Women's Soccer Head Coach Sharif Saber Announces the Addition of 17 Players for the 2022 Season
7/8/2022 10:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The newly appointed head coach of Upstate women's soccer program began announcing his fall 2022 additions at the beginning of June, as the team began to prepare for their August debut. Coach Saber has enlisted 17 newcomers, including four transfers and one international player, to join the Spartan Army in hopes of having a successful first season.
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Kennedy Jackson comes to Spartanburg from Dacula, Ga. She is a junior forward/defender transferring from Georgia Southern University. Jackson competed in the Sunbelt Conference as an Eagle during her freshman and sophomore years where she made four starts in 17 match appearances, recording one assist and one goal. Prior to her time at GSU, Jackson played for the Gwinnett Soccer Academy ECNL. Jackson played soccer for four years at Mountain View High School, earning All-Region First Team honors and All-County Second Team honors in 2018 and 2019. While at Mountain View, Jackson set a new school for most career goals scored (52).
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Emily Sanders comes to Spartanburg from Long Island, N.Y. She is a senior defender transferring from the University of Mount Olive in North Carolina. Sanders competed as a Trojan from 2019-2021 where she scored four goals, had four assists, and took the pitch for a combined 2,517 minutes. While in a Spartan uniform, Sanders garnered numerous accolades including being named to the NCCSIA All-State First Team, the Conference Carolina's All-Tournament Team, and the Conference Carolina's All-Conference Second Team. Sanders played a massive role during UMO's 2019 and 2020 Conference Championships and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2021. During her three years at UMO, Sanders was on both the Conference Carolina's and University of Mount Olive's President's Honor Roll for her academic efforts.
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Nya Baccelli comes to Spartanburg from Santa Clarita, Calif. She is a sophomore forward transferring from the University of Mount Olive in North Carolina. During her freshman year at UMO, Baccelli appeared in 17 games, making 13 starts, scoring nine goals, and having 3 assists. Baccelli was second on the team for goals scored and was named to the Conference Carolinas All-Conference Third Team. She is second all-time at UMO for goals scored in a single game (four) and had a hand in UMO's 2021 season where it went to the NCAA Tournament. Prior to UMO, Baccelli played for Saugus High School where she was a CIF Championship Finalist and named First Team All-Conference.
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Adrianna Pepe comes to Spartanburg from Mantua, N.J. She is a sophomore midfielder/defender transferring from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Prior to UMBC, Pepe attended the Gloucester Township Institute of Technology where she played soccer for four years and was captain during her junior and senior years. As a Cheetah, she had six career goals and assists. Pepe was named to the South Jersey Times All-Area First and Second Teams, as well as the First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-Conference two times, respectively. She was also on the 2020 South Jersey Times and Tri-County Conference Team of the Year. While playing for SJEB FC, Pepe was a US Youth National Champion in 2018; she attended the US Youth Soccer National Championship in 2016, 2018, and 2019. In 2019, she was named to the USYS National Championship Best 11.Â
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Natalia Moll comes to Spartanburg from Womelsdorf, Pa. She is a freshman defender/midfielder who played for Steel United and graduated from Conrad Weiser High School. While at Conrad Weiser, Moll was a four-year starter and captain for both the basketball and soccer teams. As a Scout, she had 41 career goals and 16 assists. In her junior and senior years, she was the leading goal scorer and led the team in assists and goals per game (1.44) her senior year. Moll is the sixth all-time at Conrad Weiser for career goals and the fourth all-time for goals scored in a single season (23). She was named All-Division three times, All Berks County Second Team, is a two-time Berks Division II Champion, four-time District 3 (AAA) Qualifier, PIAA State Qualifier, and helped Conrad Weiser earn its most wins in a single season in school history (19). While playing club soccer for Steel United, Moll also played for the Olympic Development Team out of Pennsylvania.
