MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama soccer head coach Richard Moodie announced Friday 10 signees for his fall recruiting class that will be enrolling for the 2021 season.

Joining the program are Safae Banouk, Claudia Gutierrez, Jaidy Campos, Sydney Ham, Abby Jacobs, Kate Nicolson, Lexi Llyod-Smith, Nora Sanchez, Carly Williams and Marthina Aguirre, who join Monique Gray, Madison Morgan and Maddie Paster who signed earlier in the fall.

"It's an exciting class and perhaps the largest we've had to recruit at South. It's a very diverse group, we've got transfers, graduate transfers and freshman. We're very fortunate to have the student-athletes that we've got coming in, but likewise we're very fortunate to have the group of young ladies that are returning from last year's championship and journey to the second round of the national tournament."

Safae Banouk - Forward
Agadir, Morocco
Lycée Al Qods
Graduated from Lycée Al Qods in Rabat, Morocco … Played for the Moroccan national team for seven years as a forward.

Moodie on Banouk: "A true No. 9, she is a goal scorer. She has been the captain of the senior national team for Morocco. She offers that strength, she is strong in that position like Claudia, but also has that ability to run off the shoulder and behind. She offers so many threats, and for the first time since 2019 we have two center forwards who can rotate in the position or at any given time we can play with two No. 9s."

Claudia Gutierrez – Forward
Madrid, Spain
Don Bosco Salesianos
Played soccer and tennis at Don Bosco Salesianos … Played for the Spanish national team and helped them to two runner-up finishes … Helped Valencia to league championship in 2018-19 … Participated in two promotional playoffs for SPA … Played for Málaga CF Women in 2020-21.

Moodie on Gutierrez: "Claudia is an out-and-out striker, something that we have not had since the likes of Moa Öhman and Ana Helmert. I think in the spring we played without a number nine, and Claudia is a true No. 9; she's a goal scorer, she's tall, athletic and she offers so much more. She can play as that '9' and drop into the pocket and be really skillful. Powerful, strong, great in the box, and somebody who finds the back of the net."

Jaidy Campos – Goalkeeper
Mexico City, Mexico
Bachillerato Tecnologico Cuauhtemoc
Graduated from Bachillerato Tecnologico Cuauhtemoc in Otzolotepec, Mexico … Played for Club soccer since 2006 … Goalkeeper for Club America for four years (2017-20) with no finish lower than semifinals … Champions in 2018 … Mexico National Team from U17 through U20 … Subchampion of U17.

Moodie on Campos: "Jaidy has played club soccer at the highest level. She is somebody who brings a wealth of knowledge to the goalkeeper position. A really exciting prospect, very thankful and lucky to have the goalkeepers we have."

Sydney Ham – Midfielder/Forward
Memphis, Tenn.
Briarcrest Christian School
Lettered in all four years at Briarcrest Christian School … Helped the Saints to a state championship in 2019 … Participated in the high school All-American game … Named to the Best 11 for the game … Allstate All-American in 2018 and 2019 ... Selected to play in the High School All-American Game as a senior … Named 2020 Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year ... Only All-American and Gatorade Player of the Year in school history … Named Daily Memphian Player of the Year in 2019 ... Also named an all-metro Best of Preps player of the year candidate in 2018 and 2019 … Selected as THSSCA all-state and United Soccer Coaches all-sSouth region honoree three times … Named Tennessee Large Private School all-region all four years … Recorded 81 goals with 33 assists in high school career … Also ran track … Member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Science Society and Mu Alpha Theta.

Moodie on Ham: "Another SEC transfer in the mix, Sydney is somebody who in my opinion can play at the highest level week-in and week-out. A young lady who came out of winning a state championship at her high school and playing at a top level in the club. I think she's a phenomenal talent and trying to get that confidence instilled in her right away to where she knows how good of a student-athlete she is will be very important for us. She is a young lady who I think will come in and have an impact on our squad right away."

Abby Jacobs – Defender
Pensacola, Fla.
Gulf Breeze High School
Lettered three years in soccer at Gulf Breeze High School, in addition to one letter of lacrosse and two years of track … Played at Birmingham USA (2015-17) and Gulf Coast Texans (2011-18) as a defender and winger … In 2016, finished ranked third in assists for ECNL … Lettered three years at Auburn, earning SEC academic honor roll for three years straight as well as the athletic director's honor roll … Appeared in 17 matches.

