The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Women's Soccer Announces 2016 Signing Class
2/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB women's soccer team and head coach Harold Warren announced the addition of five newcomers on Wednesday.
Melissa Cameron, Megan Hudgens, Christiane Malone, Paige Merry and Natalie Presedo signed their National Letters of Intent on Wednesday and joined the program for the 2016 season.
Dominique Rowe rounds out the 2016 class, signing her letter of intent last fall. She joined the program a semester early and has enrolled in classes this spring.
"We feel that we put together a very good 2016 class," said Warren. "We're extremely excited not only by the talent, but the character that they bring to our family."
Details on the Blazers' 2016 signing class are below.
Melissa Cameron | Defender | Atlanta, Ga. (Harrison High School)
Cameron joins the Blazers after four season as a varsity starter at Harrison High School in Kennesaw, Ga. The defender led the squad to three straight region championships (2013-2015) and the 2013-14 state championship. Cameron's efforts were rewarded as she earned best defender honors in 2014 and 2015 and was selected as team captain in 2016.
The Atlanta, Ga., native also plays club soccer with Tophat, the 2014 and 2015 Georgia State Champions and 2015 regional runner-ups.
Megan Hudgens | Forward| Alpharetta, Ga. (Fellowship Christian School)
Hudgens spent her high school career at Fellowship Christian School in Roswell, Ga., where she has excelled on and off the pitch. The forward was selected to the All-State team every season with Fellowship Christian and was voted MVP of Georgia Class A during her junior season. The Alpharetta, Ga., native has played in the state finals twice. Through her junior campaign, Hudgens has scored 83 goals. Hudgens also plays on the Concorde Fire Central Elite and is the squad's leading scorer.
Academically, Hudgens has been named to her high school's honor roll four years and has maintained a 4.0 GPA.
Christiane Malone | Midfielder |Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (St. Mary's Academy)
Malone joins the Blazers after playing on the varsity squad at St. Mary's Academy in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She is also a member of the cross country team and played badminton her freshman season. No stranger to high-caliber competition, Malone has led teams to second place finishes in the Provincial Soccer Championships and Club City Championships. She has also earned a spot of the honor roll the last three years.
Paige Merry | Midfield | Knoxville, Tenn. (Knoxville Catholic)
Merry comes to UAB after a successful club campaign with FC Alliance 98' Black. The squad has been consistently ranked in the top three in that state of Tennessee and is the USYS 2015 Tennessee State Champion. The midfielder is determined, having battled through multiple injuries to play at the collegiate level. The Knoxville, Tenn., native is a staple on the Knoxville Catholic honor roll.
Natalie Presedo | Midfielder | Baton Rouge, La. (Baton Rouge Magnet)
Presedo is a standout offensive player from Baton Rouge, La. The Louisiana native is a three-time Louisiana All-State honoree and holds the single-season scoring record at Baton Rouge Magnet High School. She has been selected to the All-District and All-Metro First Team for the last three seasons and was named the All-District, All-Metro Offensive MVP in 2014 and Overall MVP in 2015.
Presedo is an Advance Placement Scholar with Distinction, a National Hispanic Scholar and a National Merit Scholar
Dominique Rowe | Defender | Knoxville, Tenn. (Hardin Valley)
Rowe is a graduate of Hardin Valley Academy in Knoxville, Tenn., where she played varsity soccer under head coach Mark Patterson. During her high school career, the defender earned All-District, All-Region, All-State and All-PrepXtra honors.
Winner of Defender of the Year, Rowe was the anchor of the Hardin Valley defense that posted 12 shutouts each of the last two seasons and allowed less than a goal per game each season. Last season, Rowe finished with three goals and three assists. Rowe is also a member of the FC Alliance 98' Black club team.
Rowe graduated in the top 10 percent of her class with a 4.0 GPA.
The UAB men's and women's soccer teams will call BBVA Compass Field their new home, beginning with the 2016 season. The soccer-specific facility has been made possible through the generosity of BBVA Compass and other devoted donors. For construction updates and monthly photo galleries, please visit UABSports.com and click on the men's or women's soccer home page.
For more information on the UAB women's soccer team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UABWomensSoccer). For more on all Blazer sports teams follow the official social media accounts of UAB Athletics on Twitter (@UABAthletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uabathletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
