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Photo by: Duke Athletics
11/2/2026 12:46:00 PM | Women's Soccer
DURHAM, N.C. - Kaeden and Kosette Koons-Perdikis had never played on the same team before becoming Blue Devils. Now, as Kaeden approaches the conclusion of her collegiate career, the sisters reflect on the memories and relationships that have brought them closer.
For Kaeden, one of the most memorable moments of her Duke soccer career happened before her younger sister ever played a game for the Blue Devils.
During a preseason practice, Kosette looked across the team huddle and realized she was standing alongside her sister, now a teammate.
"I just look across, and I see her, and I was just like, wow, like, I'm here with my sister," Kosette said. "That's crazy."
For Kaeden, the realization came earlier, when Kosette visited Duke before beginning her freshman year.
"I was like, oh my gosh, this is so weird," Kaeden recalled. "My sister's in the huddle, and she's going to be here in a few months."
The sisters grew up training together, pushing each other through workouts and sharing a love of sports. Although they played for the same club at different times, they had never competed on the same organized team.
Duke changed that, giving them two seasons together as Blue Devils and an opportunity neither takes for granted.
"It's really hard to explain, just very special," Kaeden said. "Having an actual sister on the team just makes you even more connected."
Kosette agreed, emphasizing how their relationship has strengthened alongside the team's culture.
"Duke only brought us closer together," Kosette said. "Playing a college sport is such a unique experience. It just creates a kind of bond that can't really be explained."
That bond extends beyond the soccer field. The sisters have shared the emotional extremes of college athletics, from the disappointment of a season-ending loss in the College Cup to the excitement of defeating North Carolina.
"When we lose in the Final Four, I'm crying on her shoulder," Kaeden said. "When we beat UNC at home last year, I'm so happy we're chest-bumping."
Those moments have become some of their most meaningful memories together.
"Sports are just like, you can't recreate that emotion you feel on the field or after a big win or a big loss," Kaeden said. "Having those emotional connections with your sister is just these memories that we're gonna talk about for the rest of our lives."
Growing up, the sisters' competitive spirit was evident in everything from training sessions to family races. Their father, a former college football player at Richmond, often organized workouts for them, including hill sprints with a resistance parachute.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when organized club training was interrupted, the sisters ran together on trails near their home, sometimes covering nine miles.
"We just held each other accountable, which was good," Kosette said. "Having each other during COVID was really, really nice in terms of soccer and everything else."
Their time at Duke has also allowed them to witness each other's growth in new ways. Kosette admires Kaeden's development as a team leader, while Kaeden has been impressed by her sister's willingness to pursue her interests independently, including philosophy and the possibility of conducting canine cognition research.
"Just seeing the way you bring people together, and you bring out the best in other people, and the way you lead by example," Kosette said of Kaeden. "You work so hard every single day."
For Kosette, Duke has also offered opportunities to build an identity beyond athletics, reinforcing the importance of exploring the university's broader community.
"Duke is such a special place in that there are so many opportunities here," she said. "You actually can have time if you make time and as long as you know how to prioritize things."
The university already held special meaning for both sisters. Their mother attended Duke in the 1990s, and the entire family grew up cheering for the Blue Devils. Now, the sisters have created a chapter of their own.
As Kaeden approaches the end of her collegiate career, the everyday experience of seeing her sister in the locker room has taken on new meaning.
"I feel like because we're in it right now, it just seems so routine and so normal," Kosette said. "Like, oh yeah, I'll walk into the locker room and see Kaeden."
That familiarity, she knows, will eventually give way to an appreciation for just how unusual their experience has been.
"Ten years, I'm just going to be like, that was genuinely such a unique and fundamental part of our relationship," Kosette said.
Kaeden has reached a similar realization as she reflects on her final months at Duke.
"I never thought we could get closer until Kosette came here," she said. "This is a bond that we are going to have forever."
Their futures may eventually take them to different places, but the memories they have made together in Durham will remain a shared part of their story.
"Having these two years, being on the same campus, on the same team, and sharing so many similar experiences is just incredible," Kaeden said.
