The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Opens Soccer Preaseason
8/10/2002 | Soccer
Aug. 10, 2002
OXFORD, Miss. - With sights set on an NCAA Tournament berth, the Ole Miss soccer team opened its 2002 preseason today with its first full-squad meeting. Fifteen letterwinners, including seven starters from a year ago, and 10 newcomers reported to camp Saturday.
"We've been looking forward to this day since last fall," said Ole Miss head coach Steve Holeman, who has been with the Rebel soccer program since its inception in 1995. "I'm thrilled to see our returnees back along with all the newcomers. With the talent we have in place, it's going to be an exciting season of Ole Miss soccer ahead."
Leading the group of returning Rebels are seniors Kristin Chapman, Anna Sanders and Courtney Biddle. Chapman, a defender/forward from Vicksburg, is a two-time All-SEC selection, while Sanders, a midfielder from Fayetteville, Ark., and Biddle, a defender from Pittsburgh, both rank top 10 on the Ole Miss career charts in goals, assists and total points.
Among the newcomers, the Rebels welcomed six signees, which were recently ranked the third-best recruiting class in the SEC, as well as four other new faces for the first day of camp. Sophomore transfer Caitlyn Gibson, a 5-10 defender from Plano, Texas, comes to Oxford after spending 2001-02 at Tulane, where she started 16 of 17 games for the Green Wave.
Other new additions included incoming freshmen Shellie Harmon from New Orleans, Lisa Mestayer from River Ridge, La., and Ashley Rogers from Tupelo.
The UM preseason is highlighted by an Aug. 24 home match with Tulsa. The Rebels, who are coming off their sixth straight season with a .500 or better record, officially open the 2002 campaign on Aug. 30 against Georgia State as part of the Ole Miss Invitational in Oxford.
Ole Miss finished the 2001 season with a 10-10-1 mark, and advanced to the semi-finals of the SEC Tournament for the second time in three years. The Rebels became the only SEC Western Division squad to have earned a conference tourney berth the past five years, and is the West's winningest team over that stretch.
