CLINTON, Miss. --- Mississippi College sophomore Lauren Smith spent the 2016 summer playing in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) for Alabama F.C., based out of Birmingham.

Smith (Birmingham, Ala.) joined with teammates from Division I schools like Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Ole Miss, Samford, Troy and UAB.

Alabama F.C. was a member of the Southeast Division, playing teams like Atlanta Silverbacks, Chattanooga FC, FC Nashville Wolves, Gulf Coast Texans, Knoxville Lady Force and Memphis Lobos.

Smith, junior Caitlin Hayes and former Lady Choctaw Sayit Mejia Bello all played in the WPSL with Hayes and Mejia Bello playing for Lancaster Torch out of Pennsylvania.

The Women's Premier Soccer League is a 100-plus team national pro-am league and is the largest women's soccer league in the world. The league was formed in 1998 and is sanctioned by the Unite State Adult Soccer Association (USASA) as an affiliate of the United State Soccer Federation (USSF).

The WPSL's mission is to provide the highest level of soccer in our effort to: bring affordable & quality family entertainment to the community; display positive role models for our youth; while, being a stepping stone for aspiring professional & international-level players.

Smith helped lead the Lady Choctaws to the #1 overall seed in the NCCAA Tournament in 2015, advancing to the national championship game in Kissimmee, Fla. The rookie scored three goals with an assist, including a season-high two against Belhaven in the season opener.

Mississippi College is a private Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi with an enrollment of over 5,000 students. MC is currently in transition to Division II and the Gulf South Conference, optimistically looking toward July when they will find out about clearing the final hurdle of transition and being full members for the 2016-17 academic year.
 
The athletic department sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletic programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Football, Golf, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball.
 
For more information on Mississippi College athletics, please contact David Nichols at 601-925-3234 or nichols@mc.edu.