As the softball season moves closer to the postseason, with Villanova set to host the Big East Tournament on May 7 to May 10, sisters Brooklyn and Madison Ostrowski are preparing for their last games playing on the same field. 

 “It’s kind of surreal, how fast it’s going,”  said Brooklyn, a graduate first baseman. “I’m really trying to hone in on things at the moment and control what I can control. But I’m also just to just have as much fun as possible. I want to try to go out with a bang.”

As the older of the two and the team’s only graduate player, Brooklyn is getting ready to say goodbye to the game after the last five years at Villanova. Though an injury in 2022 forced her to redshirt her sophomore year, the redshirt year allowed her to play an extra year with her younger sister.

“There have been a lot of ups and downs recently, but we just need to focus on consistency,” said Madison, a junior outfielder. “I’ve been trying to be grateful for every moment, from being out on the field and being able to look at [Brooklyn] at first base.”

For any siblings who play on the same team, it can be hard to separate lives on and off the field, or avoid feeling overshadowed by one another. Yet, the Ostrowskis have figured out a system that works for each other, supported by the fact that they genuinely like each other. 

 “I think because we openly communicate with each other, we’re able to manage it,” Brooklyn said. “We learned early on to separate who we are on the field together versus who we are in our rooms together. This year, we’re roommates, which has been awesome. Some people would think of it as a nightmare. But I think it’s the best thing ever. We’re best friends, so that’s the coolest part.”

Still, that doesn’t mean the sisters aren’t each other’s toughest critics. Their close bond has helped them grow together and continually push each other to improve. 

“They’re just great human beings and athletes, too,” head coach Bridget Orchard said. “They’re competitive and they push each other. I’ve had sisters in the past, and what you find about them is that they push each other harder than anybody. They’re not letting up on it at all.” 

Though Brooklyn already had two Big East Championships (2021, 2022) under her belt when Madison joined as a freshman, the goal now has always been to win it together. 

Despite falling short in 2023, their dreams came true in 2024 as Villanova took home the conference title for the third time in program history. The Wildcats went on to advance to the NCAA Regional Final in their best season in program history.

“When we lost my freshman year, that was so bad,” Madison said. “Into the summer, we were having nightmares about it. It was awful. But last season was just so fun. Everyone was so bought in, even if you weren’t playing. I think that motivated everybody. It was just so fun because I love being the underdog. No one expected us to beat UConn, but we did.” 

Despite the success of the 2024 season, the Ostrowskis have saved the best for their last season together. Brooklyn, batting .295 this season with 10 home runs, has been a consistent starter for the Wildcats over her last two years of playing. However, even more exciting for the sisters has been Madison’s progression over the past season, improving her batting average from .074 in 2024 to .310 in 2025 and earning a starting role in over 34 games this season.

“Playing at a college level can be so cutthroat because if you mess up, you could lose your spot,” Madison Ostrowski said. “I think in the past, I believed ‘I can’t mess up’ or ‘Don’t mess up, or this will happen’ and just focused on the negative. But this year, I’ve just been focusing on controlling what I can control. Just going out there, competing and playing the game that I’ve always loved. That’s really helped me to stay loose.”  

Now, their final mission together includes getting Brooklyn her fourth championship ring heading into the Big East Tournament next week. While the Wildcats have stiff competition this year St. John’s and UConn, the Ostrowski sisters have each other to lean on when facing significant challenges.

“It feels awesome,” Brooklyn said. “After each out, we’ll kiss our finger and point to each other. It’s cool how in moments of pressure and when the game is on the line, I’m able to look at [Madison] out there and have some calmness and reality. It’s the best thing ever. I love it. And if one of us ends up getting pulled out during a game, I’ll be, like, ‘Wait, where’s Madison?’ But it’s been a cool constant that we have.”