JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Family is everything to Jacksonville senior defender Kaila Stasulli. This winter, she got to connect with her family and her roots while competing at the highest level of the sport.

In January, Stasulli represented the Philippines in the country’s first ever appearance in the Asia-Pacific Women’s Lacrosse Championships in Australia.

Stasulli’s grandfather, her best friend growing up, was from the Philippines and shared the Filipino culture with Stasulli from a young age. When the opportunity to represent the country at the international level came around, she jumped at the chance.

The team came together over the last year, culminating in a summer tryout in Colorado. As Stasulli and other spent time in practices, meetings and team events, strong bonds and a unifying team culture started to form.

“It was just an awesome experience from the start,” Stasulli said. “Everyone was basically family there. Filipino culture really values family, and that's what it felt like from the start.”

The group of players bonded around their shared experiences and emphasis on family and core values. The culture was built, but now it was time to actually step foot on the field.

The Phillippines played their first ever game in the tournament against China. Despite their lack of experience, Stasulli and company waxed China 15-3 in the first game of pool play, setting the tone for the tournament.

“We didn't really know what we were gonna get into,” Stasulli said. “But when we got there, we were like, ‘wow, we actually have a team together.’”

Stasulli and the Philippines reached the semifinals of the tournament. With that finish alone, the country clinched its first ever appearance in the Women’s World Lacrosse Championship, qualifying for the 2026 tournament in Japan.

Despite a loss in the semi finals, there was more history to make. In the bronze medal match against Chinese Taipei, the Philippines won 18-6. The win marked the first medal for any Filipino field lacrosse program.

“It's just cool to know that the first tournament that we were actually able to play in as a team, we already made history,” Stasulli said.

The startup program didn’t have the experience of other teams in the tournament. It didn’t have the infrastructure or history, with players working to fundraise and generate support for the program.

But Stasulli and her teammates set the foundation for a new lacrosse power in the Pacific. 

“Knowing that Team One did a lot and has a lot to look forward to, it was such a cool experience,” Stasulli said. “We had so many supporters from all over the world and in the Philippines, which was really awesome.”

Stasulli will look to parlay her international success into a strong final season in Jacksonville. The senior defender was recently named the Atlantic Sun Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and will lead the Dolphins against No. 3 Michigan Friday in JU’s season opener.