RADFORD, Va. – For Bella Signorello, a chance encounter with the Radford Magazine spotlighting an upcoming women's lacrosse program, would prove to change the course of her life.
"I started playing sports when I was about six years old and after doing everything from swimming to baseball, I finally decided to play lacrosse because of my dad. At the time he had recently received a coaching job at my local high school, that was when he decided to start coaching me and my siblings. I later joined a recreational league in the spring and have loved playing this game ever since."
The Signorello family name is synonymous not only with Radford University but Radford Athletics as well. Following in the footsteps of both her parents, Bella is a rising sophomore who is honoring the legacy of her late father every time she suits up for Radford women's lacrosse team.
THE LEGACY
With both of her parents being Highlander alumni, Bella's dream was to attend Radford since the third grade. But there was no avenue for her to play the sport she had previously fallen in love with, thanks to the guidance of her father, John Signorello. However, a Radford Magazine made its way into the Signorello home and perhaps unknowingly Bella's mother opened it, skimming to a page spotlighting the addition of the women's lacrosse program. And, that was all it took to set the dream in motion.
"My mom left the article with no expectations of me actually reading it but not only did I read it, I hung it up in my room. My dad played lacrosse at Radford and I thought it would be even more special if I could play there too. It was then my new goal to be a part of this team and I am so glad I decided to go down this path."
Men's lacrosse counted towards Radford's NCAA Division I varsity sports total until it was disbanded in 2001. Prior to then, John received a full scholarship and was the team captain as a member of the Highlander lacrosse team. He was also a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, who have now pledged their support to the women's lacrosse program.
Flash-forward to 2020, and his daughter not only attends the same university but is finding herself on the pitch, carrying on the Signorello legacy.
THE JOURNEY
"I first met Bella when she attended our summer camp," said head coach Haley Hardy. "She was pretty young when she first attended…we weren't yet recruiting her class and she was definitely raw as a lacrosse player. But honestly, what caught my eye first was at check-in for camp. She had some of her younger siblings with her, she was so kind to them and I could see how they looked up to her. Maybe it sounds silly, but it was just so genuine and endearing to me. You could tell she was just a selfless person and that is such a rare quality to fine in someone that age. Once we got out on the field, although her skills were still pretty green, she was incredibly explosive and fearless. Any bit of coaching we gave her, she tried to apply it right away. She had every mental and emotional quality that a coach would look for in a recruit."
But, Bella hadn't really thought about playing at the collegiate level until a few years prior when she was in the eighth grade. "My travel coach, Kristin Ash, is the reason I started thinking about playing in college and her belief in me pushed me to believe in myself. She was with me every step of the way. I was not sure if I was ever going to be able to play Division I lacrosse but I made it my goal since middle school."
The Leesburg, Va., native attended Tuscarora High School where she was a multi-sport student-athlete – playing lacrosse, field hockey, as well as cross country. On the pitch, Bella played at the midfield and attack positions, being a member of the varsity squad since her freshman year. She holds the record for most assists in a game at seven as well as draw controls in a season at 97.
As a member of Husky athletics, she accumulated numerous honors include being named a three-time First Team all-conference honoree, two-time Second Team all-district selection, First Team All-District her junior year, Player of the Week several times, team captain twice, MVP of the game four times, and her high school's Player of the season. She carried over her success into the classroom as an honor student and founder of the Italian Language Learning Club.
"Coach Hardy made the recruitment process for me so exciting and special. Nothing ever felt more right than choosing to play at Radford. I had a great experience attending multiple lacrosse camps before I committed, which helped introduce me to some of the girls and the campus."
Determination, drive, and passion displayed on the field as well as in the classroom…the embodiment of what a student-athlete is at the next level.
"Bella wasn't this super star recruit with a bunch of offers and all that attention, she genuinely just knew for so long that this was her dream and she was so determined to make it happen," said Hardy. "All I did was give her an opportunity, she's such a great person that it was truly an easy choice for me. But, now seeing her become one of our top attackers is incredible and there is no denying that its fate."
