CLINTON, S.C. – Anticipating his third season as the head coach of the Presbyterian College women's soccer squad, Matt Smith has announced the program's full offseason signing class that entails a hefty 12 players.

This fall, 10 Blue Hose freshmen will be taking the field along with a pair of first-year transfers. Smith scrounged up recruits from seven different states, along with two international competitors from Finland and Norway.

"We are very excited about each of the individuals that will be joining us this year", commented Smith, who holds a record of 10-16-8 at PC. "This is the first recruiting class I've been able to go through the entire process with, so I know these are players with elite abilities.

"More importantly, they all display elite character. This class will help this program accomplish the goals that have been set since day one, to compete for a championship."

Each description of the newcomers below is followed by an additional quote from Smith.


 
INGEBORG BLYSTAD
Goalkeeper | 5'6" | Fr.
Wang Toppidrett | Hamar, Innlandet, Norway





 
- Blystad will join incoming senior Emilia Lieber and Julija Poplašen as fellow Europeans on the Blue Hose roster, playing for the Storhamar club team.

- She contributed to a Norway Cup title back in 2023, and she was also the President of the Student Council during her prep days. She intends to major in Business Administration.

"Ingeborg brings some high-level experience to our GK union. Her athleticism, natural shot-stopping abilities, and willingness to learn will serve her in good stead to make an immediate impact. Coming from Norway, she adds to our team's diverse view on the game and her knowledge of the game will help our team right away."


 
KATELYNN CIOLEK
Midfielder | 5'8" | Fr.
A.C. Reynolds HS | Asheville, N.C.





 
- Ciolek was responsible for 32 goals and 58 assists over her high school career, a two-time All-Conference honoree while leveling up to All-State last fall.

- A participant in the North Carolina East/West All-Star Game, she played for the Highland Football Club and achieved two conference titles at A.C. Reynolds.

- Ciolek aspires to be a physical therapist and will major in Biology at Presbyterian. Four of her relatives have also played college soccer: her mother Jaime (Virginia Tech), father Daniel (SUNY Buffalo), as well as her cousins Grace and Jake (UNC Asheville and Wofford, respectively).

"Katelynn brings elite technical skill with a high soccer IQ that can make a big impact on our team immediately. With both parents having played Division I soccer, she has been surrounded by the game all of her life. She can make a big impact, very quickly, to his team with her knowledge and skill, and I can't wait to coach her."


 
ELLA DUNCAN
Defender | 5'2" | Fr.
Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy | Rutherfordton, N.C.





 
- Duncan was club teammates with Ciolek while being selected for All-Conference status in each of her four years at the prep stage.

- Planning to major in Pre-Med, she was a three-time All-Region pick who graduated cum laude from Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy.

"Ella will bring athleticism and strength to the left side of our team. She loves to defend and get forward in the attack and her abilities will add another dimension to our team. Her personality is contagious and she showed her love for the game and her teammates throughout the recruiting process, which is something we pride ourselves on in the program, so she will fit right in."


 
ALEXA GARCIA
Goalkeeper | 5'5" | Fr.
Berwick Academy | South Berwick, Maine





 
- Originally from the state of New Hampshire, Garcia recorded 33 shutouts across her final three seasons at the high school level. Named All-Conference as a senior, she appeared for the Seacoast United club team.

- Garcia intends to major in Early Childhood Education under the Blue Hose banner, aspiring to be an elementary school teacher.

"We were fortunate enough to get Alexa very late in the process. The experience and ability she will bring to our GK union will be felt immediately. Her abilities with the ball at her feet will help us continue to evolve as a program as we move forward."


 
AVA KORNAFEL
Forward | 5'5" | Fr.
Shawnee HS | Medford Lakes, N.J.




 

- The Blue Hose will showcase freshman siblings next semester, with Ava and her sister Avery both signing the dotted line from the northeast.

- They competed for the Shawnee High School Renegades, advancing all the way to the New Jersey State Championship Game on three occasions.

- Both Kornafel's played for the PDA South club team. Ava plans to take an Accounting major once arriving on PC's campus.

"Ava is a player that every coach wants on their team. With endless energy and work rate, she will bring genuine excitement every day on the field and in the locker room. Her versatility as an attacking player is exactly what we need and will be a big advantage to her and our team."


 
AVERY KORNAFEL
Defender | 5'6" | Fr.
Shawnee HS | Medford Lakes, N.J.





 
- Shawnee captured the state crown during Ava and Avery's junior campaign, finishing with 25 victories and zero losses. SHS won three consecutive Olympic Conference trophies with the assistance of the Kornafel's.

- Avery set a new school record for most goals scored in a single season by a defensive player (7), adding 17 assists to her personal tally. She was the South Jersey Defender of the Year and an All-State designee.

- Avery will major in Business/Law while suiting up for coach Smith. She is a three-time recipient of the Shawnee Academic Excellence Award and held a perfect 4.0 GPA all throughout high school.

