The UVA women’s soccer program has picked up a top defender off the transfer portal, adding UCLA transfer Kathryn Kelly, a top 10 national recruit in the prep class of 2022.
“We are very excited to welcome Kathryn to our program,” UVA coach Steve Swanson said. “She is an excellent fit on the field, in the classroom and within our team culture. She is a versatile player whose skills fit extremely well with our style of play, and we are looking forward to having her join us for pre-season.”
Kelly redshirted in 2022 at UCLA. She was the #7 national recruit in the IMG Top 150 in the class of 2022.
She led her club team, FC Bay Area, to national championships in 2019 and 2020, and has U.S. Youth National Team experience, having participated in the U14 and U16 camps and was a part of the U18 and U19 player pool.
Kelly joins an incoming class that is ranked fourth nationally and includes five players ranked in the top IMG Top 150 by Top Drawer Soccer and two players ranked in the top 10 overall.
This group will look to build on another successful season for UVA women’s soccer, which finished with a 16-4-3 record in 2022, its season ending in the national quarterfinals with a 2-1 overtime loss at UCLA, which went on to win the national title.
Virginia opens the 2023 season at home on Aug. 17 when the Cavaliers will face Nevada.
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Chris Graham
