New Crusader: Kwyn Bruce Commits to Belmont Abbey

After years of dedication on and off the field, Kwyn Bruce ’26 makes it official by signing with Belmont Abbey College. Located in North Carolina, she will compete at the NCAA Division 2 level, continuing her soccer journey.

By: Sophia Rodriguez

On Thursday, December 11th, Kwyn Bruce ’26 committed to Belmont Abbey College for soccer at the Division 2 level with a focus on majoring in business.

Bruce has been avidly playing soccer since she was 4 years old. Although her parents urged her to keep playing, she learned to grow much love for the sport.

The biggest influence Bruce says she has had throughout her soccer development “is my dad because he always pushed me to be my best.”

“I would say that my team is always just encouraging each other, and my coaches do the same,” says Bruce about being able to reach this next level of committing to a D2 college.

Balancing school, soccer, and a personal life can come with challenges.

Bruce says she wants “to make time for my friends, but also have to get my school work done. I just feel like it gets pretty hard, but I learned to just, deal with it.”

Before committing to Belmont, Bruce says she wanted to stay in California or even go to school with her sister, Paityn Bruce ’24, in Louisiana.

However, Belmont Abbey College was calling her name.

“My personal goals are to play a lot there and help the team succeed even more,” says Bruce.

Outside of soccer, Bruce says she enjoys travelling. Her favorite destination has been an island named St. Martin, South of Florida.

“To me, it just kind of shows how much I’ve worked for it,” says Bruce about what signing with Belmont Abbey means to her and her family. “My family knows how much I worked for it too, and they have always pushed me to be my best, so it’s kind of for them and me.”

“We are extremely excited,” says Therese Bruce, Kwyn’s Mom, about her signing with Belmont. “We love the whole program. She is going to be far away, but she’s going to have amazing coaches and be a part of an amazing family.”

Mrs. Bruce says the hardest part about Bruce going to school so far away from Visalia is not attending all of her games, but she knows she will be great.

Everything Bruce has done has made her parents proud. Mrs. Bruce says, “She’s been playing soccer since she was three years old. All the time and dedication that she’s put in has gotten her to where she is today.”

Varsity girls soccer coach Jason Vieira describes Bruce off the field as “the type of person who everyone just kind of gets along with. She’s like a connector type.”

On the field, Vieira says Bruce is very crafty and “is an incredibly smart player. She’s able to have her abilities and her vision, which is really what sets her aside. She’s able to really make incredible passes, and she has a really good shot, which has gotten a lot better since she was younger as well.”

She’s able to bring in different kids and likes to build friendships with them. Again, she’s a person who works really hard at her craft off the field. Outside of practice, she always makes sure she is doing the right things and that she’s ready to help the team win.”

Coach Jason Vieira

“It’s just tenacious,” says Vieira. “She’s not the biggest kid on the field. But she plays a lot bigger than she is. She’s super aggressive for someone of her size, and she is able to have the vision to really make everyone around her better.”

Vieira says that because of Bruce, the players around her can play their best and learn from her.

Looking back, Bruce says she would tell her younger self and other athletes hoping to play in college to “keep working and push for your goals, because it’s all worth it in the end.”

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