Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech women's soccer program is unveiling its 2018 signing class in a new way. Rather than releasing them all in one story, the Hokies will announce a new signee each week in a "Get to Know" format until all of the incoming freshmen have been announced.
The next player to be featured is Grace Sklopan, a 5-foot-3 midfielder from Alexandria, Virginia. She currently attends Thomas A. Edison High School and is currently undecided in her major when she gets to Tech. She does not play for her current school, but did play two seasons at Bishop Ireton High School, where she lettered as a freshman and sophomore and helped her team to the conference finals and earned honorable mention all-conference honors both years.
Her primary soccer experience comes from her five-plus seasons playing for the McLean Youth Soccer Club under the direction of Nadir Moumen. During her time with McLean, she was selected to participate in US Training Centers, ECNL PDP Events, and the National Puma Event. She co-captained the McLean team to several elite tournament invitations and qualifying for the ECNL National Event.
Sklopan was also picked to play for the Virginia ODP program under coach Sam Bader. Her Virginia ODP team won the regional title and the right to compete in the National ODP Finals in Arizona. She also earned invitations to represent the Region I team in the Boca Inter-Regional event and in trips to European Soccer events.
"Grace is a great addition to our program because she is a dangerous 1 v. 1 player from a Virginia Tech Hokie family, so we are excited that she is here," Tech head women's soccer coach Charles "Chugger" Adair said. "She can play both sides of the field, right or left and she's good around goal and can be dynamic going forward.
"Grace can play wide, either wide in the midfield or wide up front, she's just somebody that can play either side. She's good with both feet and is out of a very strong McLean club which we have done well with over the years. We are excited to have Grace and her family as part of the program."
GET TO KNOW - Grace
?Name: Grace Leigh Sklopan
Position: Midfield
Height: 5-foot-3
Hometown: Alexandria, Virginia
High School: Thomas A. Edison High School
?Other Schools considered: South Carolina
Why did you choose Tech? I chose Virginia Tech because it is close to home which makes it very convenient for my family and there are lots of college degree options to choose from and it has an amazing campus.
What was your favorite thing about your visit? My favorite thing about my visit was touring the campus and going inside Lane Stadium to see the accomplishments of all the VT sports.
What do you like about the Tech soccer program? I like how the Virginia Tech soccer atmosphere is so much like a family and the girls would really do anything for one another.
What are your soccer strengths? My soccer strengths are technical foot skills, quickness, and creativity.
Who is your favorite pro player (why)? My favorite pro player is Ali Krieger (defender for the US Women's National team). I am impressed by the way she presents herself as a player and person. She never gives up and is very relentless. She is also a very down-to-earth person which is very important. Her versatileness as a player is another reason that makes her my favorite pro player.
What is your most memorable soccer moment (why)? My most memorable soccer moment was playing in the ODP Regional Finals against Maryland where we won in PKs. Then the Virginia boys' team won five minutes later and we both were going to the finals in Arizona!
What do you think you will major in? I have not yet decided what I want to major in.
What's one thing you'd want Tech fans to know about you? Every summer, when I go to Lake Anna (in Virginia), my 80-pound dog hops on the seat in front of me while I ride the jet ski.
Previous GET TO KNOWS
Kiersten Hening
Nicole Kozlova
Emily Gray
Emmalee McCarter
Karlie Johnson
Emma Steigerwald