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Harmoni Thomas comes to Spartanburg from Orlando, Fla. She is a freshman forward/defender who played for Orlando City ECNL and graduated from The First Academy. Thomas played for The First Academy her senior year where she scored 12 goals and had eight assists. She was selected to play in the All-Star game her senior year where she had one assist. While at The First Academy, Thomas was part of the National Honor Society and graduated Magna Cum Laude. Thomas also played for Orlando City ECNL where she averaged four goals a game and racked up 10 assists. While playing for Orlando City ECNL, Thomas had a hand in the club's first State Cup win in 2017.
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Olivia Csapo comes to Spartanburg from Bear, Del. She is a freshman defender who played for FC Delco ECNL and graduated from Caravel Academy. While at Caravel Academy, Csapo received five letters for soccer and three letters for field hockey. As a Buccaneer, Csapo was a captain and recorded 21 goals and 16 assists. She was named First Team All-Conference, Second Team All-State, and helped the Buccaneers become State Champions in 2019 and 2021. At Caravel Academy, Csapo was part of the Junior National Honor Society, National Honor Society, and the Yearbook club.
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Morgan de Barros comes to Spartanburg from Mount Pleasant, S.C. She is a freshman midfielder who played for South Carolina United ECNL and graduated from Wando High School. de Barros played for Wando High School for four years. During her stint as a Warrior, de Barros earned several accolades including being named the 2021 Region 7 AAAAA South Carolina League Player of the Year and to the 2021 All-Lowcountry First Team after the Warriors won the AAAAA South Carolina State Championship. She also played a part in helping the Warriors become State Finalists in 2019. Outside of her high school success, de Barros played for South Carolina United ECNL where she helped her team become not only NPL National Semi-Finalists but also ECNL National League Finalist in 2019.
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Caitlyn Davis comes to Spartanburg from Yorktown, Va. She is a freshman goalkeeper who played for Tidewater Sharks ECNL and graduated from Grafton High School. While at Grafton High School, she earned four letters for soccer and two letters each for basketball and field hockey.
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Syndey Thomas comes to Spartanburg from Hillard, Ohio. She is a freshman forward who played for Ohio Premier and recently graduated from Hillard Darby High School with Summa Cum Laude Honors. While at Hillard Darby, she was a four-time academic scholar-athlete after she earned four letters for soccer and two for track & field. Thomas was a two-year captain for the soccer team and ranks second all-time for all-time goals and third all-time for assists. Thomas was a two-time First Team All-OCC and two-time Second Team All-District. She also earned various awards for her efforts in track & field including two OCC Championship Titles, District, Regional, and State honors, and a fifth-place finish in the State Championship Finisher. As well to all her athletic involvement, Thomas also was a member of the National Honor Society and served as the class secretary for Hillard Darby's class government. While playing for Ohio Premier Soccer Club, Thomas helped the team reach the 2018 ECNL National Qualifiers.
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Dara Russo comes to Spartanburg from Miamisburg, Ohio. She is a freshman forward who played for Ohio Galaxies and graduated from Miamisburg High School. While at Miamisburg, Russo earned an astounding total of 13 letters for athletics: soccer (4), basketball (4), track (4), and cross country (1). During her time as a Viking, Russo scored 67 goals and had 35 assists. Russo was named All-Conference First team twice, All-Conference Second Team once, and helped her team become place second in their district twice.
Emily Rangel comes to Spartanburg from Leander, Texas. She is a freshman defender who played for Sting Austin ECNL and graduated from Cedar Park High School. While at Cedar Park, Rangel earned one letter. During her time as a Timberwolf, Rangel's team was District Champions in 2020 when she received an honorable mention. In her 2021 season, she was a Bi-District Champion, Area Champion, and Region Semi-Finalist.
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Catarina Bastos comes to Spartanburg from Boca Raton, Fla. She is a freshman defender who was a captain for FC Prime ECNL and graduated from North Broward Preparatory School. While at North Broward, Bastos earned four letters for soccer where she was a captain, two for swimming, and one for track & field. During her freshman year, she received an honorable mention as well as being named the Rookie of the Year and to the FHSAA Second Team. In her sophomore season, she was named the Most Valuable Player and to the FHSAA First Team while in her junior year, she was named the Most Valuable New Athlete.
