MARIETTA, Ohio – The Marietta College women's soccer team put together a seven-win season in 2024, which was the best in five years.  The Pioneers were in pursuit of a spot in the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament until a costly loss to Wilmington ended their season.  Although there are a few familiar faces returning, the Pioneers will have a new look as they replace 11 graduating seniors from last year's squad.  Marietta head coach Zack Votra believes the infusion of these newcomers, along with some additions to the coaching staff, will put the Pioneers on the radar in a competitive Ohio Athletic Conference.
 
"We have what could potentially be the most talented team during my time at Marietta," said Votra. "With that being said, we are also very young.  It's a clear goal for everyone to bust the .500 mark wide open and get this program back to the playoffs.  Not only have we brought in a large crop of new players, but we have a new staff that has hit the ground running and brought a lot of excitement to MC Women's Soccer."
 
Offensively, Marietta returns their third leading goal scorer from last fall. Senior Mallory Sullivan (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) tallied three goals and assisted on four others last season and will serve as team captain in 2025.  According to Coach Votra, "Mallory is extremely intelligent and an excellent leader."  The Pioneers will also look to sophomore Shelby Carr (Pataskala, Ohio/Liberty Christian Academy) to break out in 2025.  Carr played well in her debut season despite dealing with some lingering injuries.  Look for junior Myah Byers (Delaware, Ohio/Delaware Hayes) to have an noteworthy impact on the Pioneer offensive attack.  "She's an excellent physical presence and another great leader within our program," said Coach Votra.
 
Although there will be many newcomers on this squad, there will be some that will arrive with some battle readiness.  In the offseason, the Pioneers did some "California Dreamin'" and brought in four transfers that should make an impact in different areas of the field.  Francesca Agliolo (San Gabriel, Calif./Mayfield Senior), Tati Grigoryan (Sun Valley, Calif./Crescenta Valley), Delilah Vazquez (Pasadena, Calif./Marshall Fundamental) all arrive in Marietta after successful stints at Pasadena City College and Kira Korsak (Livermore, Calif./Livermore) joins the Pioneers after two years at Los Positas College in Livermore, California.
 
Agliolo is the front runner to take over in the nets for the Pioneers.  She posted a 12-victory season last year, which included 10 shutouts, and an .882 save percentage, giving Pasadena City a playoff spot.  Grigoryan was an All-Sun Coast Conference defender for the Lancers in her freshman year.  Vasquez led Pasadena City with 10 assists, while scoring three goals of her own, last year.  Korsak played over 30 games for the Hawks at the forward position.
 
Other newcomers ready to make an impact are freshmen Katie Heighberger (LaGrange, Ohio/Saint Joseph Academy) and Macey Orr (Solon, Ohio/Solon).  Heighberger has the skills right now to be a major attacking threat in the conference.  Votra said to "look for her to have the same impact and potential as her brother, Gavin, did in his first season with the men."  Orr arrived to Marietta ready to compete and instantly added quality into the Pioneer midfield.  "We're excited about the potential impact she can have," added Votra.
 
Votra is also excited about the edition of Cody Kibler to the coaching staff.  Kibler spent the last two seasons coaching the Bethany College women's soccer team, serving as interim head coach during the 2024 campaign. He helped the Bison to an 8-7-3 record and an appearance in the President's Athletic Conference tournament last year.
 
Marietta will open the season hosting the Marietta College Soccer Classic on Friday (Aug. 29). The Pioneers will battle Wittenberg University, with game time scheduled for 5 p.m. Bridgewater College and Carnegie Mellon University will follow at 7:30 p.m.  On Saturday, CMU and Wittenberg will play at 3:30 p.m., followed by the Pioneers and Bridgewater at 6:00 p.m.
 
"Above all else, we've got a program that is full of great people," concluded Coach Votra. "This group is hungry to win and prove themselves.  We have had a lot of excellent discussions based around competition and our team environment that is going to leave a lasting impact far beyond just this season alone."
 
Fans can follow all the Pioneer teams all year long at pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on X and Instagram.