VCU women’s soccer reveals 10-player signing class

RICHMOND, Va. – VCU Women’s Soccer welcomes 10 new additions to the 2020 roster to bolster a strong group of returners for the upcoming season. The Rams graduated eight seniors this offseason and are coming off a year in which they compiled a 9-6-3 overall record.

MEET THE NEW RAMS

LEXA RABINOWITCH

Defender Lexa Rabinowitch joins the Rams after graduating from Robinson Secondary School. The Burke, Va. native also played at the club level for BRYC Elite Academy ECNL. Rabinowitch was successful at both the club and high school level. She was a two-time USYSA Virginia State Champion with her club as well as Region One Champion and National Finalist with Robinson Secondary School. She was decorated throughout her career as a three-time All-Conference and All-Region player. In addition, she was named a Washington Post All-Metropolitan player. She plans on studying Exercise Science.

Why she chose VCU: “The reputation of the medical fields at VCU was perfect for my desired career and I loved the opportunities Richmond provided! I chose VCU because of the great team and coaches. Sports Backers was a field I could picture myself playing on every day!”

ELLA HIGGINS

Roanoke, Va. native, Ella Higgins joins the Rams as a forward. She played at the club level for VBR Star where she was a four-year captain. Higgins further showed her leadership as team captain of the 2018 CCL United International Team. She was honored with All-Conference, All-District and All-Region honors during her high school career and was also named District MVP. A star in the classroom, Higgins was twice named and All-Academic team member. She plans on studying exercise science and psychology.

Why she chose VCU: “VCU had an academic program that I was interested in. The city has a very active outdoor community, and of course the food!”

VALERIE WILHELM

Valerie Wilhelm joins the Rams after graduating from Park View High School. The Sterling, Va. native played at the club level for Metro United. The midfielder was team captain for both her club and high school teams, and was a 2018 State Cup participant and All-District honoree. Wilhelm plans on majoring in business at VCU.

Why she chose VCU: “The environment is a change of pace for me and I like to adapt and learn new things.”

JADEN STEELE

Jaden Steele joins the Rams talented defense after graduating from Dominion High School. At the club level, Steele played for BRYC Elite Academy ECNL. The Sterling, Va. native was a four-year captain at Dominion HS where she was also a two-time First Team All-Conference honoree. In addition, she garnered All-Region, All-Loudoun, Second Team All-State and Honorable Mention All-Met honors. A valuable asset to the Titans, Steele was the 2019 Varsity Girls’ Soccer MVP. She will study psychology at VCU.

Why she chose VCU: “I chose VCU because of its eccentric and colorful vibes. I always wanted to play at an urban school and VCU was the perfect place for me to do what I love while not going too far from home.”

LINDSEY MUNYAK

Lindsey Munyak joins the Rams after graduating from James River High School. The Midlothian, Va. native also played for Richmond United. The defender was team captain at James River High School where she scored 10 goals and dished out six assists during her career. Munyak was named a three-time All-Region and All-State honoree for her efforts. She will be studying Nursing.

Why she chose VCU: “I chose VCU because it is a great athletics school, but I also felt that I could get the education I desired through the strong academic program. When I was first exploring schools during my recruitment process, no other school felt as much at home as VCU did. I love the culture, the people and the location.”

SAVANNAH ALEXANDER

Savannah Alexander is a Charlottesville, Va. native who graduated from Albemarle High School. She played club soccer for SOCA. The midfielder was a First Team All-District and All-State honoree as well as an All-American Spring State Star. Alexandar scored 27 goals and dished out 13 assists for Albemarle High School. She will major in criminal justice.

Why she chose VCU: “I chose VCU because of the location, the team chemistry and good program for my major.”

STEVIE MIKA

Stevie Mika joins VCU after graduating from Bishop McNamara High School and playing for Maryland United ECNL. The goalkeeper racked up 436 saves during her career at Bishop McNamara en route to 2019-2020 National High School All-American honors. In addition, the White Plains, Md. Native was named to the 2016 CTV Sports All-Star Girls Best XI and a four-time WCAC All-Conference honoree. Mika will study criminal justice with a concentration in crime scene investigation.

Why she chose VCU: “I chose VCU because of the area and the feeling you get when you walk on campus, but mainly because of the amazing coaching staff and teammates.”

KALE’A PERRY

Kale’a Perry joins the Rams after graduating from Bishop McNamara High School. The Maryland United FC standout was ranked #82 on the TopDrawerSoccer IMG Academy National Top 200 list. The Bishop McNamara High School MVP was highly decorated throughout her career. Her honors include two-time Washington Post All-Metro, MACS All-State and three-time WCAC All-Conference honors. The WCAC Player of the Year was also a High School All-American. The Waldorf, Md. Native netted 49 goals and dished out 18 assists for Bishop McNamara and scored 48 goals and added 23 assists for Maryland United FC. Perry is majoring in mass communications.

Why she chose VCU: “I chose VCU because I fell in love with the campus and the location. It’s close to home and I felt that I fit into the school’s society and the team. The team dynamic on and off the field gave me a reassurance that VCU was home.”

AISHA MAUGHAN

Aisha Maughan joins the Rams after a successful youth career in Scotland. The Edinburgh, Scotland native spent her youth career at Celtic where she lifted six trophies in just four years. Most notably, the forward played on the U19, U17 and U16 Scotland National Teams. While with the Scotland U19 team, the side qualified for the Elite Qualifying round of the UEFA Women’s U19 Championship. She plans to major in sports and exercise science.

Why she chose VCU: “The location and academics are great along with the soccer and the environment within the team. VCU stood out as a place to be and to play.”

ANNABEL ANDERSON

Annabel Anderson will join the Rams after graduating from Fairfield Area High School. The Fairfield, Pa. native played at the club level for FC Frederick. Anderson, a forward, scored 140 goals and added 114 assists during her career at Fairfield Area High School. She was named a 2019 All-State honoree, three0time GametimePA All-Star and three-time MVP at Fairfield. Anderson plans on studying psychology at VCU.

Why she chose VCU: “I chose VCU because it felt like the right fit for me, and the coaches and team were so welcoming.”