This story begins 16 years ago, when a five-year-old girl from Fallon, Nev. had aspirations to follow in her family's footsteps and not only attend the University of Nevada, but compete for the Wolf Pack as well. While most athletes merely dream of participating in college athletics, for Ali Tedford and her family, it's as routine as waking up and getting dressed in the morning.

"I've always wanted to go here," the junior softball player said. "Sports or not sports, my heart was always with this school. Seeing all my cousins play here was so special and I feel really fortunate to have this opportunity."

The amount of Nevada athletics history that lies within Tedford's family tree is simply unprecedented and it dates all the way back to her great-great-grandfather who played baseball for Nevada. Through the course of many generations having called Northern Nevada their home, including Tedford's father, Ken Jr., who played both basketball and baseball for the Wolf Pack, in 2003, a new chapter was created when the Wolf Pack softball program was resurrected and Megan Nunn-Salcido, Tedford's cousin, was at the heart of it.
With virtually no foundation to build from, Nunn-Salcido, as well as her teammates and coaches, battled through the challenges that comes with starting a Division I program. Hixson Park was not opened until 2006 and, as a result, Idlewild Park near downtown Reno served as the home for the Pack and remains a characteristic about this program that she still embodies.

"We didn't have a home field or anything that was ours – we were just borrowing (Idlewild Park) from the city," Nunn-Salcido said. "I love seeing what's been built and the incredible success that has come after that. I think it's an overall theme of life, where if you start small, you can build big."

Through proper recruiting from the coaching staff and an anxious fan base that was excited to see softball back in Reno, Nunn-Salcido and her teammates were able to lay down the corner stones that got the program back on its feet again. Having this foundation brought around hope for young girls in the community that they too could one day play softball for Nevada and sport the Silver and Blue.
 
Restoring the Nevada softball program gave girls in the area, like Britton Murdock (now Murdock-Nunn), a platform to look up to. Growing up as a native of Reno, the idea of playing college softball quickly became a dream for her again, realizing that competing at one of the sport's highest levels was in the realm.

"When they reinstated the program, I was so happy because I had always dreamed of playing for the Pack," Murdock-Nunn said. "It became realistic. So, that was my goal and vision – to play softball here. It was awesome."

In 2008, that dream became a reality for Murdock-Nunn when she began her freshman season as a Nevada softball player. Through the course of her four-year career, the Reno High School graduate cemented herself as one of the program's all-time best, finding her name scattered throughout Nevada's record book.

During her time with the Wolf Pack, Murdock-Nunn played with Michelle Beach (now Beach-Hallisey), and the two of them helped lead Nevada to some of its most successful years in the program's history. While both Murdock-Nunn and Beach-Hallisey (who is also Tedford's cousin) played together, the Pack won back-to-back WAC Championships from 2008-09, advancing to the NCAA Regionals both years.

Murdock-Nunn and Beach-Hallisey became close friends while they were teammates and as the friendship between the two of them grew, the family eventually did as well. Murdock-Nunn was introduced to Beach-Hallisey's cousin and Nunn-Salcido's younger brother, John Nunn Jr. After years of dating, Murdock and Nunn Jr. were married in the summer of 2017, thus extending the family tree even further.

"For me, it helped having that common ground coming into their family – my in-laws," Murdock-Nunn said. "It's been an easy transition coming into the family because we have so much common ground there."

That common ground they all share is one of the main reasons as to why Tedford decided to play softball for Nevada in the first place. A former basketball player for the Pack, Tedford was given the opportunity to transition from the hardwood to the diamond after the hoops season was over her freshman year, and it was an experience she couldn't say no to.

"Choosing to play softball is something that seemed right for me to do and I'm really glad I did it," Tedford said. "It's so surreal. We were all number 10, except for Britton, and it's something that's a little extra special which we get to share."

The memories these four share are unique in their own way because of how Nevada softball constantly has a family member feel welcomed. Having Tedford part of the team keeps the gates of Hixson Park always open for the others, giving them a reason to remain associated with the program.

"It's nice having (Ali) here, because we still feel connected and involved," Beach-Hallisey said. "Her being on the team gives us a good excuse to come back to games."
With her family members having put in the same time and commitment to not just Nevada softball but to Wolf Pack athletics as well, Tedford never has any reluctance to rely on the support system she has surrounding her. Whether it's John Nunn Sr., her uncle and Nunn-Salcido's father who is the Chief Financial Officer of Nevada Athletics, or her cousins who paved the way before her, Tedford knows there is a family member nearby that is always there for her.

The commonality that the four of them have is one that not only brings them, but the extended family closer, too. There are shared experiences that come with being a student-athlete, which helps forge that familiar bond.

"From my perspective, I never hesitate to text them and vent or ask for advice," Tedford said with a grin. "They definitely have all been through this so it's nice having them there, knowing exactly what I've been through."

16 years later, that five-year-old girl has followed the path laid before her and turned those dreams of competing for the Wolf Pack into an everyday lifestyle. Her ambitions to grow up and be like the heroes before her is something that every kid dreams of.

However, Tedford's heroes just so happen to also be the ones that are closest to her, making those dreams much more desirable to achieve. Though her family's history at Nevada is one that is rather difficult to fathom, it is also one that Nunn-Salcido claims has brought the family as a whole even closer together.

"Everyone in our family bleeds Silver and Blue, and I think the Wolf Pack and the University of Nevada has done a lot to keep our family close."