Kaeden, Kosette and the Blue Devils will next take the pitch Thursday, Nov. 5, as Duke hosts Virginia in the regular-season finale at 6 p.m. at Freeman Field at Koskinen Stadium.
#GoDuke
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For Kaeden, one of the most memorable moments of her Duke soccer career happened before her younger sister ever played a game for the Blue Devils.
During a preseason practice, Kosette looked across the team huddle and realized she was standing alongside her sister, now a teammate.
"I just look across, and I see her, and I was just like, wow, like, I'm here with my sister," Kosette said. "That's crazy."
For Kaeden, the realization came earlier, when Kosette visited Duke before beginning her freshman year.
"I was like, oh my gosh, this is so weird," Kaeden recalled. "My sister's in the huddle, and she's going to be here in a few months."
The sisters grew up training together, pushing each other through workouts and sharing a love of sports. Although they played for the same club at different times, they had never competed on the same organized team.
Duke changed that, giving them two seasons together as Blue Devils and an opportunity neither takes for granted.
"It's really hard to explain, just very special," Kaeden said. "Having an actual sister on the team just makes you even more connected."
Kosette agreed, emphasizing how their relationship has strengthened alongside the team's culture.
"Duke only brought us closer together," Kosette said. "Playing a college sport is such a unique experience. It just creates a kind of bond that can't really be explained."
That bond extends beyond the soccer field. The sisters have shared the emotional extremes of college athletics, from the disappointment of a season-ending loss in the College Cup to the excitement of defeating North Carolina.
"When we lose in the Final Four, I'm crying on her shoulder," Kaeden said. "When we beat UNC at home last year, I'm so happy we're chest-bumping."
Those moments have become some of their most meaningful memories together.
"Sports are just like, you can't recreate that emotion you feel on the field or after a big win or a big loss," Kaeden said. "Having those emotional connections with your sister is just these memories that we're gonna talk about for the rest of our lives."
Growing up, the sisters' competitive spirit was evident in everything from training sessions to family races. Their father, a former college football player at Richmond, often organized workouts for them, including hill sprints with a resistance parachute.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when organized club training was interrupted, the sisters ran together on trails near their home, sometimes covering nine miles.
"We just held each other accountable, which was good," Kosette said. "Having each other during COVID was really, really nice in terms of soccer and everything else."
Their time at Duke has also allowed them to witness each other's growth in new ways. Kosette admires Kaeden's development as a team leader, while Kaeden has been impressed by her sister's willingness to pursue her interests independently, including philosophy and the possibility of conducting canine cognition research.
"Just seeing the way you bring people together, and you bring out the best in other people, and the way you lead by example," Kosette said of Kaeden. "You work so hard every single day."
For Kosette, Duke has also offered opportunities to build an identity beyond athletics, reinforcing the importance of exploring the university's broader community.
"Duke is such a special place in that there are so many opportunities here," she said. "You actually can have time if you make time and as long as you know how to prioritize things."
The university already held special meaning for both sisters. Their mother attended Duke in the 1990s, and the entire family grew up cheering for the Blue Devils. Now, the sisters have created a chapter of their own.
As Kaeden approaches the end of her collegiate career, the everyday experience of seeing her sister in the locker room has taken on new meaning.
"I feel like because we're in it right now, it just seems so routine and so normal," Kosette said. "Like, oh yeah, I'll walk into the locker room and see Kaeden."
That familiarity, she knows, will eventually give way to an appreciation for just how unusual their experience has been.
"Ten years, I'm just going to be like, that was genuinely such a unique and fundamental part of our relationship," Kosette said.
Kaeden has reached a similar realization as she reflects on her final months at Duke.
"I never thought we could get closer until Kosette came here," she said. "This is a bond that we are going to have forever."
Their futures may eventually take them to different places, but the memories they have made together in Durham will remain a shared part of their story.
"Having these two years, being on the same campus, on the same team, and sharing so many similar experiences is just incredible," Kaeden said.
Kaeden, Kosette and the Blue Devils will next take the pitch Thursday, Nov. 5, as Duke hosts Virginia in the regular-season finale at 6 p.m. at Freeman Field at Koskinen Stadium.
#GoDuke
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