Courtesy of Norfolk State Athletic Communications


Don't think for a minute that just because their college athletic careers are over that sisters Alina and Seana Moriarty have lost their competitive flair.

But in the years since they hung up their softball cleats, the stakes have changed. Rather than pushing each other to succeed on the diamond at the Norfolk State Softball Field, the sisters' competitive fires have been stoked by familiar sibling hijinks. Leisurely bike rides through their Chesapeake neighborhoods turn into impromptu races. Family gatherings feature spirited card games. Just don't mention kitchen chores.

"We will basically make a competition out of any situation," Seana, an NSU infielder from 2015-18, said. "Our favorite game is Rummy – and let me tell you, it gets heated when we play. Even just doing the dishes at our parents' house, though that's more a competition as to who can do the least amount of dishes and get away with it." 

Alina, a Spartan infielder and outfielder from 2012-15, concurred.

"I really miss the stress relief that came with playing softball, but competition never leaves the Moriarty household," she said. "Anything can, and usually does, turn into a competition. Especially when all four of us sisters are together."

The Moriarty family includes eldest sister Bryn, who swam at the Naval Academy and is now a Lieutenant Surface Warfare Officer; and youngest sister Siobhan, who played club softball at Navy before commissioning this year as an Ensign. She is currently attending flight school.

"Ali" and Seana are the two middle sisters and both left their mark at NSU in more ways than one. Ali became just the second player in school history to earn All-MEAC softball honors three times. She earned first-team honors as a sophomore, then second-team accolades her next two years. She capped her career by topping her former teammate, Morgan Boyd, for the most hits in school history with a home run in her final MEAC Tournament in 2015.

"When I was playing travel ball I had a coach tell me to stop swinging for the fence because I was 'too small to be a power hitter'," Ali said. "So being in the top five or six different career and 10 different season/game offensive statistics records is particularly meaningful to me. Becoming the all-time hits leader felt like all those extra hours of work paid off."

Off the field, Ali, a biology major and Honors College student, was a Capital One Academic All-District 3 selection. She also earned academic all-state and National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholar Athlete honors two straight years.

Seana arrived at NSU in her sister's final year and established a name for herself. She started all four years as a middle infielder, starting all but one of the 169 games in which she played. Seana graduated 10th all-time in school record books in doubles and top 15 in games played, games started and at-bats. She was ninth in the MEAC with five home runs as a senior.

Seana also made history off the field. An applied mathematics major who was a member of the prestigious DNIMAS (Dozoretz National Institute for Mathematics and Applied Sciences) program at NSU, Seana became just the third CoSIDA Academic All-American in school history. She was three times named the NSU Female Scholar Athlete of the Year and graduated with a 4.0 GPA.

"I would say that just being able to graduate while being a member of DNIMAS and a part of the softball team all four years was my greatest accomplishment," Seana said. "It wasn't easy to balance all of that, but all of that hard work gave me memories, friends and opportunities that were worth the trouble."

Both sisters have parlayed their education and experiences at NSU into post-graduation success. Seana is working as a civilian mathematician in the Navy in the data analytics field. She is contemplating pursuing her master's in data analytics. 

Ali is now a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical research at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Dr. Elena Galkina's lab. Her studies focus on the role of the immune system in atherosclerosis, the main cause of cardiovascular disease. She was awarded a pre-doctoral fellowship by the American Heart Association to investigate the effects of poor sleep on the immune system and cardiovascular disease.

Both are also thriving personally. Seana checked a trip to Europe off her bucket list last winter when she visited England, France and Germany. Ali is now married and a first-time homeowner.

Their memories from their time as a Spartan are still fond and fresh in their minds. Both cite their one year playing together, in 2015, as one of their many highlights of their time in the green and gold. 

"Since we're three years apart, we were only able to play on the same team one other time, in travel ball," Seana said. "Don't get me wrong, it did cause some tension, but most of the time spent together was positive. I think that was the first time Ali saw me as a friend and peer whereas before that I was just her annoying little sister."

"Being able to get to really know Seana's personality was probably the best part," Ali said. "She is hands-down one of the funniest people I know and I didn't really see that side of her until we played together."

They insist there was no competition between each other as teammates, not even when Seana started as a freshman at second base – a position Ali had played before then.

"Coach (Heidi) Cavallo wanted to have both of us in the lineup, so she asked me to move to right field. Really, she just knew Seana wasn't fast enough to play outfield," Ali said with a laugh.

Other favorite memories vary from sister to sister. Both credit their coaches with providing an environment that was conducive to their success. Ali played under Cavallo and assistant coach Amanda Haverman, who she credits with helping her develop as a hitter. Seana played for both Cavallo and also current head coach James Inzana, who served in the Navy with the sisters' father, Sean.

Displaying the aforementioned sense of humor, Seana's other favorite memories as a Spartan take on a light-hearted tone. 

"Funnily enough, most of my fondest memories come from punishments we faced at softball," she said. "Some of my favorite memories start out with things like 'Remember that time we had to do 100 burpees because we missed so many ground balls' or 'Remember that time we got kicked out of practice and went to IHOP instead.' Those are always good stories."

Some of Ali's most cherished memories from NSU include the Spartans' run through the elimination bracket all the way to the "do-or-die" game of the 2013 MEAC Championship.

"Every game was tense and down to the wire but they were so fun. Going into the first championship game we were on a high and it showed," Ali said. "But all the exhaustion from playing so many games – one of which stopped in the middle at 10 p.m. and restarted at 9 a.m. the next day – just hit us all in that second game. I vividly remember feeling like I was moving through quicksand in that last game. In fact, there was one inning where I almost fell asleep standing at second base while our pitcher was warming up. 

"It was just one of many, many memorable experiences from my time at NSU and what I appreciate the most is being able to create those memories with so many unique, hilarious and talented people."

This is the latest in a series of stories providing updates on former Spartan student-athletes, sponsored by Team Spartan Corporate Partner Banister Nissan. Do you know a former NSU student-athlete who could be featured in "Where are They Now?" Email your story tips to mmichalec@nsu.edu.