Rocky Top will always be home, sweet home to two Lady Bulldogs – Alivia Stott and Nyla Blue.
Stott and Blue are committed to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville to further their academic and athletic careers. This creates massive targets on their backs on the field while in high school, similar to last year when Brinley Murphy (Class of 2023) committed to the University of South Carolina.
The Lady Bulldogs won state titles in 2021 and 2022, and they have gone undefeated so far this season with one draw against another nationally ranked team, Albertus Magnus High School from Bardonia, New York. Stott and Blue have both been integral to the team’s success this year in addition to the consecutive state championships.
They will host West on Thursday at 6 p.m. for the region championship.
A win means the Lady Bulldogs will host a substate match on Saturday, and a loss means they have to travel. Regardless, Bearden will have to win Saturday to advance back to the state tournament. Science Hill and Dobyns Bennett will meet in the substate game opposite Bearden vs. West.
Stott and Blue join Breana Mendoza (University of Dayton) and Rylie Lucas (McKendree University) as seniors on the girls soccer team committed to playing in college.
The NCAA does not allow the recruitment of soccer players to start until after their sophomore year of high school, which can make the decision more stressful.
“My process was difficult.” Stott said. “I spent hours working to put myself in the spot I needed to be. It made me realize what I was worth as a player and what it means to love what you do.”
The extensive research on these colleges is another rough patch to run through as a player being recruited.
“I had to categorize during this research: their soccer program, the coaches, professional opportunities, scholarships, players in front of my class and in my recruiting class, the school, and my major of choice,” Blue said.
Blue and her family have had a full circle moment because one of her biggest supporters was a legendary athlete at Tennessee. Her mother Kristen Blue, known at UT as “Ace” Clement, was a star guard in Pat Summitt’s Lady Vols basketball program.
“A lot of people think I committed because my mom went there,” Blue said. “I honestly forgot she played there until people brought it up.
“Of course, I’m not playing the same sport as her, but being able to impact in a different sport at the same school is definitely something to be proud of.”
Stott’s family being close by definitely had an impact on her choice in school.
“I chose Tennessee because I love the people that come with it and the fact that my family can come watch me play,” Stott said. “I love the idea of being close to my friends and family.”
Once both had committed, they said they felt a weight lifted off their shoulders, and they began to reflect on the stress yet good times they had during the process.
“It was a very fun chapter of my life, and I’m glad to move on,” Blue said.
Added Stott: “It doesn’t matter if you commit on the first day of eligibility or two weeks before you graduate – it’s [always] attractive to see a hardworking player.”