Moodie on Jacobs: "Abby is a young lady who is full of talent and athleticism, and really eager to come in and have an immediate impact. She is an out-and-out winger/fullback/wing back so we can use her at multiple positions. Very athletic, great personality, very competitive and she'll be a graduate student with us for two years. She's going to have a huge impact on the squad, and we feel that her leadership is something we could use."

Kate Nicolson – Defender
Stirling, Scotland
Balfron High School
Graduated from Balfron High School with letters in football, rugby and volleyball … Won the League Cup and U19 Scottish Cup in 2019, with winning the 2016 ACES Tournament … Celtic FC in Glasgow, Scotland … Earned player of the year honors twice (2018 and 2019).

Moodie on Nicolson: "Captains her country for Scotland and played for Celtic. She's playing at the highest level in Scotland. A true center back like Nora Sanchez, now we've got the likes of her, Gabrielle Gayle, and Nicolson. I think she's a remarkable talent, somebody who's destined to get looks from the senior national team in Scotland. I think this is the right move for her, to come to America and challenge herself. She can play as a center back and play in the middle of the park, a fantastic young lady with great work ethic and somebody who I think will have an immediate impact on our squad."

Lexi Lloyd-Smith – Forward
London, England
Harris Girls Academy East Dulwich
Graduated from Harris Girls Academy East Dulwich in London, England … Played one season at Charlton Women as a right winger, finishing eighth in the FA Women's Championship.

Moodie on Lloyd-Smith: "A winger, fullback, and wing back, she's very versatile. Strong and powerful and great on the football and a great personality and somebody who will have that impact right away. Had a lot of top offers to go to Power Five schools and I think she feels like she can have much more of an impact at our level. I think she is driven by our success and she likes the fact that she can have an impact on the squad and be a very big part of it. Somebody who is coming from high-caliber football, the highest level in England right now, someone who will come in and have a massive impact on the conference."

Nora Sanchez – Defender 
Zaragoza, Spain
IES La Azucarera
Graduated from IES La Azucarera in Zaragoza, Spain … Played for 10 years with Zaragoza Club de Futbol Femenino (Zaragoza women's soccer club) as a left center back … Played with the Spanish national team, earning runner-up of Europe at the U17 level.

Moodie on Sanchez: "She's perhaps one of the most exciting center backs we've brought in. A true left-footed center back– we're truly excited to get her. She can play as a left center back, can play comfortably as a left back and offers us so much versatility in that position. She's passionate, confident and somebody who offers so much leadership within her position. A young lady who has featured for her national team and plays at a top level week-in and week-out in the club scene. We're really excited about the possibilities she brings us."

Carly Williams – Goalkeeper
Jacksonville, N.C.
Northwest Rankin High School
Earned four letters in soccer at Northwest Rankin High School in Flowood, Miss., with two more letters in track with a year of volleyball … Four-year goalkeeper for Brandon Futbol Club and two-time state finalist (2018, 2019) … Tournament MVP for both years … Played two years at Holmes Community College in Ridgeland, Miss. … Earned an all-state team selection in 2020, named to two president's list, two dean's list, goalkeeper of the week in the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges three times and named NJCAA Goalkeeper of the week once … The team won the MACJC championship in 2020, followed by a region 23 championship.

Moodie on Williams: "She's a top-pedigree student-athlete; she's mentally tough, a fantastic goalkeeper and somebody I think will fit in to our program immediately. Like most of the class, a transfer student so a little older and wiser."

Marthina Aguirre – Forward
Denville, N.J.
Unidad Educativa Particular Isaac Newton
Graduated from Unidad Educativa Particular Isaac Newton in Quito of the Pichincha province in Ecuador … Was the top scorer and won the championship every year between 2010 and 2018 … Played seven years for club teams, with the last three at the Dragonas-Independiente Del Valle as a winger … Won the Quito cup in 2019 and was named the MVP of the tournament …  Champion of the AFNA 2019 tournament … Was a part of the Women's Super League in Ecuador with Dragonas-IDV from 2019-21.

Moodie on Aguirre: "Marthina is a young lady who produces stats better than most center mids in our conference. She is the captain of her country, she plays for the Ecuadorian national team, so things started falling into place when we recruited her. A young lady who's so humble and such a hard worker. When you start to think of the possibilities of her playing in the middle of the park with Gracie Wilson, Nourimane Addi, or Dani Fuentes, it offers so much versatility. The level of maturity we're gaining from these international players that have played club soccer at the highest level is worth its weight. Very independent, motivated and fantastic talent, somebody we're very fortunate to have as a part of our squad for the 2021 season."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Upper 90 Club, the soccer specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All gifts to the Upper 90 Club go directly to support the South Alabama soccer program. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/upper90

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