Furman Women’s Soccer Gains 8 New Recruits
Furman Women's Soccer
The Furman women’s soccer team has added eight new faces to its 2024 roster, it was announced this week by Paladin head coach Andrew Burr.
Callah Dando (Beaufort, S.C.), Jessica Mattson (Waxhaw, N.C.), Caroline Moseley (Atlanta, Ga.), Katelyn Nixon (Atlanta, Ga.), Imani Okunlola (Lawrenceville, Ga.), Kasey Sitko (Cumming, Ga.), Avery Stanley (Milton, Ga.), and Alla Summers (Elkin, N.C.) will join the Paladins for the 2025 season.
“We are thrilled to add these eight young ladies to the Furman soccer family,” said Burr. “The class includes several players who have a chance of making an immediate impact on our program and all eight are great fits for Furman, both in the classroom and on the field.”
Dando, a senior at Hilton Head Preparatory School where she plays soccer for head coach Risa McMillan, ranks as one of the most decorated players in South Carolina. The forward, who is rated as a three-star prospect by Top Drawer Soccer, has led Hilton Head Prep to back-to-back South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) championships while leading SCISA in goals, assists, and total points as a sophomore and junior. The three-time all-state selection scored 34 goals and added 19 assists as a junior in 2024. Dando plays club soccer for CESA in the Elite Clubs National League. She is also a member of the Greenville Liberty player pool and helped the Greenville Liberty U-20 team to the USL-W U-20 championship.
Keep signing up for our Winter ID Camp! pic.twitter.com/9qUnIFsXVo
— Furman Women's Soccer (@FurmanWSoccer) December 2, 2024
Mattson is senior at Marvin Ridge High School, where she plays soccer for head coach Jenna Borrelli. The defender guided the Mavericks to the 2024 AAAA state title, western region championship, and Southern Carolina Conference crown. She garnered North Carolina Soccer Coaches Association All-State honors, first team Charlotte Observer All-Area accolades, and High School OT Honors Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Year laurels. A three-time All-Southern Carolina Conference pick, Mattson plays her club soccer for Charlotte Soccer Academy 07 ECNL.
Moseley is entering her senior season playing for head coach Sharon Loughran at the Westminster Schools. Capable of playing in defense or as a midfielder, Moseley netted four goals as a junior before her season was cut short due to a knee injury. She guided the Wildcats to AAA state titles and a combined record of 37-4 as a freshman and sophomore, totaling seven goals and seven assists in her second varsity season. Selected as a captain for her senior season, Moseley plays her club soccer for Southern Soccer Academy.
Got some of the girls out to referee today! Even got to referee Coach April’s son! pic.twitter.com/Nlt86C4luj
— Furman Women's Soccer (@FurmanWSoccer) November 23, 2024
Nixon is entering her senior season playing for head coach Virginia Kerns at the Lovett School. A two-time Georgia Athletic Coaches Association All-State selection and three-time all-region choice, she netted 17 goals en route to earning first team AAAA all-state accolades as a junior. Nixon, a midfielder and defender, plays her club soccer for Concorde Fire ECNL Platinum and led her team to the Southeast Conference title and ECNL finals in 2024.
A projected graduate of Brookwood High School, Okunlola plays her prep soccer for head coach Michael Tolmich. The standout center back is a three-time All-Region 4 selection and has led the Broncos to three consecutive Region 4 titles while tallying five goals, including four as a junior. Set to serve as a team captain for her senior season in 2025, Okunlola is a member of the Region III ODP squad and plays her club soccer for Gwinnett Soccer Academy in the ECNL. She has led her club to the ECNL Champions League in back-to-back seasons.
Sitko is entering her fourth season playing for Lambert High School and head coach Jennifer Wilson. Rated as a three-star prospect by Top Drawer Soccer, she captured Georgia Athletic Coaches Association All-State honors as a junior in 2024. The forward and attacking midfielder has led the Longhorns to three consecutive AAAAAAA playoff appearances. A two-time region 6-7A choice, Sitko plays her club soccer for United Futbol Academy in the Elite Clubs National League and helped UFA advance to the national sweet sixteen in 2023.
Stanley, rated as a three-star prospect by Top Drawer Soccer, plays along the back line for head coach Mike Brinker at Milton High School. She earned second team All-Region 6-7A honors as a sophomore and has twice captured the Milton Varsity Scholar Athlete Award. Stanley plays her club soccer for Tophat 07 GA Gold.
Summers, who is set to begin her senior season, plays up top for head coach Will Hurley at Elkin High School. A Top-Drawer Soccer three-star prospect and three-time All-Northwest Conference selection, Summers led the Buckin’ Elks in scoring as a junior with 44 goals while guiding her team to their third consecutive Northwest Conference title. She has totaled 76 goals in her first three seasons with at Elkin. Also, a standout on the basketball court, Summers plays her club soccer in the ECNL for NC Fusion.
Next year’s Furman squad is set to return seven starters from a 2024 team that posted a 10-7-3 overall record and finished third in the Southern Conference with a 5-2-2 league mark. The Paladins eliminated ETSU in the SoCon Women’s Soccer Championship quarterfinals before falling to eventual league champion Samford.
Furman Women’s Soccer Newcomers
Name Pos. Hometown High School Last Team
Callah Dando F Beaufort, S.C. Hilton Head Prep CESA 07 ECNL
Jessica Mattson D/MF Waxhaw, N.C. Marvin Ridge H.S. Charlotte SA 07 ECNL
Caroline Moseley D/MF Atlanta, Ga. Westminster Schools Southern SA
Katelyn Nixon MF/F Atlanta, Ga. The Lovett School Concorde Fire ECNL
Imani Okunlola D Lawrenceville, Ga. Brookwood H.S. Gwinnett SA
Kasey Sitko F Cumming, Ga. Lambert H.S. UFA 06/07 ECNL
Avery Stanley D Milton, Ga. Milton H.S. Tophat 07 GA Gold
Alla Summers F Elkin, N.C. Elkin H.S. NC Fusion ECNL
Courtesy Jordan Caskey furmanpaladins.com
