BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech women's soccer program is unveiling its 2020 signing class in a different way. Rather than announcing all of them and their accomplishments in one release, the Hokies will highlight each new signee individually, which includes a brief "Get to Know" Q&A, until all of the incoming freshmen are announced.
The next player to be introduced from the 2020 class is Ayden Yates, a 5-foot-6 forward from Davidson, North Carolina. She currently attends Lake Norman Charter and is considering majoring in Food Science and Technology or Radiology when she arrives at Tech.
For the Knights, Yates has led the them to back-to-back state championship games, but unfortunately, they had come up on the losing end in both. As a sophomore, the team went 22-1-1 and 14-0 in league play before dropping the title game. Last year, Lake Norman Charter was 22-1 with a 12-0 South Fork 2A Conference mark and lost in PKs in the championship game. Yates had scored a hat trick in the four games leading up to the final.
Playing for coach David Crutchfield, Yates has scored 138 goals for the Knights in just three seasons, including a school record 48 in one season. She also broke the school single-season assist record with 24 and has 60 in her three-year career so far. During her first three seasons at Lake Norman Charter, she has been a three-time all-conference, all-region and all-state selection and was the league's Offensive Player of the Year in 2018.
Yates has also played for the Charlotte Soccer Academy DA under coach Philip Poole as a forward and the club has made several national tournament appearances. Her senior year for CSA, she opted to play Region 3 and led her team in assists and was second in goals. She also helped her team to a state cup championship with a goal in the title game.
"Ayden is a versatile front runner, who can play out wide or central," Tech head coach Chugger Adair said. "She's a real athletic, good moving forward with a great personality. She's going to be a very good teammate and be a great part of our culture here. She can step in and compete for one of the forward spots and really add to our offensive output."
GET TO KNOW - Ayden
Name: Ayden Yates
Position: Forward
Height: 5-foot-6
Hometown: Davidson, North Carolina
High School: Lake Norman Charter
Other Schools considered: Florida State, North Carolina, Louisville, Auburn, High Point, Minnesota and Charlotte
Why did you choose Tech? I chose Virginia Tech because of the competitive athletics and academics it provides. Also, I knew I wanted to call Tech home when I got the feeling of never wanting to be anywhere else.
What was your favorite thing about your visit? Being on the field during warmups and getting the real feel to be a Hokie women's soccer player.
What do you like about the Tech soccer program? The Tech soccer program is a family and you can see it in everything they do. The coaches give 100 percent to the girls and the atmosphere is always competitive and positive.
What are your soccer strengths? My soccer strengths are my creativity and work ethic. I'm also goal-minded and an opportunity maker.
Who is your favorite pro player (why)? My favorite player is Julie Ertz (current US Women's National Player) because of her max work ethic and her versatility.
What is your most memorable soccer moment (why)? My favorite memory was scoring a hat trick in the semifinals against my high school rivals, Hendersonville, to get us to the state championship.
What do you think you will major in? I hope to major in radiologic technology and become a rad tech. I have also been interested in the medical field, but blood isn't my thing. Rad techs work with MRIs, X-rays, and CT scans instead. I would love to do this for athletes.
What's one thing you'd want Tech fans to know about you? I've always wanted to be a big time brand fitness model.
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