Pictured here: Action shot of Claire when she played for the Orlando Pride. Pictured right: Claire and her fiancé, Tyler Van Matre, in the Orlando Pride stadium.
While Claire was unable to hold any officer roles with Alpha Phi during her college years due to her commitment to college-level sports, she did hold multiple leadership positions with the UCLA Women's Soccer team including team captain her senior year. “Being in a sorority has made me incredibly open- minded” Claire expressed. “Living in a house with so many girls from different backgrounds and upbringings puts a lot into perspective. I am now extremely open with everyone I meet, engaging with and listening to their stories.” Claire also credits Alpha Phi with helping her improve her abilities and confidence in large group situations, something she often relates to soccer. “Alpha Phi allowed me to flourish in large group settings,” Claire explained. For example, if I have a weekend tryout for a team and I’m only with a group of 60-plus girls for that weekend, I will probably never see most of them again. However, I have to go out of my way to connect with some of them as best I can [because] the connections you make off the field translate better on the field. If you make no effort to get to know people, I guarantee your tryout will not be as successful. You are more likely to pass to someone on the field with whom you have connected than to someone you haven’t spoken more than two words to.”
These communication and leadership skills have carried Claire a long way. She first started playing soccer at 4 years old, and since she was 8 all she has wanted to do is become a professional soccer player. Mission accomplished. Claire has earned a reputation as a tactical and technical playmaker on the soccer field. She holds a 100% passing percentage in her appearances with her previous team, the Orlando Pride, as a 2024 National Team Replacement Player, logging 75 minutes over two games. In addition to her time in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), she has played all over the world, including Thy Thisted Q in Denmark, Treaty United in Ireland and RCD Espanyol in Spain. Claire’s career highlights include captaining the Puerto Rico Sol in 2019 where she led the team in goals per game and was the league’s leading scorer with eight goals and two assists in six games. During her time at UCLA, she was part of the 2013 NCAA National Championship- winning team and served as team captain in 2017, earning Pac-12 Honorable Mention and other accolades. She also represented the United States at the youth national level, playing for the U14 and U15 teams and attending camps with the U17 and U18 squads. Her experience extends to leadership roles, serving as captain
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