By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Nixa Lady Eagles’ youthful roster from 2024 is 2025’s experienced, veteran squad that will be seeking a second straight district title and a deeper postseason run this season.
The Lady Eagles finished last season 22-2 overall, their second-best record in program history behind their 23-5 mark and fourth-place finish at state (2013). They rolled to a 9-0 record in the Central Ozark Conference, where they had 58 goals for and 1 goal against. For the season, Nixa outscored its opponents 115-15, the second-most goals in the team’s history.
Other notable program marks included tying for fewest losses (2, 2012), second for consecutive wins (18 in 2024, 19 in 2015), and second in shutouts with 15 (16 in 2015).
Nixa started the 2024 season 4-0 before its first loss of the season to Park Hill South on March 29. From that point on, the Lady Eagles won 18 straight and did not lose again until a 4-2 loss to Blue Springs South in the Class 4 quarterfinals (first trip since 2016) almost two months later (May 25).
“We can’t use the ‘we’re too young’ excuse anymore as most of the team is upperclassmen,” said Evan Palmer, who enters his 27th season as Nixa girls’ head coach. “We always have high expectations, but our biggest expectations are to work hard every day and be a good teammate. Our outcome goals are always to win championships and go as far as we can in the postseason.
“For this season, we will have mostly upperclassmen on the varsity, so we have a lot of experience coming into the season. We can’t be complacent and think it will be easy because there are great teams on our schedule and the target on our backs is much bigger this year.”
And that experienced Nixa lineup includes three seniors, eight juniors and four sophomores.
Avery Bishop, senior defender – Played in 15 games, scored 2 goals, with 1 assist. “Avery is a tough defender that is one of our best communicators,” Palmer said. “If you see us play, you will hear her in the stadium. She had an injury in club ball in the fall but came back to play in the last 15 games. She is back to 100 percent this year and we are looking forward to her being an integral part of the team.”
Bailey Snyder, senior defender – 24 starts, 24 games; 7 goals, 1 assist; earned Class 4 All-State first-team, Class 4 Region 3/Defensive Player of the Year, Class 4 District 5 first-team, All-Central Ozark Conference first-team; signed to play at Drury University next year. “Bailey and Shalee Franck both were first team all-state and Nixa hasn’t had a first-teamer since Alex Johnson in 2016. Bailey was a great center back for us. She is also affective moving up the field and is a scoring threat as well. She has great speed and feel for the game and seems to be everywhere on the field.”
Brooke Teter, senior forward – 24 starts, 24 games; 13 goals, 11 assists (third on the team); Class 4 District 5 first team, All-Central Ozark Conference second team; signed to play at Drury University next year. “Brooke is that rare athlete that plays at a high level in both basketball and soccer. Brooke competes for every ball and is a tough competitor. We need her to keep wreaking havoc on other teams’ defenses this year for us to be successful.”
Shaelee Franck, junior forward – 24 starts, 24 games played; 34 goals (Nixa single-season record), 19 assists (led the team in both categories); Class 4 All-State first team, Class 4 Region 3/Offensive Player of the Year, Class 4 District 5 first team, All-Central Ozark Conference first team. “Shalee is a strong presence for us going forward. She has a great sense of where to put the ball when shooting. She was able to increase her assists as well, which makes her even more dangerous for our opponents. Shaelee and Brooke up top are going to be hard to defend.”
Mackinzie Harris, junior defender/midfielder – 24 starts, 24 games played; 1 goal, 3 assists; Class 4 District 5 first team. “Mackinzie stepped up big time for us last year and had a great year on the backline. This year, she will probably play in the back again but could see time on the wing as she is an outstanding runner for our cross country team. She is a smart and savvy defender that is a steady force in the back.”
Jade Johnson, junior winger/forward – 23 starts, 24 games played; 10 goals, 7 assists; Class 4 District 5 and All-Central Ozark Conference honorable mention. “She had a great sophomore season and was fourth on the team in goals scored. She has great speed and gets by defenders frequently. She can also play up top or in the back, which gives us a different look for our opponents.”
Lilly Kirk, junior winger/forward – 7 starts, 24 games played; 4 goals, 6 assists. “Lilly’s biggest goal of the year came against Jackson, which ended up being the game-winning goal in our 1-0 victory. She gives us so much energy and speed that she can come in and change the game. Last year, she was our super sub but could be a starter this year.”
London Kirk, junior midfielder – 24 starts, 24 games played; 22 goals (second on team), 4 assists; Class 4 Region 3, Class 4 District 5 first team, All-Central Ozark Conference first team. “London was great in the central midfield for us and became a potent scorer. She will be an even bigger presence there this year. She is strong on the ball and gets to goal quickly. Her speed on and off the ball are difficult for other teams to deal with.”
Anahi Lozano, junior midfielder – 19 starts, 24 games played; 1 goal, 1 assist; Class 4 District 5 honorable mention. “Anahi had injury issues the previous spring but was strong for us last year. She is an excellent holding center midfielder who defends well and distributes the ball effectively.”
Sam McClain, junior midfielder – 24 starts, 24 games played; 8 goals, 17 assists (second on the team); Class 4 All-State second team, Class 4 Region 3, Class 4 District 5 first team, All-Central Ozark Conference first team. “Sam dominated the central midfield for us; she was a force both in attack and defensively. She took games over and was a key for our success last year. She quadrupled her goal output from 2023 and I feel she will score even more this year.”