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Hailey Sapinoro comes to Spartanburg from Austin, Texas. She is a freshman defender who played for Sting ECNL and graduated from Vandegrift High School. While at Vandergrift, Sapinoro recorded 12 goals and 22 assists. Sapinoro was part of the Texas UIL State Championship All-Tournament Team as well as being named Texas First Team All-State and the Texas Association of Soccer Coaches Second Team and All-District Defensive MVP twice, respectively. She was also a four-time Texas District 25-6A First Team All-District selection. In addition, Sapinoro was named to the Austin American Statesman All-Central Texas Starting XI First and Second Teams. While at Vandegrift, Sapinoro was a part of HOSA and the Leadership Club. During her final season with Sting ECNL, Sapinoro scored six goals and had 22 assists.
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Audrey Baer comes to Spartanburg from Worthington, Ohio. She is a freshman midfielder who played for Ohio Premier ECNL and graduated from Thomas Worthington High School. Baer played an essential role for Ohio Premier ECNL when they played in the 2019 ECNL Florida Showcase.
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Lauren Darbo comes to Spartanburg from Longwood, Fla. She is a freshman defender who played for Orlando City ECNL and graduated from Lyman High School. While at Lyman, Darbo earned four letters for soccer. In her senior year, she scored 15 goals and had 16 assists. She also collected several awards including Most Valuable Player, Most Improved Player her freshman year, and Best Offensive Player two years in a row.
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Margret Bjarnadottir comes to Spartanburg from Vesturbær, Iceland. Margret is a freshman forward/midfielder who played for KR and graduated from Menntaskólinn við Hamrahlíð. Bjarnadottir played this season with KR when the team won its First League (Lengjudeildin) and will therefore be playing again in the Premier League this summer. She was involved with national youth teams U-15, U-16 & U-17 and was chosen to play alongside seven other girls and compete on behalf of Iceland in Lithuania in 2017, where they went undefeated and Bjarnadottir had two goals in the final. Margret won a silver medal in the City Tournament 2018 (Reykjavíkurmótið) and was a key player for the KR U-19 youth team and helped them win the league.
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Kennedy Jackson comes to Spartanburg from Dacula, Ga. She is a junior forward/defender transferring from Georgia Southern University. Jackson competed in the Sunbelt Conference as an Eagle during her freshman and sophomore years where she made four starts in 17 match appearances, recording one assist and one goal. Prior to her time at GSU, Jackson played for the Gwinnett Soccer Academy ECNL. Jackson played soccer for four years at Mountain View High School, earning All-Region First Team honors and All-County Second Team honors in 2018 and 2019. While at Mountain View, Jackson set a new school for most career goals scored (52).
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Emily Sanders comes to Spartanburg from Long Island, N.Y. She is a senior defender transferring from the University of Mount Olive in North Carolina. Sanders competed as a Trojan from 2019-2021 where she scored four goals, had four assists, and took the pitch for a combined 2,517 minutes. While in a Spartan uniform, Sanders garnered numerous accolades including being named to the NCCSIA All-State First Team, the Conference Carolina's All-Tournament Team, and the Conference Carolina's All-Conference Second Team. Sanders played a massive role during UMO's 2019 and 2020 Conference Championships and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2021. During her three years at UMO, Sanders was on both the Conference Carolina's and University of Mount Olive's President's Honor Roll for her academic efforts.
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Nya Baccelli comes to Spartanburg from Santa Clarita, Calif. She is a sophomore forward transferring from the University of Mount Olive in North Carolina. During her freshman year at UMO, Baccelli appeared in 17 games, making 13 starts, scoring nine goals, and having 3 assists. Baccelli was second on the team for goals scored and was named to the Conference Carolinas All-Conference Third Team. She is second all-time at UMO for goals scored in a single game (four) and had a hand in UMO's 2021 season where it went to the NCAA Tournament. Prior to UMO, Baccelli played for Saugus High School where she was a CIF Championship Finalist and named First Team All-Conference.
