Following the University of Southern Mississippi soccer team’s first win of the season, midfielder Shaelynn Quick shared her perspective on the season and her confidence in younger teammates.
The Golden Eagles field a young roster with only a few seniors and one graduate player. Quick, a senior, said developing depth for the future is an important focus.
“For me, being a senior, building depth on the team knowing that I am going to leave next year, making sure all the younger players are prepared for the season coming up and the positions are filled,” Quick said.
Quick also pointed to team morale as a potential challenge during the season.
“To keep it up we just try to keep each other encouraged and know that these games in preseason and before conference, it doesn’t really matter significantly,” she said.
Looking ahead, Quick said she hopes for more success as the season continues.
“I’m hoping for more wins, more goals, more building up of play,” she said. “We have some injured players right now, so I’m hoping that people that haven’t been playing much can step up and fill those positions in. I hope we make it as far as possible in conference and make it to the conference tournament.”
Quick played at Florence High School under coach Bill Hood, earning All-State and All-District honors. She helped lead her team to a 22-1 record and a Mississippi State Championship during her senior year. She also competed in the Mississippi All-Star Game in 2019, 2020 and 2021, won a state title in the 4×100 relay and was inducted into the Florence High School Hall of Fame.
Quick made her USM debut in 2023, appearing in 14 games and starting seven. She totaled 678 minutes played, including season-highs of 90 minutes against Texas State and Georgia State.
