Feb. 8, 2012
Head Coach Derek Greene and the Vanderbilt women’s soccer program will introduce each of their 2012 soccer signees over the next few weeks. We begin at the back of the alphabet with a player expected to make a big impact in the front of the formation: forward Cheyna Williams from Hampton, Ga., 30 miles south of Atlanta.
A four-year starter for Coach Rory Welsh at Lovejoy High School, Cheyna Williams enters her senior season as a team captain for the Wildcats. She has scored 103 goals in her first three years at Lovejoy, earning first-team All-Region honors and being named the squad’s Offensive Player of the Year each season.
A three-sport athlete at Lovejoy, Williams also has lettered in basketball and track. She is a member of the National Honor Society and has been named to the honor roll each year.
Williams plays her club soccer for Coach Iggy Moleka at United Football Academy. She was the leading scorer in the Region III Premier League as her United FA side won back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010. United FA also were state cup champions in 2011 and appeared in the national league in 2010 and 2011.
Williams was involved with the Olympic Development Program for six years, earning a spot on the prestigious Region III ODP team beginning in 2009. Region III covers the entire Southeast, from Texas to Florida, and includes only the top 18 players from the area for its travel roster. Williams’ international experience includes games in Portugal, Spain and Costa Rica, where she played alongside fellow Commodore Cherrelle Jarrett.
A four-star prospect according to TopDrawerSoccer.com, Williams was ranked as the 15th-best player in the South Atlantic Region.
Personal: Cheyna Lee Williams… Born Nov. 10, 1993, in Lynn, Mass…. Daughter of Corinia and Wendell Williams… Has four siblings: Latycia (27), Kellon (24), Nolan (19) and Kyra (12)… Aspires to a major in biology or political science with a minor in psychology.
Coach Greene on Williams:
“One of the first things you notice about Cheyna is her physical presence. She has great height and great strength. You might classify her as a power forward. She has a lot of versatility along the front line–she’s really good with her back to pressure but she can also play on the flank.
“Cheyna is the kind of player that can face people up in our league, run at them one-on-one, and run by them. We’ll help her continue to develop her game both technically and tactically, but when you watch her at the youth level right now she’s very difficult to stop. She has that perfect combination that you want in a forward–size, speed, skill, and the ability to score goals.
“We expect Cheyna to battle for immediate playing time and, potentially, a starting spot. She’s going to be pushing our current players very hard to earn playing time his fall.”