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Adrianna Pepe comes to Spartanburg from Mantua, N.J. She is a sophomore midfielder/defender transferring from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Prior to UMBC, Pepe attended the Gloucester Township Institute of Technology where she played soccer for four years and was captain during her junior and senior years. As a Cheetah, she had six career goals and assists. Pepe was named to the South Jersey Times All-Area First and Second Teams, as well as the First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-Conference two times, respectively. She was also on the 2020 South Jersey Times and Tri-County Conference Team of the Year. While playing for SJEB FC, Pepe was a US Youth National Champion in 2018; she attended the US Youth Soccer National Championship in 2016, 2018, and 2019. In 2019, she was named to the USYS National Championship Best 11.Â
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Natalia Moll comes to Spartanburg from Womelsdorf, Pa. She is a freshman defender/midfielder who played for Steel United and graduated from Conrad Weiser High School. While at Conrad Weiser, Moll was a four-year starter and captain for both the basketball and soccer teams. As a Scout, she had 41 career goals and 16 assists. In her junior and senior years, she was the leading goal scorer and led the team in assists and goals per game (1.44) her senior year. Moll is the sixth all-time at Conrad Weiser for career goals and the fourth all-time for goals scored in a single season (23). She was named All-Division three times, All Berks County Second Team, is a two-time Berks Division II Champion, four-time District 3 (AAA) Qualifier, PIAA State Qualifier, and helped Conrad Weiser earn its most wins in a single season in school history (19). While playing club soccer for Steel United, Moll also played for the Olympic Development Team out of Pennsylvania.
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Harmoni Thomas comes to Spartanburg from Orlando, Fla. She is a freshman forward/defender who played for Orlando City ECNL and graduated from The First Academy. Thomas played for The First Academy her senior year where she scored 12 goals and had eight assists. She was selected to play in the All-Star game her senior year where she had one assist. While at The First Academy, Thomas was part of the National Honor Society and graduated Magna Cum Laude. Thomas also played for Orlando City ECNL where she averaged four goals a game and racked up 10 assists. While playing for Orlando City ECNL, Thomas had a hand in the club's first State Cup win in 2017.
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Olivia Csapo comes to Spartanburg from Bear, Del. She is a freshman defender who played for FC Delco ECNL and graduated from Caravel Academy. While at Caravel Academy, Csapo received five letters for soccer and three letters for field hockey. As a Buccaneer, Csapo was a captain and recorded 21 goals and 16 assists. She was named First Team All-Conference, Second Team All-State, and helped the Buccaneers become State Champions in 2019 and 2021. At Caravel Academy, Csapo was part of the Junior National Honor Society, National Honor Society, and the Yearbook club.
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Morgan de Barros comes to Spartanburg from Mount Pleasant, S.C. She is a freshman midfielder who played for South Carolina United ECNL and graduated from Wando High School. de Barros played for Wando High School for four years. During her stint as a Warrior, de Barros earned several accolades including being named the 2021 Region 7 AAAAA South Carolina League Player of the Year and to the 2021 All-Lowcountry First Team after the Warriors won the AAAAA South Carolina State Championship. She also played a part in helping the Warriors become State Finalists in 2019. Outside of her high school success, de Barros played for South Carolina United ECNL where she helped her team become not only NPL National Semi-Finalists but also ECNL National League Finalist in 2019.
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Caitlyn Davis comes to Spartanburg from Yorktown, Va. She is a freshman goalkeeper who played for Tidewater Sharks ECNL and graduated from Grafton High School. While at Grafton High School, she earned four letters for soccer and two letters each for basketball and field hockey.
