Demers Inks Nine Newcomers to NLIs

BIRMINGHAM – UAB's soccer family grew significantly on Wednesday after head coach Erica Demers announced that nine newcomers have signed National Letters of Intent (NLI) to play for the Blazers.

The class will have big shoes to fill after the departure of a senior class that helped UAB win 22 games over the past two seasons. Signing with UAB is: Sha'Nya Stephens, Asha Zuniga, Morgan Halliwill, Riley Parsons, Lizzie Hill, Sarah Francis Adair, Eve Beyer, Canby Biddle and Addison Cline.

Sha'Nya Stephens | Bluffton, S.C. | Bluffton H.S. | Forward | 5'8
A four-year varsity performer, Stephens joins the Blazers with a wealth of goal-scoring experience. Over her last three seasons, she has scored 47 goals and assisted on 32 goals. Her efforts saw her win 3A Player of the Year honors and Female Athlete of the Year honors. She also was named her team's MVP four times.

"Nya was one of our first players for this 2019 class that we sought after. Building a strong attacking team was extremely important for us and we expect Nya to be very helpful in our frontline. Nya is a naturally strong athlete that we hope can ease her way in nicely to the college game and C-USA. She, along with Morgan Halliwill, are joining our team early this year as they will start their careers at UAB this Spring. I am very excited to start coaching Nya and helping her adjust to our system."

Asha Zuniga | Lakeland, Fla. | McKeel Academy of Technology | Midfielder | 5'9
Zuniga is another goal scoring threat that UAB will utilize in this class. Through three seasons at McKeel, she has accounted for 62 goals, including an impressive 23 as a freshman. She was recognized for her hard work by earning District Player of the Year honors as a freshman and sophomore.

"We are extremely thrilled to have Asha be a part of our program. Asha is a true attacking minded player that has the ability to play in a couple different positions. She has a strong ability to connect passes forward in dangerous areas or find her way through on the attack dribbling at her opponents. Our staff felt an immediate connection with Asha and her love for UAB. We cannot wait to have her on campus and fully be a part of our family here."

Morgan Halliwill | Fort Wayne, Ind. | Homestead H.S. | Midfielder | 5'5
An attack-minded player, Halliwill will begin playing for the Blazers in the spring. As a junior, she earned All-District First Team honors as well as ISCA Academic All-State recognition. She was a two-team Weekly Standout performer who also made her ODP state team in 2014 and 2015.

"Morgan is another player from the north that we are excited to bring south to UAB. Similar to Nya, she is excited to start and will join the program this coming Spring. Morgan is a worker and has the ability to play in a couple different attacking positions. We look forward to working with Morgan this Spring and help her get adjusted to the college game."

Riley Parsons | Greenville, S.C. | Wade Hampton H.S. | Midfielder | 5'6
Parsons joins the 2019 class with a wealth of experience. A two-time captain, Parsons has scored 25 goals in her career and added nine assists. As a freshman, she was named the varsity Rookie of the Year after helping her team to an 18-6-1 record.

"Riley defines what hard work is. From the first time we saw Riley, we knew we wanted her to wear green and gold. Riley will always give you everything she has and since her commitment to UAB, her drive and consistent play continued to excite us. Riley is our second player from South Carolina representing a great club in CESA. We know Riley will thrive the moment she steps on campus."

Lizzie Hill | Birmingham, Ala. | Vestavia Hills H.S. | Defender | 5'6
Hill is one of two defenders in the class and will look to help anchor the Blazers' backline. During her time at Vestavia Hills, she has amassed 48 goals and 24 assists. During her career, she has been part of two state title winning teams and was also a member of the North/South All-Star team.

"One of our recruiting goals since arriving at UAB is to do our best to keep local players local. Lizzie Hill is one of those local players whom we feel will be an asset to our backline. Lizzie, a member of the Alabama FC ECNL team, is a calm, consistent player who is able to keep the game simple and connect passes forward. We are excited to follow Lizzie in her final season at Vestavia Hills High School."

Sarah Francis Adair | Birmingham, Ala. | Mountain Brook H.S. | Goalkeeper | 5'7
Another Birmingham product, Adair will add some depth to the goalkeeper corps that is looking to replace Goalkeeper of the Year Kelsey Daugherty. As a junior, Adair was a brick wall between the pipes, allowing just seven goals against 67 shots faced. Her efforts saw her named the First Team Birmingham All-Metro Captain and earned her a spot in the North-South All-Star game.

"Sarah Francis is another local player that we are thrilled to be joining our 2019 class. A goalkeeper for Alabama FC ECNL and student from Mountain Brook, SF will be one of two goalkeepers that we are adding to compete for the starting position vacant since Kelsey Daugherty graduated this past fall."

Eve Beyer | Tucker, Georgia | St. Pius X Catholic H.S. | Goalkeeper | 5'8
Beyer is the second goalkeeper of the class that will compete for a starting role. A two-time state champion, she recorded 11 shutouts to help her team to a state runner-up finish in 2018. She also earned First Team All-Region honors as a junior. In her career, she has totaled 51 wins.

"Eve Beyer comes from a family of soccer athletes with both brothers being soccer goalkeepers for their respective universities. Eve hails from Georgia and is a student at the prestigious St. Pius X Catholic High School. She is an exciting goalkeeper to watch and along with SF will compete for the starting goalkeeper position this Fall. We are excited to have Eve join our Blazer Family."

Canby Biddle | Ball Ground, Ga. | North Forsyth H.S. | Midfielder | 5'5
Biddle adds another goal scoring option for the Blazers and is coming off a 10 goal season as a junior. In her career, she has played more than 1,000 minutes in all three seasons and was All-County, All-Region and the team MVP in her sophomore and junior seasons.

"Canby is a physical player that we need in our midfield. A natural ball winner, we are looking forward to Canby adding a different type of player then what our current roster holds. Canby is a current member of the Atlanta Fire in the ECNL, gaining a wealth of experience playing with and against some of the best talent in the states. We are excited for Canby to join our Blazer Family."

Addison Cline | Louisville, Ky. | Assumption H.S. | Defender | 5'4
Cline adds more depth to the back line as she is the second defender in the class. She capped off a stellar career with nine goals in her senior season en route to earning First Team All-Region honors while also being named to the All-Region Tournament team. She was also named All-District twice in her career.

"Addi comes to UAB from Louisville, Ky., as we continue to recruit great talent North of us. Addi is a versatile player that will find time on the field either in our backline or midfield. She is a player with a high soccer IQ and one that we are looking forward to coaching to help grow from a great foundation that she currently has."

For more information on the UAB women's soccer team follow the Blazers on Twitter and Instagram (@UAB_WSOC).

Demers Inks Nine Newcomers to NLIs

Players Mentioned

Sarah Francis Adair

Eve Beyer

Canby Biddle

Addison Cline

Kelsey Daugherty

Morgan Halliwill

Lizzie Hill

Riley Parsons

Sha’Nya Stephens

Asha Zuniga

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics