CLINTON, Miss. --- Mississippi College women's soccer head coach Darryl Longabaugh is pleased to announce that nine student-athletes have signed to join the program on National Signing Day (Feb. 3).

"This is another strong class that we are very excited about," said Longabaugh. "This class makes us more athletic and deeper at every position. With this group of young ladies, they will not only make us a better team on the pitch but off it also."

"With this recruiting class, we targeted the best women's soccer players in the state of Mississippi and supplemented them with top players from outside of the state. We were extremely successful with many of our top targets. We will continue to target the best local players year after year as we look to show that Mississippi College is a national championship challenging destination for the state's best players and any players who believe in our winning institution."

 

	Lauren Kate Carter plays for head coach Hannah Kimbrough at Tupelo High School. She also plays club soccer for BVSA ECNL '98 Girls and Tupelo Football Club United '98 Girls. She is the daughter of Michael and Shannon Carter. Lauren Kate was Tupelo's Wendy's High School Heisman winner and won the State Award. She earned the team's Offensive Player of the Year Award as a sophomore and was given the Hannah Kimbrough Award as a junior. Lauren Kate helped lead TFC United to two state championships and helped lead THS to the state finals as a freshman. Coach Longabaugh - "Lauren Kate is a dynamic midfielder, a strong technical player with great field vision, composure and range of passing that will add strength and a different dimension to our midfield. She will make an immediate impact on this team."
	Jordan Dillon plays for head coach Jeremy Shortt at Brandon High School. She also plays club soccer for Mississippi Rush '98 Girls. She is the daughter of Willie and Judy Dillon. Jordan was a MaxPreps Second Team All-State selection in 2014-15, as well as, a two-time All-District performer. She was also named the team's Most Valuable Defender twice. Coach Longabaugh - "Jordan is a strong defender that can play anywhere along the back line, and who will bring leadership and great techical ability. Jordan will give us more options on set pieces and will make our back line stronger. She has outstanding possibilities and can go on to be whatever she wants in this game."
	Emma-Claire Furman plays for head coach Wes Leake at Lakeshore High School in Mandeville, Louisiana. She also plays club soccer for the Baton Rouge SC U-18 Girls. Emma-Claire is the daughter of Rob and Carrie Furman. She was named the team's Offensive MVP and MVP of the district. She was also selected to the All-District First Team as a junior and was named the East Most Outstanding Player for the Louisiana East/West All-Star Game. Coach Longabaugh - "Emma-Claire will add pace and aggression to our attack this season. Her technical ability and creativity will increase our team's firepower."
	Gabby Kayser plays for head coach Matt Bettlach at Triad High School in Troy, Illinois. She also plays club soccer for Panathinaikos F.C. Gabby is the daughter of Edwards and Carla Kayser. She helped lead her team to the multiple conference (2013-15) and regional championships (2013-15), while earned Honorable Mention awards. Coach Longabaugh - "Gabby is a strong shot stopper and will bring strong hands to the box. She has the ability to make the difficult saves look easy. She is also good at getting the ball out of her hands quickly to start the counter attack. Gabby is a vocal leader in the back."
	Lyndsey Lee played for head coach Jack Byrd at Pearl River Community College and for head coach Andy Fillengame at Our Lady Academy. She also played club soccer for Gulf Coast United Futbol Club. Lyndsey is the daughter of Ryan Lee and Holli and Dion Cuevas. She was a Third Team All-American selection at PRCC and helped lead the Lady Bobcats to a 2015 state championship. She was named the MACJC All-Star Game MVP for the South and was a Academic All-American while earning All-Region 23 recognition. Coach Longabaugh - "Lyndsey is a hard-working, never-quit, smart and athletic midfielder with great technical ability. She is another in a great midfield class this year. Lyndsey will bring strong leadership to the team."
	Kyra Montes plays for head coach Lisa Levermann at C.E. Byrd High School in Shreveport, La. She also plays club soccer for the Mississippi Rush '98 Girls. Kyra is the daughter of Kerensa and Julio Montes. The two-time team captain was named a Louisiana All-Star and earned Second Team All-State recognition. She was a four-time All-District selection, earning MVP and Offensive MVP honors. Kyra was twice named the team's offensive MVP and was a Wendy's High School Heisman finalist. She also earned All-City honors twice and served as the cross country team captain. Coach Longabaugh - "Kyra is a special player. She is strong, has good pace and scores lots of goals. She is technically a good player. We are expecting Kyra to contribute right away and frighten GSC defenses."
	Madeline Porter plays for head coach and former Choctaw Matt Cox at Germantown High School. She also plays club soccer for the Mississippi Rush Premier Girls '98. Madeline is the daughter of Kemper Porter. Coach Longabaugh - "Madeline is a strong, technical, athletic player that makes accurate passes and puts teammates in good situations. She will push for playing time right away in a variety of positions.
	Katie Taylor played for coach Colby Hale at the University of Arkansas and for coach Hannah Kimbrough at Tupelo High School. Shhe also played club soccer for Birmingham United (BUSA). While at Tupelo, she was named the team's Offensive Player of the Year and team MVP, as well as, being honored with the Will to Win Award. She was named a TopDrawer Soccer Mississippi All-Star and named to the 2015 Girls IMG Academy 150 Player Pool. She was also ranked in the Top 10 of the TopDrawer Soccer South Region players. Katie also spent time training with the U.S. National Team in Jacksonville, FL in 2013. She is the daughter of Heather Redwood. Coach Longabaugh - "Katie is an outstanding young lady, and as an SEC transfer, she will make an impact right away. Her ability to defend and get forward into the attack will be a great addition. Katie will give us more options on set pieces and will make our back line stronger."
	Liza Wise plays for head coach Hannah Kimbrough at Tupelo High School. She also plays club soccer for the Tupelo Football Club '98 Girls. Liza is the daughter of Rhett and Angie Wise. She played eight years for the TFC '98 Girls. Liza was named to the Best of the MS Preps All-State First Team, while earning Daily Journal All-Area First Team honors. She was named Tupelo's Defensive Player of the Year (2013-15) and earned a spot on the Mississippi Association of Coaches All-Star Team. Coach Longabaugh - "Liza is another strong player that has the ability to play the center back and center forward position equally well. She is another good technical player that is strong on the ball and will cope well with the demands of the GSC. Liza will contribute right away."

The Lady Choctaws finished the 2015 season with a 14-4-4 record and advanced all the way to the National Christian College Athletic Association national championship game. The 2016 season will be MC's first as a full-fledged member of the Gulf South Conference in women's soccer.