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Syndey Thomas comes to Spartanburg from Hillard, Ohio. She is a freshman forward who played for Ohio Premier and recently graduated from Hillard Darby High School with Summa Cum Laude Honors. While at Hillard Darby, she was a four-time academic scholar-athlete after she earned four letters for soccer and two for track & field. Thomas was a two-year captain for the soccer team and ranks second all-time for all-time goals and third all-time for assists. Thomas was a two-time First Team All-OCC and two-time Second Team All-District. She also earned various awards for her efforts in track & field including two OCC Championship Titles, District, Regional, and State honors, and a fifth-place finish in the State Championship Finisher. As well to all her athletic involvement, Thomas also was a member of the National Honor Society and served as the class secretary for Hillard Darby's class government. While playing for Ohio Premier Soccer Club, Thomas helped the team reach the 2018 ECNL National Qualifiers.
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Dara Russo comes to Spartanburg from Miamisburg, Ohio. She is a freshman forward who played for Ohio Galaxies and graduated from Miamisburg High School. While at Miamisburg, Russo earned an astounding total of 13 letters for athletics: soccer (4), basketball (4), track (4), and cross country (1). During her time as a Viking, Russo scored 67 goals and had 35 assists. Russo was named All-Conference First team twice, All-Conference Second Team once, and helped her team become place second in their district twice.
Emily Rangel comes to Spartanburg from Leander, Texas. She is a freshman defender who played for Sting Austin ECNL and graduated from Cedar Park High School. While at Cedar Park, Rangel earned one letter. During her time as a Timberwolf, Rangel's team was District Champions in 2020 when she received an honorable mention. In her 2021 season, she was a Bi-District Champion, Area Champion, and Region Semi-Finalist.
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Catarina Bastos comes to Spartanburg from Boca Raton, Fla. She is a freshman defender who was a captain for FC Prime ECNL and graduated from North Broward Preparatory School. While at North Broward, Bastos earned four letters for soccer where she was a captain, two for swimming, and one for track & field. During her freshman year, she received an honorable mention as well as being named the Rookie of the Year and to the FHSAA Second Team. In her sophomore season, she was named the Most Valuable Player and to the FHSAA First Team while in her junior year, she was named the Most Valuable New Athlete.
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Hailey Sapinoro comes to Spartanburg from Austin, Texas. She is a freshman defender who played for Sting ECNL and graduated from Vandegrift High School. While at Vandergrift, Sapinoro recorded 12 goals and 22 assists. Sapinoro was part of the Texas UIL State Championship All-Tournament Team as well as being named Texas First Team All-State and the Texas Association of Soccer Coaches Second Team and All-District Defensive MVP twice, respectively. She was also a four-time Texas District 25-6A First Team All-District selection. In addition, Sapinoro was named to the Austin American Statesman All-Central Texas Starting XI First and Second Teams. While at Vandegrift, Sapinoro was a part of HOSA and the Leadership Club. During her final season with Sting ECNL, Sapinoro scored six goals and had 22 assists.
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Audrey Baer comes to Spartanburg from Worthington, Ohio. She is a freshman midfielder who played for Ohio Premier ECNL and graduated from Thomas Worthington High School. Baer played an essential role for Ohio Premier ECNL when they played in the 2019 ECNL Florida Showcase.
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Lauren Darbo comes to Spartanburg from Longwood, Fla. She is a freshman defender who played for Orlando City ECNL and graduated from Lyman High School. While at Lyman, Darbo earned four letters for soccer. In her senior year, she scored 15 goals and had 16 assists. She also collected several awards including Most Valuable Player, Most Improved Player her freshman year, and Best Offensive Player two years in a row.
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Margret Bjarnadottir comes to Spartanburg from Vesturbær, Iceland. Margret is a freshman forward/midfielder who played for KR and graduated from Menntaskólinn við Hamrahlíð. Bjarnadottir played this season with KR when the team won its First League (Lengjudeildin) and will therefore be playing again in the Premier League this summer. She was involved with national youth teams U-15, U-16 & U-17 and was chosen to play alongside seven other girls and compete on behalf of Iceland in Lithuania in 2017, where they went undefeated and Bjarnadottir had two goals in the final. Margret won a silver medal in the City Tournament 2018 (Reykjavíkurmótið) and was a key player for the KR U-19 youth team and helped them win the league.
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