Coaching changes highlight strong senior leadership on MC Women’s Soccer Team

Coming into the 2025 soccer season, the women’s soccer team at Maryville College faced a new obstacle: a change from two head coaches to one. Even in the face of difficulty and a rough start to the season, the seniors of the team have shown positive and effective leadership on and off the field.

While losing a head coach can be disruptive, Jon Baker, Head Coach of Women’s Soccer, explains that with the coaching split, the culture of women’s soccer has not changed and with the new team structure, seniors have had an even bigger role as mentors and leaders.

“We do have a strong senior class this year. I have leaned on them for a while because they have been through a lot as a group. All of them have been integral to the success of the program since they’ve been here,” Baker said.

On the field, seniors can be seen giving advice to underclassmen players as well as hyping the team up if they had a bad game. Off the field, the seniors are friends and mentors for the younger players.

“I lean on them for things, but I encourage the underclassmen to also. They’re not only good athletes, but they’re fantastic students as well and do really well academically. They’re a good resource for our younger players,” Baker adds.

This impact doesn’t go unnoticed. First year students Katie Ray (‘29) and Trinity Atkinson (‘29) both recall how the seniors of the team made them feel comfortable and confident to play for Maryville College. Atkinson also mentioned that during the first week of unofficial practices the seniors gave the first year students a tour of the campus, which helped with feeling comfortable and at home at MC.

Besides being welcoming, the seniors also prioritize being a friend to the underclassmen so they do not feel as alone when away from home.

“Coming in, I basically had 25 close friends immediately. We spend so much time together, whether it’s practice, before practice, after practice or eating. We are always together, there is not really anything like it,” Ray said.

The seniors all emphasize that being a group of friends as well as a team is rewarding and is why they are so successful. Senior Elle Fair (‘26) explains how she and the team gain strength on the field from all being friends.

“We all really push each other and hold each other accountable, and we have a very good standard across the team. We want to work hard for each other. We really love each other. It helps us stay motivated,” Fair said. “Even when we struggle or have a bad game, we are able to pick each other up.”

Olivia Norris (‘26) reinforced this idea and explains how this success of women’s soccer extends off the field.  

“We hold ourselves to a high standard of excellence whether it be in the classroom, on the field or interpersonally. We are a collection of friends first, teammates second – I think that is huge and goes a long way within our program,” Norris said.

Seniors of the team also ensure the underclassmen know about the importance of academics and through dedication they pass this message along.

“We have multiple people on our team who do group studies for the soccer team. We have one of the highest GPAs in the Athletics Department and it is consistent,” Norris said. “If someone is falling behind we don’t leave them behind, we find a way to pick them up and bring them with us. At the end of the day, we are a team.”

By being positive role models, the women’s soccer team has forged an influential path of their own, focusing on academics, soccer and friendship. As the seniors close out their final season at Maryville College, they reflect on what they have learned in their time at MC and advise that underclassmen continue to apply themselves and train hard. Hannah Smoot (‘26) shares what she wished she could have told her freshman self. “Embrace every opportunity you get and really try to soak in every moment,” she said.
“Even when the hard practices are happening, just try and enjoy it because it flies by faster than you can imagine.”

MC Women’s Soccer team seniors posing for their last team photoshoot. Top Row, Left to Right: Avery Brown (‘26), Hannah Smoot (‘26), Olivia Norris (‘26), Chloe Chase (‘26)

Bottom Row, Left to Right: Madalyn McCall (‘26), Emma Robertson (‘26), Elle Fair (‘26), Anabelle Procter (‘26) (Photo Courtesy of CJ Newton.)