Big 12 Tournament champion Kansas welcomes trio of new Jayhawks for Spring 2025

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Fresh off a Big 12 Tournament title and NCAA Tournament berth, head coach Nate Lie has added three new faces this spring. Faith Johnston, Marit McLaughlin and Livvy Moore (Oregon) have already began participating in team activities.

Johnston, McLaughlin and Moore join a team that concluded the 2024 season with an overall record of 13-6-4 and a 6-4-1 mark in conference play. Ten of the 13 wins came on the road or at a neutral site. The Jayhawks were one of five Division I programs with at least 10 road/neutral victories in 2024.

Below is a breakdown on each of the new additions.

Faith Johnston
Forward • Baton Rouge, La. • LATDP (Parkview Baptist School)

• Comes to Kansas as an incoming freshman from Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Played four years of soccer at Parkview Baptist High School
• Scored 47 goals and had 30 assists, including 11 goals and 6 assists in the postseason
• Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year in 2023
• National Girls Academy ID Camp in 2021, 2022, 2023
• MVP of District and All State MVP in Louisiana in 2023
• Helped her team become state champions and district champions twice
•  National Champion in USA Youth Triathlon and a National Finalist in USA Youth Track and Field in 2015 and 2016
• Committed to KU in December 2024

Johnston on why she chose Kansas: “I believe in this coaching staff and where Kansas soccer is going and I want to be a part of it.”

Marit McLaughlin
Midfielder • Medina, Ohio • Internationals Soccer Club (Highland High School)

• Comes to Kansas as an incoming freshman from Medina, Ohio
• Played two years of soccer at Noblesville High School in Noblesville, Indiana, and one year of soccer at Highland High School in Medina, Ohio
• 2021 Indiana Soccer All-District Second Team
• 2022 Indiana Soccer All-District First Team
• 2022 Indiana Soccer 1st Team All-State First Team
• 2022 Indiana Soccer United Coaches Association All-Region
• 2022 ALL-USA Central Indiana Girls Soccer Second Team
• Led Noblesville High School to a Class 3A Indiana Soccer State Championship in 2022
• Helped Noblesville High School become 3A Indiana Soccer HCC Conference Champs in 2021 and 2022
• Assisted Highland High School to becoming D3 Ohio Soccer Suburban League Champions, District Champions and State Runner-Up (first in school history in 2024)
• Indiana Fire Academy ECNL All-Conference First Team in 2022
• Indiana Fire Academy ECNL All-Conference Second Team in 2021
• Committed to KU in January 2024

McLaughlin on why she chose Kansas: “I chose KU because of the high standards in academics and athletics. The family culture aligns with my goals as a player and person, and is energizing to me. I was impressed by the commitment to excellence that the coaching staff brings, and I believe that the dedication they have will help me to grow into the best version of myself.”

Livvy Moore
Forward • Deer Park, Wash. • Spokane Sounders (Deer Park High School)

• Transferred to Kansas from Oregon with two years of eligibility remaining
• Appeared in 39 matches (32 starts) and logged 2,431 minutes in three seasons at Oregon
• Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch List in 2024
• Pac-12 Conference Academic Honor Roll in 2023
• Team captain in 2023 and 2024 at Oregon
• Received a medical redshirt her freshman year
• Scored 112 career goals with 76 career assists for Deer Park High School
• Washington 1A Player of the Year in 2021
• Led Deer Park High School to its first 1A state title in school history in 2021 and Northeast A League Champions in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021
• The Spokesman-Review Small School Girls Athlete of the Year in 2022
• Northeast A League Offensive MVP in 2019, 2020 and 2021
• 4x United Soccer Coaches/Max Preps Washington NSCAA Player of the Week
• Led all classifications with 46 goals and 33 assists in 2021
• Scored six goals and had five assists in a state playoff game in 2021
• Committed to KU in December 2024

Moore on why she chose Kansas: “I chose KU because I was drawn to the coaches, their vision for the program, and the strong team culture and environment, all of which align with my soccer goals. Additionally, KU offers an excellent program in my major speech, language and hearing sciences.”