Hokie ClubVirginia Tech women's soccer is well on its way to meeting its goal of making the program's 13th NCAA tournament appearance this fall with freshman Taylor Price.
Price, who is second in the ACC in goals scored by a freshman (8) and owns a team high for the Hokies, has found her place on the team, following a successful high school career.
"I think I've come in and I've scored a lot of goals," Price said about being recruited to Tech. "Chugger [Adair] talked about coming in – he set that standard from the beginning – that he wanted a player that was going to come in and score goals since they were losing a couple big goal scorers."
Price immediately found her place on the team, not just as a goal scorer but also as a teammate. She beams about the team's camaraderie and support, explaining how she and her teammates attend football and volleyball games and how other sports cheer them on in turn.
Further, while the team started strong with five consecutive wins, a few unexpected losses followed and caught them off guard, which jolted their mindsets. Price explains how she and her teammates have been there for each other throughout the season's highs and lows.
"Everybody on the team fights for each other and is there for each other," Price said about the team's support. "So, I feel like even coming in, all the upperclassmen – everybody was so welcoming. It made the transition so easy."
Finding Her Place
Growing up, Price played several sports without a single offseason, noting that soccer was the only sport that truly clicked, providing a place of peace and identity for her no matter what.
"It was always the safe place for me," Price said. "Even if things on the outside weren't going so well, I always knew that I had something else to be there for me. I wasn't always the best at school. I didn't love school, but I always felt like I meant something when I was on the soccer field."
Soon she would realize that she found not only a sport but an outlet for when life became difficult.
In February 2021, Price lost her aunt to suicide.
While grieving, Price became more goal-oriented, admitting that she focused on soccer, continuing to prove herself on the field.
After her aunt's passing, Price fell into a difficult spot but decided to set goals and become more persistent than ever. Remembering her aunt as her biggest supporter, Price chose to move forward, knowing that she would make her aunt proud.
Price carried this perseverance and determination to Tech, as she began her freshman season. And in turn, she felt the community's support despite the pressure to succeed.
"There's always going to be pressure regardless – whether I'm putting pressure on myself or whether other people are putting pressure on me," Price said. "It's hard to get to the top, but it's even harder to stay there. I think that's what my mindset is. I want to keep proving myself every single game."
What She'll Leave Behind
Though Price is off to a strong start in her career on the team, she wants to remain consistent, continually push herself and not becoming too comfortable when the team wins.
Growing up, Price knew that she wanted to play soccer in any way that she could and remains certain of the legacy she wants to create during her time at Tech.
"I want other girls to watch and be like, 'I want to be like that. I want to play at Virginia Tech. I want to play college soccer. And I want to make an impact as a freshman,'" Price said about creating a space for freshman players to succeed. "I want to make an impact on others that are coming up, because I was the little girl watching the people play at the highest level and all I wanted to do was be them."
As a young woman in collegiate athletics, Price recognizes the challenges and assumptions that come with her strong presence as a freshman. She highlights how women can perform just as well as men; to her, the goal is not to separate women from men in sports but to view them equally.
With the team locking in the 300th win in the program's history and a strong roster of freshmen to carry the success forward in the years to come, Virginia Tech women's soccer has a bright future ahead.
Writing HERstory Campaign
Coinciding with Women's History Month in March and the 50th anniversary of Title IX, Virginia Tech Athletics launched a multi-platform brand campaign celebrating the incredible achievements of its female student-athletes, both past and present, while inspiring the next generation of women who aspire to achieve their dreams through athletics. In partnership with Truist, Tech will share stories of its past and current female student-athletes over the course of the calendar year. Ranging from podcast interviews to feature stories and more, the incredible moments and achievements by women over the years in Virginia Tech Athletics will be celebrated.
Pledge Per Goal
Support Taylor Price and the rest of her teammates by making a pledge per goal for Virginia Tech women's soccer.