Anysa Gray tapped a shot past the sprawling Santa Clara defense into the net to give Cal a statement win and a moment to savor for Gray and her twin sister, Amaya.
That early September victory, against a Broncos program coming off back-to-back College Cup appearances and a championship in May 2021, is something they could only dream about as kids in East Palo Alto not always knowing where they would sleep from night to night.
Just four years ago, they spent mornings working in the Woodside Priory cafeteria to pay for meals while their budding soccer careers were attracting college teams. They shuttled among various homes, sleeping on floors and trying to find a space of their own — all while excelling in the classroom and on the field.
When they chose to walk on at Cal and move into an apartment with their 14-year-old Yorkshire terrier, Bella, they enjoyed the relief of independence, and the anguish of adult life.
“We had to work a lot for rent,” said Anysa, whose Bears again face the Broncos in a first-round NCAA Tournament match on Saturday. “So that was hard having to transition into college. Like, while, you know, being stressed about rent and bills. It was a lot at age 18.”
Now on scholarship after two years supporting themselves, they have the freedom to focus more on soccer than ever before, while also carving out their lives away from the sport. After years without a home of their own, the twins have created one in their own world.
“It’s my life,” Amaya said. “I can do whatever I want to do…. There’s so much stuff out there that I never even thought or dreamed of. So it’s been really nice to be able to have these opportunities here. I can explore on my own terms.”
In October, they were honored with the CalHOPE Courage Award, given monthly to student-athletes at California colleges and universities for overcoming the stress, anxiety and mental trauma associated with personal hardships and adversity.
Amaya earned a scholarship from the Isabella Hill Perkins Soccer Scholarship Fund while Anysa was awarded the Jeff Kent Women Driven Scholarship.
The twins are two of six siblings who were raised by a single mother, Ajené White, after their father was incarcerated and then left the state. They spent time between grandparents when their home got too crowded, and sometimes slept early mornings on the tables in the cafeteria of Woodside Priory in high school to get away from the chaos.
“We didn’t really have stability in the home because we had some relatives move into the house that we were staying in,” Amaya said. “So that caused there to be not enough room for us so we had to move out of that house.”
They went to their grandmother’s home, where she was also caring for her mother with dementia. Their great-grandmother died in front of the twins, and they ended up moving back in with their mother, still lacking a space for themselves.
Through all this, the Grays were becoming the class of Bay Area youth soccer.
“Every year they got better,” said their high school coach Henry Arrendondo. “They would get physically stronger and smarter on the ball. They each scored somewhere from 20 to 25 goals a season and could play everywhere.”
They were both committed to San Diego before switching to Cal. San Diego had offered scholarships, but they decided the proximity and academic opportunities at Cal would be a better fit.
Arrendondo encouraged the switch to Cal as well, but the Grays’ connection with Bears coach Neil McGuire sold them. When they took their senior year off to rest and prevent injury, they couldn’t have imagined how long the break would last. The pandemic forced them away from soccer their first fall at Cal, and when they finally got to the field in the spring, Anysa had the game taken away again.
In her second match, Anysa suffered a concussion that sidelined her for the rest of the season and kept her away from her schoolwork and reading for seven months. She battled depression and hopelessness as her return date kept being pushed and her mental health deteriorated.
“I had to learn who I was away from soccer,” Anysa said. “We’ve played for 15, 16 years now, it becomes a part of your identity. But I’m not just a soccer player, I’m also a singer and I like to cook, there were other hobbies I was finding. It also gave us time to really unpack who we were and unpack all the trauma that we were going through.”
The twins started therapy during their freshman seasons and have become strong advocates for mental health care, something that can be overlooked as a priority for student athletes.
“A lot of times you can just rely on your sport to get you through something,” Amaya said. “But what if you get injured, or lose your sport for some other reason?”
Anysa wears glasses to help with the concussion’s lingering effects on her vision and is a member of the Disabilities Program at Cal to get accommodations for schoolwork.
“I had never felt like that before,” she said. “But it’s OK, it’s not a bad thing that I need extra help. It’s OK to ask for help.”
Anysa now works as a legal assistant at a law firm after spending her first two season as a nanny, dog walker and tutor.. Amaya works at a restaurant and used be employed at a boba tea cafe.
Freedom provided by their scholarships has given the sisters time to explore other elements of their personalities. Along with Anysa’s law studies and music, she double majors with African American studies and a minor in Spanish. Amaya is an artist with an interest in graffiti and calligraphy, along with waist-beading that represent femininity and protection from “bad energies.” She majors in social welfare and also minors in Spanish.
On the field, their game is stronger than ever with a Cal team outperforming expectations. Anysa has logged a career-high three starts this season while averaging over 30 minutes per game. Injuries sidelined Amaya for a few matches, but when healthy she ’s played more than 25 minutes per contest.
“Everything they’ve gone through is incredible,” Arrendondo. “With what they’ve been through to get to this point, seeing them have this level of success and getting to almost take a breather is beautiful.”
The Grays have another season after this, and a fifth if they chose it. From there, opportunities on and off the field will await.
“It’s incredible that there’s hella options, and I can decide if I want to do this if I want to do that,” Amaya said. “And I’ve never had that like power until now.”
Marisa Ingemi is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: marisa.ingemi@sfchronicle.com