Soccer

Two players were added this week to the Horned Frog soccer team that will compete in what head coach Dan Abdalla called, “the year we’ve been building for.”

Kim Castleberry will transfer into the program from Texas A&M, where she played in 25 games, scoring two goals and one assist for the Aggies during her freshman season in 2009. Top Drawer Soccer named her the number one recruit in the nation coming out of Prosper High School in 2009 and Abdalla said she will immediately become the fastest player on the team.

“At any point she is going to have the ability to get in behind (defenses),” he said. “You can play 25 yards deep and she’ll be able to chase past you. She has a very mature understanding of the game with how to read space and take advantage of her speed.”
She is so fast that even track coach Darryl Anderson knew who she was, Abdalla said.
The other addition to the squad will be Brittany Slyman from Legacy Christian Academy in Frisco.

Slyman led the Dallas Texans to the 2008 under-17 United States Youth Soccer National Championship and won the 2005 Nike Golden Boot, which is awarded to the top player at the nationwide Manchester United Premier Cup tournament, displaying her high level of play early in her career.

“Four years ago she played against our TCU team with a developmental team,” Abdalla said. “Even at that age she was one of the top two players on the field. She likes to go at players. She likes to take them off the dribble. She’s going to compliment what we have really well.”

Abdalla said he thought the pair of recruits will fit the Horned Frogs’ style of play, all starting with Castleberry’s speed. If teams try to take space away in the back from Castleberry, he said it will open up the middle of the field for players like Slyman, sophomore forward Jordan Calhoun, redshirt sophomore forward Kaylie Garcia and junior Jackie Torda.

With six players on the roster that saw significant playing time in 2009, Abdalla said next season will be an important one for the team.

“What they do these next nine to ten months is going to kind of define how they’re remembered here at this program,” he said. “I’m excited for the opportunity that those kids have.”

Volleyball

The Horned Frog volleyball program announced the addition of Jordan Raines to a team that made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2009. Raines comes to the team after two seasons at the University of Denver Pioneers.
The 6-foot outside hitter finished second on the Pioneers with 337 kills last season.

It will be a homecoming of sorts for Raines, who graduated from Coppell High School in 2008. She led Coppell to a district title as a senior on the way to first team all-state honors.