The University of Mississippi Athletics
Women's Soccer Inks Two Recruits
6/21/1999 | Soccer
May 18, 1998
OXFORD, Miss. -- Melissa Seymour, a 5-foot defender from Lilburn, Ga., and Melinda Smith, a 5-foot-8 goalkeeper from Tacoma, Wa., have signed national letters of intent to attend Ole Miss beginning in the fall of 1998, Lady Rebel soccer head coach Steve Holeman announced on Monday. Seymour and Smith join junior transfer Amaris Smith as members of the Lady Rebel 1998 recruiting class.
Seymour, a three-year starter on defense for Brookwood High School, helped lead her team to the Georgia state championship in 1998. As a junior in 1997, she was a member of the Brookwood High squad that was runner-up in the region and state tournaments. Seymour also played soccer for the Brookwood 80 Steamers from 1994-96, serving as the squad's captain all three years. Named the Steamers' Most Valuable Player, Seymour helped lead the team to the Georgia state title in 1994 and 1996. She also was a member of the Georgia Olympic Development Program (ODP) soccer team in 1997.
"Melissa will come in and compete right away for a starting position on defense," said Holeman. "She is a very quick player who gives 100 percent all the time. Melissa has a big presence on the defensive end. She has good defensive skills, and also has the ability to mark a player out of the game."
A four-year letterwinner at Stadium High School, Smith started all four seasons in goal and captained the squad as a senior in 1998. She posted a career goals-against average of 0.62 and had 39 career shutouts. Named Stadium's 1998 Outstanding Female Athlete, Smith earned All-Narrows League first team honors the past three seasons and was also picked All-Area first team by Federal Way News in 1998. In her final two seasons, Smith led her squad to the Washington state tournament.
Smith also played soccer for the FC Royals Soccer Club the past five seasons. A member of the under-17 U.S. national championship team in 1996, she currently is playing in goal for the Royals under-18 squad that won the 1998 Washington state title. The Royals will compete in the Region IV Tournament in Albuquerque, N.M., in June. Smith is also a member of the 1998 Washington ODP soccer team which will participate in the Region IV camp in June.
"Melinda is a very solid, consistent goalkeeper," said Holeman. "Her club teams have played in several national tournaments, so she is familiar with playing in big-game' situations. Melinda will definitely come in and push Birna (Bjornsdottir) for the starting spot in goal this fall."
The Lady Rebels finished the 1997 season with an 11-9 overall record and a 4-4 Southeastern Conference ledger and earned the program's first-ever bid to the league's postseason tournament. Ole Miss opens its 1998 schedule on Sept. 1 versus Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. The Lady Rebels play their first home game of the 1998 season on Sept. 5 versus Chattanooga.
