CONTRIBUTED BY SUSCC
OPELIKA — The Southern Union women’s soccer team has earned an invitation to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Tournament after defeating Cape Fear Community College to secure the district crown and advance to nationals for the first time in program history.
Southern Union will enter the NJCAA National Tournament as the No. 11 seed and will open play against Northwest Mississippi Community College on Nov. 16 in Wichita, Kansas. The tournament runs Nov. 16–22.
Head coach Mac Matthews expressed pride in the team’s journey and the foundation that led to this moment.
“It’s deeply gratifying to see three years of effort and commitment from our first three recruiting classes pay off in such an undeniable manner,” Matthews said. “Much is owed to the original 2023 recruiting class, captained by Mackenzie Smith, for launching the program even though they would graduate before the fruits of their labor could be harvested. The current team has dedicated hundreds of hours of training and, more importantly, done the truly humbling work of building a positive, no-nonsense team culture. They have been focused since Aug. 1 on earning a berth to Nationals. That dream has been realized and the really good news is now they’re hungry for more.”
The Lady Bison’s national tournament appearance marks another milestone in the continued growth and success of the young program.
Team captains Macy Chambers, who was named Region Player of the Year, and Ana Mendoza, named to the all-region team, said they are looking forward to leading their team in tournament play.
“When preparing for some of the biggest games in your soccer career, it’s easy to get caught up in things that don’t matter,” said Chambers. “In these last few weeks, I’ve had to remind myself to stop, be in the moment and be thankful for everything that has gotten us here.”
Mendoza added, “I’m beyond excited and incredibly blessed that our team made it to Nationals. I can’t wait to make more unforgettable memories with the amazing girls who’ve worked so hard and stood by each other every step of the way — we earned this.”
For more information on the women’s soccer program at Southern Union visit www.suscc.edu or contact Matthews at mmatthews@suscc.edu.
