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132 e Birch twins remain in touch with daily texts and FaceTime chats; Rebecca surprised Katie by attending the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. "We always wanted to go to different universities ever since we started looking," Katie said. "We didn't want to end up in the same place. It was a perfect opportunity for us to be in the same country, but different places." Birch quickly made an impact at Iowa. is season she has helped the Hawkeye attack by moving further up the midfield. "Her role has grown every year," Cellucci said. "e biggest thing we want to see is her leadership take even further steps; she has always been a natural leader and possesses great qualities, but her vocal leadership is one of the biggest goals this year." Vocal leadership shouldn't be a problem, Birch says. She describes herself as someone who never shuts up. "I try to always be talking because it gets in people's heads; it probably gets in my teammate's heads," Birch said with a smile. "I feel the louder I am, the more confidence and energy I can bring to the team and I can bring to training and practice. I try to be as loud and vocal as I can." Her skill proficiency and defensive prowess make Birch a must-see in the Big Ten. She is also adept in tackling, having awareness in space on the defensive end, and distributing the ball. "To be an All-American as a sophomore, she has a bright future. We rely on her in every piece of our game," Cellucci said. "If she continues this way she could cement herself as one of the best." ere is another way Birch can join her head coach. With Cellucci in net from 1995-98, Iowa played in two NCAA Regionals. With the 2018 and 2019 seasons remaining, Birch and the Hawkeyes have an opportunity to match that feat as well. Iowa's last postseason trip was 2012. "I want to be the best team player," Birch said. "We have so much energy and momentum going forward."