On the morning of Jan. 17, Vanessa DiBernardo was waiting for the most important tweet of her life at her home in Naperville, Ill. Then at 9:14 a.m., it came on the Chicago Red Stars account: “With the fourth pick in the first round of the #NWSLdraft, we have selected Vanessa DiBernardo of the University of Illinois. #NWSL.”

For some time, she suspected where and when she would be selected, but it was finally there, officially on her computer screen. It was the highest any Illinois player had been drafted in the program’s history, but it was a fitting way to cap off DiBernardo’s brilliant career in the Orange and Blue. It was also the continuation of a family legacy started by her father, Angelo, a former soccer player at Indiana as well as in the North American Soccer League, Major League Soccer and for the U.S. national team.

But his daughter has made her own name with her persistent and attack-oriented style of play. She garnered attention by leading Waubonsie Valley High School to three IHSA state titles. She wowed Illini fans as soon as she stepped on the pitch. She broke records and made a name for herself in the international game. She was even part of the 2012 FIFA under-20 World Cup winning U.S. national team, and now she finds herself back in the Chicago area playing for the Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League.

This moment marked the beginning of a professional career she had dreamed. It also marked the culmination of her time in the Illinois soccer program, a place where memories and friends  had an impact on her as much as she did them. She had come a long way from kicking the ball around in the backyard to the top level of women’s soccer in the country. 

***

As with most kids, soccer started out as something DiBernardo did for fun. She and her sister Angela would play for hours in their basement. Family vacations in her mother’s native Michigan would consist of some friendly competitions, but eventually DiBernardo decided to take it more seriously. Her sister eventually stopped playing and DiBernardo said that motivated her to continue playing.

Since she was 11, DiBernardo had a coach for a father. Angelo, a teacher and soccer coach at Waubonsie Valley, was there to share his knowledge and experience of the beautiful game with his daughter, but it was not easy to strike the proper balance.

“I think he did a very good job of keeping him as my coach and him as my father separate,” she said.

Still, her father could not help but police certain activities, as most coaches do. He knew what she would be up to the night before games. DiBernardo said she had to make sure she put in a satisfactory amount of practice hours before going out on a Friday night to a football game with friends. Her mother, Patricia, would also be there to keep her daughter levelheaded.

“She was just the type of person who, after a game, will give you a hug and say ‘good job’ and ‘good game’ even if you didn’t have a good game,” DiBernardo said of her mom. “My dad, you rarely ever hear that from him. So they’re a very good balance.

“I think if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t really continue to play it because I think I would have gotten too serious into it.”

DiBernardo stuck to soccer and developed into a formidable player, always playing with kids a year or two older than her. It was thanks to the competitive club system in Naperville that she developed as much as she did. DiBernardo made a long-lasting impact at Waubonsie Valley. She in addition to her three IHSA state titles, she was named the 2010 Gatorade Player of the Year, all while being coached by her father.

“It was very obvious to me that from a very early age she had the desire,” he said. “She had the competitive edge. She accepted every challenge that was thrown at her and then she took advantage of every opportunity that was given to her.”

***

DiBernardo’s early promise caught the eye of a number of schools including Illinois. Other Big Ten schools came calling, but it was after her trip to Illinois that she knew where to go. DiBernardo felt comfortable with the environment and the coaching staff, especially head coach Janet Rayfield. When she exited Rayfield’s office following their meeting, DiBernardo’s mother asked what she thought and that was when the conclusion was made. But not everyone in the DiBernardo family was completely sure of the decision.

“We knew about (Rayfield), but I think that (Vanessa) had the opportunity to go and visit some other schools that perhaps had had more success than Illinois,” Angelo said. “When we visited Illinois, I was not impressed with the facilities compared to some of the other facilities in the country. I still think that the University of Illinois lacks in regards to the soccer facilities compared to Indiana, compared to Ohio State … compared to a lot of other schools, and it’s kind of a shame.”

Eventually, the elder DiBernardo would come around. Vanessa quickly adapted to her new school and team during her freshman year in 2010. Like every previous stage in her development, she took it head on. The pressure to contribute immediately did not faze her. She scored 11 goals and added five assists, while being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and all-Big Ten first team.

But DiBernardo was not satisfied. She was chosen for the under-20 U.S. national team and began training with them early in 2011. There she found a whole new level of competition and struggled for the first time in her soccer career. She was at the bottom of the list on the roster and did not see the field much at first.

“I wasn’t able to perform like how I normally could,” she said. “And it was because I was not mentally tough enough.”

There was one key factor that helped DiBernardo turn things around. Rayfield was an assistant coach, and she helped DiBernardo realize she was not playing up to her capabilities. She learned how to deal with the stress and her nerves and eventually started and played more as the under-20 World Cup qualifying season progressed.

With a newly found confidence, DiBernardo transfered what she learned into the best individual and team year she has enjoyed at Illinois. She tallied 17 goals, the most she’s scored in a season and five assists as Illinois went 17-5-2. Her final goal that season came in the Big Ten Championship Game win against No. 11 Penn State in overtime to seal the victory.

The continued success created more opportunities for DiBernardo. She found even further success back with the under-20 national team, which won the 2012 under-20 World Cup. DiBernardo started all of the U.S. matches and even scored in one. Unfortunately for Illinois, the tournament took Rayfield and DiBernardo out of NCAA competition until the first Big Ten match of the 2012 season. Still, Illinois went 10-9-4 overall and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. DiBernardo also led the team with eight goals.

