On Tuesday, October 27, the NAIA released the top 25 collegiate women’s soccer teams in the United States. Coming in as the 24th best team, the women’s soccer is the first team that has reached national rankings at UC Merced, and are extremely proud of it. With a record of 11-2-3 this semester, the women of UC Merced’s soccer team have been working very hard, and are eager to reach the California Pacific Conference Championship. With her last semester as a UC Merced athlete and undergraduate student, mid-fielder Vanessa Villacorta acknowledges, “We are such a competitive team that we don’t realize that we are making each other better every single day. I will most certainly miss all the road trips and all the times we all got to spend together on and off the field.”

From practice to study tables, locker rooms, games, long road trips and hotel rooms, a lot of these women’s undergraduate experiences have stemmed from being a college athlete. Although it is difficult to balance both school and athletics as a college student, the experience has been rewarding to these women, and they can’t wait for what the rest of the season has in store for them. Captains of the team Veronica Villacorta and Katerina Rocker Heppe are beyond proud to be leading such a talented group of women, and are aiming to improve their team beyond what they have already accomplished. Veronia passionately expresses, “It is a huge honor to be playing on such a young team! After coming off of an injury, I was determined to get myself healthy and do my part for the team. I just really want to lead by example and show that with determination and hard work, we can be successful as a team overall.”

Playing at the level of NAIA since the fall of 2012, the women’s soccer team is entering their fourth season with such a huge accomplishment of becoming a nationally ranked team. As goalkeeper Maggie Morales mentions, “I feel very honored to be ranked, and it’s so unreal to me.” Despite being a young team in the NAIA, these Bobcats are hungry for the championship, and are working hard to reach further goals. Captain and midfield player Katerina emphasizes, “I'm excited to finish off the rest of season and see us succeed in the playoffs.”

Whether you know anything about the sport of soccer or not, the talent, energy and passion of these women out on the field is exhilarating to watch. Come out and support the UC Merced’s women’s soccer team as they host the playoffs this season, kicking off on Thursday, November 12. Congratulations Bobcats, and continue to thrive!