THE DREAM
"There were many ups and downs this season, as a freshman I tried to make the most out of my first year by focusing on all the upsides we had as a team and let the down sides motivate me to keep working hard. This season was full of nerves but mostly excitement and playing with my team made it one thousand times more fun. All the girls really embraced all of the freshman and made the transition even more welcoming and so much smoother."
Bella and the Highlanders made their 2020 season debut taking on Saint Francis (Pa.) and bested the Red Flash for the third consecutive season. Prior to the season being canceled due to health concerns surrounding COVID-19, Radford was 3-6 overall having gone 2-0 on their northern spring break campaign against Hartford and Central Connecticut. The Highlanders had one more stop to make, at Iona, before completing their spring break conquest.
It was during this time, when Bella found her groove and came into her own on the field. She was named the Big South Conference Freshman of the Week back on March 10th, for her career defining performance at Hartford and versus Robert Morris. Her three goals serve as her new career and season-high. Those goals aided in the Highlanders 18-12 victory over in Hawks, to start Radford off 1-0 on their spring break tour up North. Earlier in the week, Radford faced Robert Morris at home where she added a pair of goals to the cause. On the week, she had a total of five goals, six shots, five shots on goal, a ground ball, a caused turnover, and seven draw controls. Radford took on Central Connecticut on March 9th in a 12-7 conquest, where she continued her four-game streak with at least one goal.
"Being selected as the Big South Freshman of the Week was a high-level goal that I set for myself but truly never expected to achieve so it. In doing so, it was one of the best feelings receiving this award. My team made it even more special for me because of how genuinely supportive and excited they were for me. It was almost like we were all experiencing the same feeling."
Even though the season was cut short, Bella was well on her way to making her impact felt for the Highlanders. She played in eight games and started in four of those contests. She tallied seven goals, an assist, a 53.8 shot percentage, nine shots on goal, a 69.2 shot on goal percentage, a pair of ground balls, a caused turnover, 17 draw controls, and a game-winning goal.
"A lot of people waste time looking for something other than hard work...not Bella, she just 'gets it'," said Hardy. "Since she showed up in August, she just out works everyone around her. She's constantly asking for coaching and honest feedback too…What really sets Bella a part is that even at a young age, she plays without fear of failure. She just loves the game, knows her purpose and attacks each play with everything she has."
THE DREAM, REALIZED
Bella dons the jersey, No.1, but prior to her there was Callie Bonnel who graduated in 2019. She set numerous program records and was honored by the conference on multiple occasions for her impeccable play for Radford on the field. She too had an impressive freshman season as a Highlander and came from an athletic family who played lacrosse, but Bella's connection to that number flows a bit deeper. Coach Hardy simply put it like this, "I think the biggest thing for me is just how crazy it is that this all lined up, that John Signorello's daughter was at the perfect age just as Radford added a Division I women's lacrosse program, that Callie Bonnel graduated the year before Bella came in as a freshman to free up the #1 jersey. It's just really clear to me that none of this was an accident and that Bella is exactly where she is supposed to be."
The NCAA recently granted all spring sport student-athletes an extra year of eligibility, so Highlander fans all have an extra season to support this team as well as watch Bella's amazing story evolve.
"As a rising sophomore, I feel like my journey here at Radford is just beginning. Things are coming more and more full circle every day and I am very lucky to be able to say that I feel like I know why I am here and what my purpose is. There is a lot about my dad that I look up to and I hope that in the years to come I can start to resemble some of his best traits on and off the field. One thing that my coaches and teammates have done to make playing here so special is let me wear the jersey with the number one. My coach found out that when my dad played here, he wore number one, my team and coaches really loved the story and helped to reserve the number one for me. I do my best to represent this number well, because of this I feel like I will always be connected to my dad when I play and I have a reason to keep pushing myself to be better every day. His Radford jersey is hanging up at my home and I hope to one day have another jersey of mine hanging up next to his."
