Holliston’s Kirstein joins Jewish sports collective as charter member

August 20, 2026

Originally Published for the Jewish Journal HERE

Holliston native Maya Kirstein, a junior field hockey player for Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina, became one of the 50 charter members of Tribe NIL, a Jewish college sports collective.

NIL, which stands for Name, Image, Likeness, enables student-athletes to receive compensation from third parties for use of their name, image, or likeness in social media posts, brand appearances, or promotion of products and services, according to the NCAA website. NIL eligibility started in college sports in July 2021.

Tribe NIL, co-founded by Jeremy Moses and Eitan Levine, started last year as a way for Jewish athletes to promote Jewish brands and connect with one another.

“I have an opportunity to try up-and-coming brands – whether it is kosher food or Jewish-owned businesses – and promote them on social media,” Kirstein said. “I’ve met Jewish athletes that I never would otherwise. It’s been an amazing opportunity to connect with people.”

Kirstein, 20, grew up attending Temple Beth Torah in Holliston and said Judaism has always been an important of her life.

“I believe that the laws of Judaism empower me to be a better person,” Kirstein said. “I try to be the best person I can every day. I observe the holidays with meaningful reflection.”

Even though she has a busy schedule balancing a communications studies degree with college field hockey, Kirstein finds time to attend Chabad and Hillel.

Meredith is a women’s liberal arts college of 1,600 undergraduate students, but it is adjacent to North Carolina State, a university of nearly 28,000 undergraduates, and both Chabad and Hillel.

“The people at both Chabad and Hillel have been extremely welcoming,” said Kirstein, who plans on attending graduate school with the goal of becoming a speech pathologist.

Kirstein grew up playing soccer and picked up field hockey as a means of training for her primary sport in the eighth grade.

Before she knew it, she was on the Holliston High School summer team heading into her freshman year.

Kirstein primarily played junior varsity as a Holliston freshman but logged a few varsity minutes. The following year, she was the only sophomore on the varsity team, along with 14 seniors. That group made history as Holliston advanced to the state quarterfinals for the first time in program history.

She ultimately chose Meredith, an NCAA Division III school with a unique mascot, the Avenging Angels, because the college recruited her early in the process.

Kirstein, who earned an academic scholarship to Meredith, has the best of both worlds – a small liberal arts college with the amenities of a nearby large university. Meredith has a partnership with N.C. State, where students can take courses at the larger campus if they’re not offered at the smaller one.

As a freshman in fall 2024, Kirstein was Meredith’s offensive MVP with a program-record 10 goals in a season. She attributed that success to her experience playing in the European Maccabi Games in London in the summer of 2024.

“In high school, I was always waiting for the best shot, and in college, I started freestyling a lot more with how I take shots,” Kirstein said. “Playing in the Maccabi Games gave me confidence and set me up for success as a college freshman.”

Last season, Kirstein finished with eight goals and four assists despite playing the season on a torn quadriceps.

She’s excited to open her junior season on Sept. 1 at home against Roanoke College.

“This is a comeback season,” Kirstein said. “I would love to surpass the statistics I’ve set the past couple years, and I’m hoping to embrace a leadership role with a lot of new freshmen in the program.”