Feb. 7, 2002
LAS VEGAS - Coming off their best season in school history in the fall of 2001, UNLV women's soccer coach Dan Abdalla has announced the signing of five top recruits to build on that success for the 2002 season.
"I am excited for this year's recruiting class, because they will compliment our current team and players well," said Abdalla, who will embark on his third season at UNLV in the fall. "We've added some size and a lot of speed that should make us even more exciting as a team."
Emily Marcouiller, a 5-foot-2 defender/midfielder out of Sprayberry High School in Marietta, Ga., is a quick and tenacious defender who loves to get forward into the attack, he said. A member of the Georgia State Olympic Development Team, Marcouiller was named second team All-Cobb County in 2001. She also played for the Atlanta Tophatters, consistently one of the top club teams in the nation.
"Emily has an uncanny sense of reading the game defensively," Abdalla said. "Because of her speed, she will see time both defensively and as an outside midfielder."
Angela Inzana, a 5-foot-1 midfielder/striker out of Chatfield High School in Littleton, Colo., has a knack for going to the goal, he said. Inzana was a member of the Colorado Rush club team, which won four girls national championships.
"Angela has a confidence about her that she doesn't care who or what's in her way - she's going to go to the goal," Abdalla said. "She has the potential to score every time she touches the ball and could turn out to be one of our most exciting players."
Jenna Huff, a 6-foot-0 goalkeeper out of Edison High School in Huntington Beach, Calif., brings top level experience to the Rebels. Huff is a member of the Santa Anita Strikers, currently the No. 1 ranked club team in the country. In 2001, she was named first team All-Sunset League and played for the California South Olympic Development Team.
"Jenna has played with and against the best youth players in the country and has consistently excelled," Abdalla said. "Her height and shot stopping ability will allow her to compete for significant playing time right away."
Two local Las Vegas standouts, Nichole Olson and Jessica Brown, also highlight the 2002 signing class. Olson is a 5-foot-6 forward/midfielder out of Centennial High School, while Brown is a 5-foot-10 midfielder/defender out of Bishop Gorman High School. Both are members of the Nemesis club team, which captured two Nevada State Championships. They both have played on the Nevada State Olympic Development Team.
Olson was selected as the 2001 Northwest Division Co-Most Valuable Player along with receiving 2001 first team all-state honors. She scored 25 goals last season and has 17 goals this year. Olson was recently named the 97.5 Splash Saturn Student-Athlete of the Month in January.
"Nicki is a true raw talent that has the potential to become one of the top goal scorers in the conference," Abdalla said. "She has great speed, strikes the ball exceptionally well with both feet and seems to always be in the right place at the right time to get goals."
With the graduation of six seniors this past season, the Rebels will look to fill its midfield and defense with more depth. Brown, the second of the local signees, will contribute in both positions. In 2001, she was named second team all-division.
"Jessica is a tremendous athlete that will add a lot of size and strength to our team," Abdalla said. "She is a competitor that always shows up to play, day in and day out, and is extremely coachable.
"As good as each one of these five recruits are now, I think the most exciting thing about them is that they have a ton of potential to get even better. I would not be surprised to see any one of them become one of the top players in the country over the next four years."
