to see her in that U.Va. jersey and knowing we go to the same school together,” Griffin said. “... I'd always watch the [Florida] games online, but to actually see her playing a game at the same school I'm going to kind of feels like high school again.”
Kyle, though not in the same place, is ever-present in his support for his siblings. After every game, Griffin calls his older brother for feedback. Kyle, always honest and analytical, does not hold back.
“He will know the ins and outs of it,” Griffin said. “So I like to get his take on it — he's been very good about being honest, and it helps me play better in the future.”
Lara gets the same treatment. Though Kyle knows less about the women's game, he never misses a chance to support his sister.
“Kyle keeps me pretty level-headed,” Lara said. “I can kind of call him after a game and go through some stuff. He's pretty good about watching [my games].”
On the field, the twins bring a quiet confidence to their teams. Lara has 14 ground balls and nine caused turnovers, and Griffin has 19 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers. Their playing speaks for itself — disciplined, strategic and anchored by years on instinct honed in backyards and summer leagues. Off the field, they bring something just as valuable, and that is a sense of gratitude for the chance to share this time together.
For Griffin, it almost seems surreal to have been able to have this experience with his siblings. He remembers a moment from the 2024 NCAA Tournament in which the announcers pointed out the family dynasty, one that reflected the impact of his family’s legacy.
“I had the ball, and [the announcer] said, ‘Griffin Kology with the ball,’” Griffin said. “‘His sister plays at U.Va. as well. She plays defense, and his brother played defense as well at U.Va. a couple years ago.’ So just hearing that, it's always really cool.”
It’s not something either of them would have expected a couple years ago.
“Our paths just led us back together,” Lara said, “And I'm so grateful for that.”
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