Kansas bolsters 2024 signing class with 4 more additions, bringing total to 13

LAWRENCE, Kan. – As the 2024 soccer season is just under two months away, first-year Head Coach Nate Lie has added three transfers and one freshman to the roster for the upcoming season.

Emika Kawagishi (NC State), Makayla Merlo (University of Colorado – Colorado Springs), Emily Tobin (IU Indianapolis) and Ebba Cronholm will all join the team this fall.

Kansas will have 13 new faces on the 2024 roster, which includes four transfers and nine incoming freshmen.

Emika Kawagishi
Midfielder • Osaka, Japan • Cerezo Osaka (Osaka Gakugei High School/NC State)

• Transferred to Kansas from NC State with two years of eligibility remaining
• ACC All-Freshman Team in 2021
• Named the 29th-best freshman in the nation on TopDrawerSoccer’s Top 100 Freshmen List in 2021
• Appeared in 35 matches (33 starts) and logged 2,802 minutes in three seasons at NC State
• Missed the 2022 season with an injury
• Scored two goals and recorded two assists in her freshman season in 2021
• Tallied two assists during the 2023 season
• All-ACC Academic Team (2021, 2022, 2023)
• Committed to KU in May 2024

Makayla Merlo
Midfielder • Broomfield, Colo. • Broomfield Soccer Club (Legacy High School/University of Colorado – Colorado Springs)

• Transferred to Kansas from University of Colorado – Colorado Springs with one year of eligibility remaining
• D2CCA All-South Central Region First Team (2021, 2023)
• United Soccer Coaches Women’s Scholar All-American First Team in 2023
• United Soccer Coaches All-South Central Region First Team in 2023
• All-RMAC First Team (2021, 2022, 2023)
• United Soccer Coaches All-South Central Region Second Team (2021, 2022)
• D2CCA All-South Central Region Second Team in 2022
• Appeared in 75 matches (71 starts) and logged 5,926 minutes in four seasons at University of Colorado – Colorado Springs
• Scored 22 goals and recorded 10 assists in her four seasons at UCCS
• Totaled 1,959 minutes of action in 2023 which was the third most in a season in program history
• CSC Academic All-District Team (2022, 2023)
• RMAC All-Academic First Team in 2023
• RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll in 2021 and 2022
• Committed to KU in March 2024

Emily Tobin
Midfielder/Defender • Tinley Park, Ill. • Chicago Inter (Victor J. Andrew High School/IU Indianapolis)

• Transferred to Kansas from IU Indianapolis with three years of eligibility remaining
• Horizon League All-Freshman Team in 2023
• Appeared in 19 matches (all starts) and logged 1,484 minutes in one season at IU Indianapolis
• Tallied four assists during the 2023 season
• Finalist for the Horizon League Sportsmanship Award
• Two-time Illinois State Cup Champion and three-time finalist with Chicago Inter
• USYS National Championship Semifinalist with Chicago Inter
• Twice named to the Best XI at the USYS National League P.R.O. and USYS Midwest Conference Club v. Club
• Helped her club team win conference championships in ECNL RL, USYS Midwest Conference Club v. Club, and E64 Midwest Division
• Committed to KU in May 2024

Ebba Cronholm
Forward • Ljungby, Sweden • Växjö DFF (Kungsmadskolan)

• Comes to Kansas as an incoming freshman from Ljungby, Sweden
• Helped Växjö DFF finish in second place in the U19 Swedish Championship in 2022
• Also assisted in Växjö DFF earning sixth place in the U19 Swedish Championship in 2023
• Awarded as the best forward on Växjö DFF in 2023
• Led Växjö DFF in goals in 2023
• Also did three years of track and field in high school
• Earned nine gold medals, seven silver medals and one bronze in the U19 Track and Field Swedish Championship in different running events
• Committed to KU in March 2024

Kansas will play 19 regular season matches, including 11 Big 12 Conference games in 2024. The Jayhawks have nine matches at Rock Chalk Park and 10 contests on the road this upcoming year. The season will start on Aug. 15 at South Dakota State and the home schedule will begin on Aug. 22 against Tulsa.