The 2019 USA Ultimate club series will be the backdrop for a unique sibling rivalry, as Colombian national team standouts Manuela and Valeria Cardenas suit up for separate teams.

Manuela plans to return to Denver Molly Brown, while Valeria will join Seattle Riot.

The 19-year-old star is ready to take on the challenge of managing studies, national team commitments, and a move to Seattle for a chance to play with one of the best teams in the world and winners of the last two world club championships.

“I am excited about playing with a team I have always admired,” Valeria said.

“I know they will positively contribute to my way of playing, just like I can positively contribute to the team.”

Valeria Cardenas will bring an arsenal of big throws and big bids to Riot, who are looking to win their first Nationals since 2005.

Manuela will enter her third year playing with Molly Brown, who will look to improve on a loss to Brute Squad in the semifinals of last year’s Nationals.

“This is a team I really love. I feel so happy playing with them and having challenges with them. We have a big challenge [as a team] and that is winning Nationals, and I didn’t want to leave without [doing that],” she said.

For the twins – best friends since birth – the decision to split up and play on different teams in different cities for the first time in their lives was not an easy one, but one that they felt made the most sense for ultimate reasons as well as personal development reasons.

Manuela said that while she would miss her sister, she was thrilled to see her get a chance to live a similar experience that she had in 2017, leaving her comfort zone to join a new team in a new city and learning a new language.

“We were talking about what team she should play with and I said I would love it if you would play with Molly Brown because it would be more comfortable for me to have my sister over there,” she said.

“But we both want to grow, and be more mature, and grow as people, not just as players. It’s an experience that will make us grow a lot.”

“I love matching up against [Valeria]. I want to win all the reps against her and she wants to do the same.” -Manuela Cardenas

“[Playing with Riot] gives me an opportunity to differentiate myself and find a way to be independent of Manu and do what I want to do,” Valeria added.

The pair are already excited about the possibility of matching up in big games this season.

“When we match up against each other we play very physically. We are sisters and we love each other but that doesn’t matter when we are on the field. I want to win and she wants to win,” Manuela said.

“It would be so great if, for example, in the final of USA Nationals Riot is against Molly Brown and we are matching up on important points.”

Manuela cited the bond she shares with her Molly Brown teammates as a big motivating factor for her return.

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Since starting their ultimate careers at age nine, the sisters have been extremely close in their relationship both on and off the field, and are seeing themselves realize dreams they have been working towards for years, as they grow into two of the best ultimate players in the world.

“When we started playing our first coach told us ‘you can be so so good’, and we knew that. We knew we could be something good and not just in Colombia,” said Manuela.

“I think that we can be the best players in the world soon.” -Manuela Cardenas

By age 14, the girls were already in the top tier of players in the Colombian ultimate scene.

“We were thinking we could be something very big in the world of ultimate, and I think now that we can be the best players in the world soon,” Manuela added.

The sisters, who will turn 20 this year, are among the most popular and recognizable ultimate players in the world already.

“When people say I am doing great and when younger players say they feel inspired by me, that feels really good,” said Manuela, reflecting on the positives and negatives of her popularity.

“But for real we are super surprised,” she added, remembering times when opposing players’ parents would ask them for pictures, or when they would see posters of themselves on the walls of someone else’s house.

Most of the time, the popularity and recognition keeps pace with Manuela’s energetic personality.

“I have super energy so sometimes I’m at a tournament and I smile at everyone and they smile back. I love the part [of ultimate] where I can get to know more people and meet more people around the world, it’s so great,” she said.

The sisters will join forces in July to compete with Colombia at the world U24 championships in Germany.

But on the performance side, the pressure the teenagers have faced already in their ultimate career can be a lot at times.

“When I lose, for example in Cincinnati in the final [of WUCC], all the eyes of the people are on you and you’re super sad and people want to help you but you just want to be alone,” Manuela said.

“I sometimes feel like I can’t have my moment to be sad and think about the game.”

“I think I can fix those problems this year by just winning everything,” she joked.

The sisters will start the USAU series as teammates with the Medellin Revolution at the U.S. Open, but will look to take the field as opponents for the first time at the Pro Championships in Philadelphia at the end of August.

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