Her senior season in 2013 was supposed to bring something more. DiBernardo would be able to be with Illinois from the start since that summer’s international competition did not overlap with the NCAA calendar. The talented forward Jannelle Flaws was also coming into the season fully healthy and a number of other seniors were set to make another Big Ten title run and even get past the second round of the NCAA tournament, but fate had other ideas in mind.

***

Iowa was set on stopping the red-hot Illinois offense. The Illini had scored 29 goals in nine matches leading up to their second Big Ten match against the Hawkeyes on Sept. 27. Iowa was keeping pace early by using physical, and sometimes even dangerous, tactics. The Hawkeyes took out Illinois defender Hope D’Addario and nicked up senior defender Christina Farrell. But when a hard foul in the first half caused DiBernardo to go down, her left knee did not feel right. She managed to walk off under her own power, but the initial diagnosis was not as bad as the actual problem.

DiBernardo initially hoped she would only miss a few weeks, but that was not the case.

An MRI confirmed she had suffered a strain on her left medial collateral ligament. She would miss more than a month.

After the diagnosis, DiBernardo broke down. 

“It was kind of like a rollercoaster,” she said.

But it was her coach who yet again sparked a turnaround for her. Rayfield laid out the rest of the season and tried to show her injured star how capable the team was of still having success and of the likelihood DiBernardo returning in time to play. Fortunately for the team, Flaws went on a historic scoring campaign, which resulted in a program-record 23 goals. The team headed into the final match of the season in Minnesota with a spot in the Big Ten Tournament on the line. Despite a brace on her leg, DiBernardo was able to play 12 minutes and the team won 3-1. It was more relief than anything to ensure DiBernardo’s fourth trip to the tournament but moreover, another chance to contribute to her team.

Illinois would face Indiana in the first round and better yet, the tournament would be played in Champaign. But the rollercoaster of her senior season would take another hard dip — one that DiBernardo feared would prematurely end her college career.

***

DiBernardo stood beside her teammates getting ready to face the media. She was cold, wet and in disbelief. The scoreboard read: Indiana 5, Illinois 3.

She stepped up to the group of reporters, and it took just two questions.

“If this ends up being your last game here at Illinois, what are some of the thoughts going through your mind right now?”

It took 10 seconds for her to break down and step away to collect herself. Senior defender Kassidy Brown was next and she pleaded with the reporters, “Don’t make me cry like her.”

Even the usually calm Rayfield could not help but be overcome with emotion at the thought of never again coaching DiBernardo.

“(I) hadn’t really thought about that, so thanks for bringing that up,” a teary Rayfield said. “The tears are because it’s an honor to coach someone like that. I think the thing I’m saddest for is that she didn’t get to have the senior season she earned and deserved.”

It was a frustrating game. Bad weather moved the game to recreational fields away from Illinois Soccer and Track Stadium. The turf fields were not to the quality that the team was used to playing and DiBernardo said because of that, there was no home-field advantage. To make matters worse, the artificial turf was not kind to her knee, which was still not 100 percent healthy.

“It was an awful, yucky game,” she said. “I would love to play that game over again.”

So now the team waited an agonizing five days to learn their NCAA tournament fate. The team had the weekend off and DiBernardo said it was beneficial because emotions were high. While she wanted to take her mind off things, her father was not as eager to forget about the big question on everyone’s mind.

“My dad and I can butt heads pretty easily because we both are pretty stubborn people,” she said. “And he likes to push your buttons.”

Angelo was not afraid to ask what would happen, even if his daughter was not sure. He would back off, but the anxiety of the tournament reached a fever pitch.

The day of the announcement brought the long-awaited news. Illinois would face Washington State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. DiBernardo thought the draw was even better than previous years. The team defeated Washington State 3-1 on penalties, the last of which, DiBernardo scored. Illinois then beat No. 7 Portland 4-3 after falling behind 2-0. Illinois would lose in the Sweet 16 to Boston College 4-1. DiBernardo and the Illini had finally achieved what they were looking to do — advance past the second round of the tournament. Her college career fell short of greatness, but DiBernardo was set to start her professional career.  

***

It took just one match.

In the first match of the Chicago Red Stars’ 2014 season on April 19, DiBernardo showed the team why they had drafted her. She assisted defender Julie Johnston in the only goal of the match, off a corner kick, against the Western New York Flash in a 1-0 season-opening victory.

But the immediate success does not surprise anyone familiar with DiBernardo. Red Stars head coach Rory Dames has kept tabs on her career since high school. He really saw the turn in her career when she played for the American under-20 team.

So when she hurt her knee during her senior season, Dames’ knowledge of DiBernardo as a player put him at ease.

“In most cases it would be a bit of a red flag,” he said. “But I think that’s two-fold.

“Once we were told the extent of the injury, it comes down to the individual player and your belief in that player … and after getting to know Vanessa … I never had any real concerns about it being a long-term hindrance for her.”

DiBernardo left Illinois for the spring semester to train with the team and was with Chicago all through the preseason. She will finish up her degree in Recreation, Sports and Tourism in the fall.

Dames said DiBernardo’s vision, passing and possession abilities will help a team that finished sixth out of nine teams last season. DiBernardo is a part of a growing sport and a league that is still looking for a mainstream audience. While she is not one to put herself in the spotlight, she and other players in the NWSL are being looked at to carry the new brand of women’s professional soccer. Whatever the future of the league and sport hold, DiBernardo will be sure to make an impact at that level as she has every other.

As unsure as the future is for her, it is certain DiBernardo will charge at it like she does an opposing goalkeeper: with the skill, determination and desire to succeed.

Alex can be reached at [email protected] and

@AlexOrtiz2334.