The University of Mississippi Athletics
Women's Soccer Adds Two Players
6/21/1999 | Soccer
July 8, 1998
OXFORD, Miss. - Dallas Bird and Ashley Martin will join the Ole Miss Lady Rebel soccer program this fall, head coach Steve Holeman announced on Wednesday. Bird and Martin have signed national letters of intent to attend Ole Miss in the fall.
Bird and Martin join Melissa Seymour, Amaris Smith and Melinda Smith as members of the Lady Rebel 1998 recruiting class.
A 5-foot-5 midfielder from Tulsa, Okla., Bird played soccer at Jenks High School and was a two-year varsity letterwinner. Bird earned All-District and All-Conference accolades, and was also named All-State honorable mention her senior year despite missing half the season with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. An honor roll student, Bird also played three years of basketball at Jenks High School and earned three letters. Bird was a member of the Hurricane Futbol Club team, which won the 1998 Oklahoma state title. Her club team advanced to the regional semifinals, placing among the top 16 teams in the nation.
"Dallas will see playing time at midfield or on defense," said Holeman. "She is one of the hardest workers that I have ever seen, and that is her greatest strength. Dallas has played for a very good club team and that should prepare her for competition at the collegiate level. She has very good speed and is a great competitor. Dallas will fit into our system well."
Martin, a 5-foot-6 defender from Baton Rouge, La., earned four letters as a member of St. Joseph's Academy soccer team. A 1998 Louisiana All-State pick, Martin received All-Parish and All-District honors, while also being named the district's Most Valuable Player. She served as the team's captain and was the squad's Most Valuable Player in 1998. Martin also earned All-Parish honors in 1996 and All-District accolades in 1995 and 1996. A member of the Red Star e79 club team, Martin helped lead the squad to Louisiana state titles in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995 and 1996.
"Ashley is one of the top players from the state of Louisiana," Holeman said. "She is a tremendous athlete. Ashley is very fast, and has a lot of athletic ability. She will see action on defense or at midfield, and with her speed, we may play her some up front. Ashley has the potential to develop into a solid Division I soccer player."
The Lady Rebels open their 1998 season on Sept. 1 versus Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. Ole Miss will play its home opener versus Chattanooga on Sept. 5 at 5:00 p.m. Last year, the Lady Rebels had an 11-9 overall record and a 4-4 Southeastern Conference mark. Ole Miss qualified for the SEC Tournament for the first time in the program's three-year history in 1997.
