University of Tennessee Athletics
2016 Countdown to Soccer Season: 24 Days
July 26, 2016 | Soccer
It’s almost Soccer Time in Tennessee! To count down to the start of the season, each day we’ll profile a player on the Vols’ 2016 squad. The countdown will run all the way up to the season opener on August 19 vs. Southeast Missouri State.
#32 Maya Neal
Basic Info
- Position:
Forward - Year:
Redshirt Freshman - Hometown:
Naperville, Ill. - Previous School:
Neuqua Valley HS - Major:
Business Management - Follow Maya:
Twitter – @MayaBear32 Instagram – my_uh32 - Career Stats:
GP/GS: 1/0 | Goals: 0 |Assists: 0 | Points: 0 | Shots: 0 | SOG: 0
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Today in our soccer countdown we’ll get to know more about one of the best athletes on the team, redshirt freshman forward Maya Neal.
Need to Know
Neal was a two-sport star at Neuqua Valley High in Illinois and has continued to compete in both soccer and track & field since coming to Tennessee. The Naperville, Ill., native made an appearance in the Vols’ season opener last season but missed the remainder of the season with an injury. She did compete for the UT track & field team during the 2016 indoor season, finishing ninth in the heptathlon at the SEC Indoor Championships. She also won the long jump at the Shamrock Invitational with a leap of 5.60 meters.
The speedy forward was a highly-regarded recruit in both soccer and track & field coming out of high school, turning down offers from Notre Dame, Florida State and Arkansas in favor of Tennessee. Neal was ranked the No. 30 overall recruit in the IMG Academy 150 for the 2015 class after helping lead her club team, Eclipse Select, to a USYSA Regional Championship, the Disney Soccer Showcase title and a runner-up finish at ECNL Nationals. She was named to the ECNL Nationals Best XI U-17 team in 2014 after scoring 14 goals in the fall/winter regular season and attended the U.S. U-18 Women’s National Team camp in December of 2013. Her high school track accomplishments are arguable even more impressive as Neal was a five-time All-American and eight-time all-state honoree during her prep career.
Get to Know Maya!
Fun Fact: Maya was the 2012 AAU National Champion in the heptathlon.
Favorite Food: Sweet Potato Fries
Favorite Movie: Malcolm X
Favorite Musical Artist/Group: J. Cole
Celebrity Crush: Cam Newton
Dream Job Outside of Soccer: Sports/Entertainment Agent
Favorite Soccer Memory: Training with former U.S. Women’s National Team member and World Cup winner Michelle Akers.
Hobbies: Shopping for shoes, reading and running track.
Something many people don’t know about you? I’m ambidextrous
If not soccer, what sport? Besides track & field, definitely tennis.
Most embarrassing soccer moment: Having a defender pull my pants down to my ankles while trying to stop me.
Favorite Thing About Tennessee: The deeply rooted tradition.
Next On the Countdown
Next up on our soccer countdown we get to know one of last season’s top offensive players, redshirt sophomore Anna Bialczak!