- She and Ava's father, Ron, played college basketball at Gettysburg. Another sister, Alexandra, was also a collegiate soccer player at Drexel.

"I am really excited to have Avery joining us. Her energy is infectious and her ability to be a great individual defender while loving to join the attack is exactly what we were looking for in an outside back. Her high-level club experience will add another dimension to our program and we expect big things from her on and off the field."


 
PEYTON MICHAEL
Forward / Midfielder | 5'4" | Fr.
Douglas County HS | Castle Rock, Colo.





 
- Michael scored 57 career goals for the Douglas County Huskies, an All-Conference First Team choice on three occasions who ended with 145 total points.

- With her club allegiance to REAL Colorado, she was a two-time Academic All-State representative.

- Michael intends to major in Psychology at Presbyterian, aspiring to be a crime analyst. Her mother, Karen, was a track & field athlete at the University of Northern Colorado and her father, Brian, played college soccer at Benedictine.

"Peyton is exactly what we were looking for in a wide, attacking player. Her pace and willingness to run at defenders make her a difficult player to play against. She also has high-level club experience, coming from one of the best youth clubs in the country. She loves PC, and I know she will show that love, on and off the field."


 
NANNA NIVA
Midfielder / Defense | 5'4" | R-So.
Arkadian Yhteislyseo | Klaukkala, Finland | Tyler Junior College





 
- Niva appeared in 18 matches last year for a unit that won the NJCAA South Central District, starting 10 times and logging two assists while at Tyler Junior College.

- The Finland native played for Stetson during her rookie stint and appeared in her home country's top league (Kansallinen Liiga) before coming to the United States.

- She intends to major in Business at PC to pursue medical sales.

"Nanna brings high-level, postseason experience to our program. Coming to us from one of the best junior college programs in the country, she is used to winning things. That winning mentality she brings is what we are looking for in this program."


 
MADDIE SMITH
Forward / Midfielder | 5'2" | So.
Garnet Valley HS | Garnet Valley, Pa. | USC Upstate





 
- An electric player at Garnet Valley High where she became the program's all-time leader in goals scored (60) and total points (143), Smith spent her freshman year at USC Upstate which entailed 500-plus minutes.

- After putting up 17 goals as a GVHS senior, Maddie was voted the Big South Freshman of the Week back in October after assisting on two scores during a win over South Carolina State.

- Smith will major in Business with a concentration in Marketing, the daughter of Chuck and Julie who were both college athletes at Neumann University.

"Maddie brings Big South and postseason experience. Her abilities as a central attacking player will continue to add to that group this fall. Coming off of a season where she played significant minutes for a team that played in the Big South Tournament final will be of great benefit to our team as we strive to play for a trophy in the near future."


 
SYDNEY STONER
Defender | 5'11" | Fr.
Chapin HS | Chapin, S.C.





 
- The lone South Carolina native on Presby's signing class, Stoner was the 2025 ECNL Player of the Year while affiliated with the SC United club team.

- Named All-Region and All-State at Chapin High, Sydney is a National Honor Society member who plans on majoring in Pred-Med at PC.

- Her parents, Seth and Jamie, also played college soccer at Big South rival Radford.

"I've known Sydney for a long time and her development as a player has shown that she will be successful at this level, quickly. Her God-given physical abilities bring what we need to the back line, and her ability on the ball aligns with our principles perfectly. She also brings a leadership quality that is vital to a center back."


 
AVA TRZEBIATOWSKI
Midfielder / Defender | 5'11" | Fr.
Hickory Ridge HS | Harrisburg, N.C.





 
- Deemed All-Region, All-Conference, and All-State at Hickory Ridge High School, Trzebiatowski captained the Bulls to a top-eight finish in the North Carolina Playoffs.

- Competing at the club level with Charlotte Independence, Ava has already proven her merit in the classroom by receiving academic excellence awards in forensic science, anatomy, and physiology.

- The Student Council President for three straight years, Trzebiatowski helped HRHS win back-to-back conference championships.

- Her parents, Ryan and Maggie, played basketball and volleyball respectively at Elmhurst College.

"Ava is a bit of a unicorn, being a six-foot tall winger. Her ability to defend from the front and to deliver great service into the penalty box is something that drew us to her in the process. I knew from the first conversation with her that she is a "PC kid", meaning she wants to be great at everything she does athletically, academically, and in the community."


 
KATY VERDERY
Forward | 5'8" | Fr.
Douglas S. Freeman HS | Richmond, Va.





 
- Verdery was voted an All-Region performer at Douglas S. Freeman in the Commonwealth State, graduating with honors.

- Beyond her time with the Mavericks, she played club ball with Skyline Elite. She plans to major in Business after confirming her commitment to the Blue Hose.

"As soon as we saw Katy, late in the process, we knew we wanted to bring her into our program. Her pace, work rate, and attacking abilities will bring a lot to our wide, attacking group. I can't wait to see the player and person I know she will develop into."