BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Soccer has added transfers Mackenzie Crittenberger and Briana Sayoc to the 2021 roster. Crittenberger comes to The Hill from NC State while Sayoc will be arriving to Bowling Green from Tennessee.
Crittenberger is a 5-foot-7 defender originally from Lighthouse, Florida She played in nine matches and started in six in the spring of 2021 with the Wolfpack, recording 550 total minutes on the pitch. The NC State defense, aided by Crittenberger, gave up only six goals on the year.
Prior to NC State, Crittenberger played two seasons at College of Charleston (2017 and 2018) after taking a medical redshirt in 2016. It will be a family affair for the Crittenbergers in Bowling Green, with brother Ty currently playing on the baseball team.
"We learned early on in the recruiting process that Mackenzie is a fierce competitor," said assistant coach Roman DuChateau. "She has a strong desire to compete and a will to win, and those are the types of student-athletes we want at WKU. She also brings a great deal of high-level experience and fantastic leadership qualities that will be invaluable to our group. We can't wait to get her on The Hill."
Sayoc enrolled in January of 2021 at Tennessee, but did not play in the six matches the Volunteers played in the spring. She is a 5-foot-2 midfielder originally from North Bellmore, New York.
At Wellington C. Mepham High School, Sayoc earned All-Region and All-State honors in 2019. She was rated the No. 116 overall prospect and No. 37 midfielder by IMG Academy and TopDrawerSoccer.com for the 2021 class.
On the club level, Sayoc led East Meadow SC to a conference championship and runner-up finish at the ECNL National Finals in July 2018 and was named Honorable Mention for the national tournament's Best XI. She was on the 2019 ECNL National Selection Game roster played in Greer, South Carolina.
"Briana is another addition we are extremely excited about," said DuChateau. "A technical and crafty central midfield player that can create opportunities for herself and for her teammates. She has a level of savviness to her game that we believe will complement our attacking pieces really well."
Sayoc and Crittenberger join Alexis Bach (Arkansas) as offseason transfer additions to the 2021 roster and will join incoming freshmen Maddie Davis, Aspen Seaich, Brooke Sleeva, Anna Isger, Kate Busbee, Kayla Meyer and Anna Wright as newcomers on The Hill.
How to follow the Lady Toppers: For complete information on WKU Soccer, visit WKUSports.com or follow the program via social media @WKU_Soccer on Twitter and Instagram.
Western Kentucky University Athletics
- Champions Climb Here
- WKU Athletics
- Athletic Director
- Academic Services
- Annual Report
- Athletic Communications
- Athletic Hall of Fame
- Athletic Training
- Big Red
- CLIMB Program - NIL
- Compliance
- Facilities
- Financial Reports
- For Students
- Student Employment
- Forms/Requests
- Book Big Red
- Donation Requests
- Site Feedback
- For Fans
- Hilltopper Highlights
- Gameday Promotions
- Alumni Tailgates
- Big Red's Rascals
- Basketball Gameday
- Football Gameday
- Mobile Tickets
- Travel Center
- Tickets
- Give
