NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State women's soccer program signed University of Kentucky transfer Tate Barney, announced by head coach Brad Silvey. Barney enters the program with three years of NCAA eligibility remaining.
A Plainfield, Illinois, native, Barney played three years of varsity soccer at Plainfield North High School, earning All-Conference and All-State honors. She was a member of the National Honor Society with a 5.0+ GPA along with being a special needs PE leader.
Barney played club soccer for Sockers FC ECNL in Chicago under head coaches Trey Bradberry and Scotty Keena. During that time, she was invited to participate in ECNL's Player Development Program for the Midwest during both her U17 and U18 years. She was also a member of the Olympic Development Program state team.
After redshirting her freshman season at Kentucky, Barney played in five games for 19 minutes during the 2017 season. She made the Dean's List and the SEC First Year Honor Roll her freshman year. Barney was also one of 12 student athletes chosen from Kentucky to take an Athletic Service Trip to Panama in July of this year. She is a Kentucky Special Olympics volunteer and is a leader of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Kentucky.
Barney joins a Redbird squad with 18 returners that went 9-9-2 in 2017 and finished fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference. Silvey will be entering his second season at the helm of the Redbirds in 2018.
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