In January 2026, Rylie Kuyper came to LSU with a new vision for a new chapter in her soccer career. Only three months later, the LSU goalkeeper’s life turned upside down as she was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Kuyper has been doing chemotherapy since then. Now, though, after months of treatment, she has accomplished a big step in her battle with cancer, celebrating it with her  LSU soccer teammates.

On August 18, the NCAA shared an emotional update on X where the LSU goalkeeper finally rang the bell to mark the end of her chemotherapy treatment. The moment was made even more special by the presence of her LSU soccer teammates. They stood alongside Kuyper as she celebrated completing this difficult stage of her treatment.

The NCAA captioned it as: “No one fights alone.”

The bell represented months of treatment for Kuyper, and a struggle she didn’t know she was going into at the beginning of her first year at LSU.

Kuyper’s ill health started months prior to her diagnosis. She started to itch in July 2025. At first, she believed that it may have been related to allergies. She began to experience fatigue and shortness of breath, too. Kuyper thought she was just having trouble getting fit and had to work harder at becoming physically fit.

Then, in December, she noticed a small lump in her breast. Doctors later determined that it was fibrosis, so Kuyper did not initially connect it to a more serious health problem. That changed in March 2026. While returning from spring break with her LSU teammates on March 12, Kuyper noticed another lump, this time on her neck.

She went to have it checked the following Monday. Doctors determined that the breast lump was fibrosis, while the lump on her neck appeared to be a swollen lymph node. Further testing was scheduled, including a needle biopsy and CT scan. Kuyper was supposed to take part in LSU’s beep test, but her athletic trainer told her she needed to leave for the CT scan instead. That immediately made her realize the doctors were more concerned than she had initially thought.

During the scan, Kuyper asked the technician what they were seeing, but she was not given an answer. After the appointment, she returned to soccer practice. Later that evening, around 7 p.m., her athletic trainer and two doctors approached her. They told her the scan had revealed a large mass in her chest and that they believed it could be lymphoma. The news left Kuyper in tears.

Her head coach, Sian Hudson, and athletic trainer Hannah were there with her as she processed what she had just been told. She also called her parents, although she later admitted that it was difficult to fully understand what was happening at that moment.

Further testing and a biopsy of the chest mass confirmed that Kuyper had Stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Her diagnosis was classified as unfavorable Stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Kuyper had arrived at LSU only months earlier with plans to continue developing as a goalkeeper. Suddenly, her focus shifted from soccer to cancer treatment. Her reported treatment plan included four months of Nivo-AVD chemotherapy, followed by radiation. Then, on April 5, Kuyper publicly shared her diagnosis on TikTok.

She appeared in her LSU soccer uniform alongside her mother and sister as she opened up about being diagnosed with cancer. But now, the LSU goalkeeper’s focus is gradually shifting toward the next stage.

Kuyper eyes LSU soccer comeback after cancer treatment

Kuyper is scheduled to undergo proton radiation treatment from August 20 through September 14 in Houston at MD Anderson. During that period, she plans to begin training again as she works toward a possible return to LSU in October.

Kuyper would be taking another giant leap after such a swift halt to college soccer. Long before her cancer diagnosis, Kuyper had established herself as one of Louisiana’s top young goalkeepers. At Northlake Christian School, she built an impressive résumé, earning four All-State selections, including First Team honors twice and Second Team honors twice. 

Her career also went on to the district level, where she was a four-time All-District Soccer Defensive MVP. She also had the opportunity to earn Freshman All-State First Team honors early in her career and was a team captain for four years.

Her success wasn’t limited to high school soccer. Kuyper has also won the 2021 NPL U16 National Championship with her club team. She was also selected as the 2023-24 New Orleans Saints Academic Athlete of the Year. She was a redshirt freshman for Texas Tech in 2025. Kuyper then made the move to LSU in January 2026. However, her battle with cancer altered the course of her life before she could really find her feet at LSU.