LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Coach Chris Tinius announced Tuesday the signings of three players to the Bellarmine University women's soccer team, which is transitioning next season to Division I.

Set to join the Knights are McKenna Hamm, Erin Heil and Kaleigh Jaracz.

"This is an exciting time every year, but especially as we begin to think about what our roster might look like as we prepare for our first season in the ASUN," Tinius said. "Our first priority is always to our returning players and current roster to help them continue to grow and improve on the foundation that is in place, but injecting new energy and talent is obviously critical to future success as well. We hope to do that through the addition of first-time student-athletes and seasoned transfers that have already been through the fire. We start the process with three terrific young ladies in McKenna, Erin and Kaleigh that aren't just good soccer players but seem like great fits for our university as a whole."

Here's a look at each new addition to the Knights.

McKenna Hamm
Hometown: Lexington, KY
Position: Defender
High School: Lexington Catholic
High School Awards: first-team All-State, Academic All-State
Club Team: Lexington FC '02
Club Soccer: 2019 State Cup champions
Coach Tinius on Hamm: "McKenna is going to be a wonderful addition to our program both on and off the field. She is a sturdy defender and smart player that reads the game very well. She is a good organizer and her youth coaches will tell you she's one of the best leaders they've ever been around. McKenna is also strong academically and represents the core values of our program. We didn't know what was coming as we recruited her, but it turns out she is the perfect type of player and person to help us in the transition to Division I."

Erin Heil
Hometown: Lexington, KY
Position: Midfielder/Defender
High School: Paul Laurence Dunbar
High School Awards: second-team All-State
Club Team: Lexington FC '02
Club Soccer: 2019 State Cup champions
Coach Tinius on Heil: "We are very excited to have Erin joining our soccer family here at Bellarmine. She is a versatile player that can play in the back or midfield and should be able to help in a variety of ways as we retool a bit for next year. She is another nose-to-the-grindstone type player that will possess the fortitude needed as she and we transition to the next level. While she is versatile herself, Erin's game should also complement a variety of other types of players around her."

Kaleigh Jaracz
Hometown: Avon, OH
Position: Midfielder/Defender
High School: Avon
High School Awards: Academic All-State
Club Team: Cleveland Futbol Club
Club Soccer: four-time state champion, three-time National League participant
Tinius on Jaracz: "Kaleigh is another versatile player that will have the possibility of filling multiple roles for us. She can play in the midfield or the back under a variety of tactical demands whether it's serving as stay-at-home defender or someone asked to push higher up the field and support the attack. Her experience competing in the USYS National League should prove valuable as well as we dive head first into new competitive waters as a program."

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