The drive is short; 10 minutes at most. 

On the way, white and blue flags decorate the lampposts, letting drivers know they're close to Villanova.

At the end of the road in Radnor Township, just under three miles away from the campus, you'd find field hockey forward Lydia Sydnor's childhood home. 

But her youth's proximity isn't her only connection to the school.

She's a third-generation Wildcat legacy.

Her grandfather, George Sydnor, was inducted in the 1985 Villanova University Varsity Club Hall of Fame for his career on the track and field team.

During his time as a Wildcat, George was a five-time Penn Relays champion and was a member of the 1957 outdoor track and field NCAA championship team.

In 2011, George was inducted into the Penn Relays Wall of Fame, and his picture now hangs in The Pavillion, Villanova's men's basketball court.

Nowadays, George enjoys watching his granddaughter compete for his former school.

"She's a great athlete and she's really good at what she does," George said.

Lydia's mother and father, Willie and Katherine, met on Nova's track team. 

"She was the track girl, the freshman that came in," Willie remembers.  "We dated and we've been married for 37 years now."

Willie was also a dual athlete and played on the football team for three years, before starting his professional career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In 1979, Willie led Villanova in receiving, kickoff return average, punt return average and all-purpose yards.

Katherine also played volleyball for the Wildcats.

"Villanova has been embedded in our family for a good amount of time. We grew up loving Villanova," Lydia said.

Now, as one of the youngest members of her athletic family, Lydia is a star forward for the field hockey team.

But she's not the only one of her three siblings to play a Division-I sport.

Her sister, Shelby, played four years on Maryland's field hockey team. 

And her brother, Brice, just graduated from Bucknell University, where he spent four years patrolling the Bison defensive backfield.

Willie said he can thank his dad for the family's athletic genes. 

He said he tries to keep his successful children grounded.

"We try to keep everyone humble. If you're playing a sport, work hard," Willie said. "'Always be humble and work hard."

While she is now the top scorer for Villanova this season, Lydia didn't start off her career with the Wildcats.

She was first contacted by colleges after going to different field hockey camps her freshman year of high school.

Her top three choices were UVA, Syracuse and Michigan, and she ultimately committed to the Wolverines her sophomore year.

When she headed off to Ann Arbor, Michigan, she loved the campus, the facilities and her coaches and teammates. 

But there was something missing.

"I didn't think I'd be homesick until I really got out there," Lydia said.

Even though she was starting most games and having a successful first season with Michigan, she developed a stress fracture halfway through the season. 

The added pressure of dealing with her injury had her thinking about home even more.

That's when she made the decision that she would come home after the end of her freshman year.

"I didn't know if I wanted to continue to play hockey," Lydia said. "I had a midlife crisis at 18, you could say."

After that year off she spoke to her coaches in Ann Arbor and decided to return and play for her former team. 

But while she planned to return to Michigan in August, she realized in June she just didn't want to go. 

She didn't want to experience the homesickness of living 569 miles away again.

That's when she called Villanova head coach Joanie Milhous. 

She asked Joanie if Villanova had room for her on the team and Joanie was ecstatic about the addition.

"I was very excited about having Lydia join our program. She brought a different level of intensity and work ethic to our program," Joanie said. "She is a very competitive young woman who wants to do her best and achieve her goals."

She's helped lead Villanova field hockey to an exciting start this season. 

The Wildcats are 3-1 — their best record through four games since 2008. 

Lydia has 7 goals and 2 assists to begin the season, including four goals versus Wagner on Sept. 13. 

She also leads the NCAA in goals scored per game.

While she's dominant on the field, she's also stepped up as a leader for her younger teammates.

"I think that attitude is contagious and I think that hard work is contagious so I when I bring that to practice or games I think everyone follows the same mojo," Lydia said.

And her coaches have noticed. 

"Lydia wants to make our Villanova Field Hockey program better," Joanie said. "She pushes herself and therefore pushes others to be their best."

Her family — Villanova legends in their own right — support Lydia in every way they can.

"I don't think my parents have ever missed a collegiate game. Even when I was at Michigan they would fly out. They are my biggest fans," Lydia said."It's funny my dad lives, breaths and dies by field hockey now."

Since she lives 5 minutes from her parents in her off-campus apartment, she still sees them all the time, which she cherishes.

"It's kind of cool that we've been here for three generations," Lydia said.

One day there might be a fourth-generation Sydnor playing for the Wildcats in some sport.

But while Villanova has always been in her DNA, she had — and still has — her own ambitions.

This season, the senior will try and help her team make another run at a Big East Championship, especially with her classmates.

"We all have that attitude that it's our last year and we want to make it our best year," Lydia said.