Bria Smith, junior defender – 24 starts, 24 games played; 2 assists; Class 4 District 5 first team, All-Central Ozark Conference honorable mention. “Bria is a strong defender that was solid all year. She is very tough to beat 1v1 and has a great sense of where to be to help her teammates. She stepped into a starting position last year and will be a key to our success this year.”
Izzy Benscoter, sophomore midfielder – 24 games played; 1 goal, 2 assists. “Izzy was great for us off the bench last year. She is very smart with the ball and rarely has turnovers. Her positioning is excellent as she helps keep the shape of the midfield. Her role will grow this year and she will get more minutes.”
Addison Harris, sophomore defender/midfielder – 14 games played; 1 assist. “Addison is a strong physical player who seems to find a way to get to the ball ahead of her opponents most of the time. She is a versatile player who can play in the back and throughout the midfield.”
Aubrey Posegate, sophomore defender – 14 games played. “Aubrey is a tough, strong defender who works hard on the field. She is also a smart player who positions herself really well on the field. She should see more varsity time this year.”
McKinsey Witts, sophomore forward – 13 games played; 2 goals. “McKinsey scored a bunch of goals on the JV last year and should be more of a factor scoring for the varsity this year. She moves well and gets to goal consistently.”
Palmer said he likes the commitment of the team, as evidenced by the numbers at offseason workouts.
“The girls really love to play for Nixa High School and the Nixa community; it is a high priority for them,” Palmer said. “We have good team chemistry; the team enjoys being around each other.
“The girls have had a great attitude so far, which is a big reason I believe we will be successful. This is a talented group that is very smart. They understand we have to work hard to achieve our goals and nothing will come easy for us this year. We have many great players that can play multiple positions in different formations, so we can change things up on teams to keep them guessing.”
Palmer has a good mix of newcomers who could challenge for varsity minutes this season.
Ane Mancenido, senior midfielder – Exchange student from Spain. “Ane has come in and shown that she belongs with the varsity team,” Palmer said. “She is so good with the ball and is smart in her distribution. She is also great off the ball finding the seams in the central midfield and is a great link between the backs and the forwards.”
Taylor Wood, junior goalkeeper – “Taylor is an excellent volleyball and basketball player. She used to play soccer and, through her friends on the team, knew we needed a keeper after Ally Pendergraft graduated last year. She came out a few times last summer and was very good without having played in many years. She fills a huge need for us.”
Bella Lozano, freshman defender – “Bella has come out and looked good so far. She is highly skilled and a very smart defender. She is quick and can cover a lot of ground. I am excited to see what she can do on the varsity field.”
While there are others who “have been impressive and could be in the mix for a varsity spot,” Palmer said it is too early to tell who could have an impact this season.
The Lady Eagles graduated key players from each third of the pitch in Alayna Christiansen, Lily Dorio, Isabella Johnson and Allyson Pendergraft.
Alayna Christiansen, midfielder/defender – 1 start, played in 20 games; 1 goal, 3 assists. “Alayna gave us great minutes off the bench,” Palmer said. “She is strong and fast and played multiple positions for us. She was a great teammate and helped us get to new heights last year.”
Lily Dorio, defender – 1 start, played in 23 games; 1 goal. “Lily did a great job playing on the outside midfield as well as on the backline. She improved each year and gave us a lift when she came in the game. She also was great at reaching out to the younger players and being a good role model.”
Isabella Johnson, forward/midfielder – Started 21 games, played in 23; 6 goals, 10 assists; Class 4 District 5 first team, All-Central Ozark Conference second team. “Bella got injured in each of her first three seasons, but her senior year she made it through which was great for the team. She was a very intense player who was one of our hardest workers. She is not afraid to go into any tackle, which is why she missed games, but she found that balance of when to challenge and when not to. She had a great career ending up 24th on the All-Time Scoring List with 18 goals and 25 assists.”
Allyson Pendergraft, goalkeeper – 22 starts, 22 games played, 1,535 minutes, 50 saves, 14 shutouts, 13 goals against for a .590 goals against average; seventh all-time in games played, first in goals against average at .791; Class 4 District 5 honorable mention, All-Central Ozark Conference second team. “Allyson played great last year. Our defense was so stout but when we needed her she would, more likely than not, come up with a key save.”
The Lady Eagles, who will compete in the East division of the newly aligned COC, will participate in a jamboree at Kickapoo with Glendale on March 13. They open the regular season on the road at Springfield Catholic (March 25), Sedalia Smith-Cotton (March 28) and get another shot at Blue Springs South (March 29).
“We play a very tough schedule like we have in recent years, which will help get us ready for the postseason,” Palmer said. “We ended up getting Blue Springs South on our schedule, which is who we lost to last year in the quarterfinals. We also play Liberty, Park Hill South, Timberland, Lee’s Summit West, Bentonville, Ark., Francis Howell Central and Cor Jesu. Kickapoo, Glendale, Ozark, Republic and Willard are excellent teams in the area that we will play as well.
“The girls are excited to get going as are the coaches. The schedule is tough, but we are really looking forward to being challenged by those great teams.”
