MOBILE, Ala. ? Former South Alabama soccer standout Kelly Tarrant graduated in December, and by January, she was playing professional soccer.
Tarrant, a native of Petersfield, England, signed with the Portsmouth Ladies Football Club (L.F.C.) after graduation, and moved to Portsmouth, located on the south coast of Hampshire, England, to begin a professional career.
Portsmouth L.F.C., also known as the Pompey Ladies, reached the quarterfinals of the FA Tesco Women’s Premier League Cup last season. They compete in the FA Women’s Premier League Southern Division with teams such as West Ham United L.F.C. and Colchester United L.F.C.
Tarrant, a four-year letterwinner, ended her career ranked third at USA in assists (20), fifth in points (64), sixth in goals (22), and seventh in shots (116). She was named All-Sun Belt Conference twice in her career, in 2005 (1st team) and 2008 (2nd team), named to the SBC All-Tournament team (2005) and was named to the 2006 Preseason All-SBC team.
While at USA, Tarrant suffered what could have been a major setback in her career. She redshirted the 2007 season due to tarsal tunnel, which required two surgeries to repair. She responded with a senior campaign in which she ranked second in the SBC in assists per game (0.39) and tied for second in assists (7).
“If Kelly would have had an injury free career, she would have set many school records,” USA head coach Mike Varga said. “She got healthy late in her senior year and began to dominate once again. She has the ability to control the tempo of a match and also has the ability to score and set up her teammates.
"I was sad to see her career at USA come to an end, but am happy for Kelly that she is able to continue her soccer career playing at a high level in England.”
Tarrant received a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications with a concentration in print journalism this past December, and finished with a 3.16 GPA.
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