Alaina Abel's journey to Loyola University Chicago began with a van ride. It was fall 2019, and as she headed to practice on her recruiting visit, something clicked.
"The family atmosphere at Loyola really drew me here," Abel recalled. "It felt like I had a community already coming into college."
Now, as a graduate student and a standout defender on the women's soccer team, that sense of community has only grown stronger.
From the earliest days of her soccer career, Abel was a force to be reckoned with on the field.
"I started playing soccer when I was four, and my earliest memory is scoring a lot of goals," Abel said. "It's funny thinking back to that now as a defender, but that was the fun part for me at that age – going coast to coast on the field."
Today, while she may not have every opportunity to score goals, Abel's impact is undeniable. She's started and played every minute in Loyola's last 27 consecutive matches, accumulating 2,430 active minutes since August 2023, and assisting the Ramblers' defense in five shutouts so far this season.
Soccer has evolved into something far greater than just a game for Abel.
"The meaning of soccer has changed a lot for me over the years," she said. "Coming into college, it was a very competitive game. Now, as a grad student, and even last year as a senior, it's like family to me."
Abel's accolades speak to her talent. One of her proudest moments came in her first year at Loyola when she was named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year in the spring of 2021.
"That was a really proud moment for me," Abel said. "The transition to college during COVID was weird, but I was able to make it through the first year with the resources around me, and still be successful."
Abel went on to be named to the 2021 Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman Team, and back-to-back selections in 2022 and 2023 to the Second Team All-Missouri Valley Conference, United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-Midwest Region and All-Atlantic 10 Second Team.
Off the field, Abel's journey has been shaped by personal challenges. In middle school, Abel was diagnosed with alopecia areata, an auto-immune disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles. In the first five years of her diagnosis, Abel experienced small, manageable patches of hair loss until college, when things began to change.
"In my junior year, I started noticing more significant hair loss," Abel said. "It was an emotional roller coaster because in the past I would use steroid creams and my hair would grow back within eight weeks, but then it was three or four months with no results, nothing was happening, and I was losing more hair."
By spring, Abel was sidelined by an injury and unable to be on the field with her teammates. The combination of dealing with her alopecia and being injured, away from her team, was hard for Abel.
Then in March of her junior year, she made a bold decision – she shaved her head.
"It was super empowering," Abel said. "It reminded me of the importance of having a tribe of people around you who love and care about you because they'll fill your bucket if you fill theirs."
The experience shifted her mindset.
"As a female, we often put so much of our identity in our hair and appearance. It was a huge mental shift, knowing that I'm still the same Alaina that I was before, with or without my red hair. It was hard, but it was necessary."
Abel returned to play her senior season with a fresh perspective – and no hair.
"Coming back in August to play my first season bald was crazy, but super cool. I didn't think about it much anymore once I was on the field because all my teammates treated me as the same Alaina."
Although she doesn't think about her hair loss as much as she used to, Abel is an advocate for others who may be struggling with feeling comfortable in their own skin.
Abel was teaching soccer to middle schoolers in her hometown community of Green Bay, Wis. when she met Lauren, a vibrant, young girl who also has alopecia and is completely bald.
"I had alopecia when I met her, but no one would have ever known at that point and it wasn't a significant part of my life yet, outside of a little hair loss here and there," Abel said. "I knew her prior to my significant hair loss which is another full circle moment for me."
Lauren is the first person Abel thought of when she started losing her own hair, and she found that being vulnerable allows for an opportunity to find a community of people going through similar situations.
"Speak up and ask for help when you need it, no one is alone no matter what you're going through," Abel said.
In addition to raising awareness, Abel is passionate about pushing for legislation that would require wigs to be covered by insurance for those with medical hair loss.
"It's bizarre that wigs aren't covered," she said. "They're crazy expensive, and it's a huge financial burden for some families just trying to help their kids feel somewhat normal."
As Abel's final collegiate regular season is halfway through, she reflects on the journey.
"Leaving college can be scary, but I feel ready and prepared because of Loyola and the community it has brought me, and all the resources I've been given and have been able to take advantage of as a student-athlete."
Interim head coach
Angela Staveskie has been with the program since Abel's sophomore season, witnessing some of the challenges that she's faced.
"Alaina is a warrior, and she shows that fighting spirit both on and off the field. I have a lot of respect for the way she carries herself and how she has handled adversity," Staveskie said. "She continues to make her mark on this team and the Loyola community."
With Loyola's women's soccer team currently riding an impressive 6-0 home record, Abel is determined to finish her final season strong.
Regardless of the results on the field, it's clear that Abel's legacy will reach far beyond the game. She has grown into a resilient leader and a role model for anyone facing their own challenges.
"I'm grateful to rep the maroon and gold and be a Rambler. I will always take pride in where I came from. Being able to have Loyola as part of my story and my journey has been incredible."
