ABILENE – Abilene Christian soccer added three transfers for next fall, picking up two midfielders and a goalkeeper.
Landing at ACU are 6-1 sophomore goalkeeper Emma Konsmo from Nebraska-Omaha, 5-5 midfielder Abby Smith from Louisiana State and 5-7 midfielder Malia Cerdon from California Baptist.
"We are excited to announce three exceptional student-athletes that are joining our ACU Soccer family," said ACU Head Coach
Stephen Salas. "These young ladies that are transferring into ACU will make an immediate impact in continuing to elevate this program on and off the field. Coach Adkison and I were intentional about bringing in individuals who would exemplify our core values of service, excellence, and discipline. Our focus was to strengthen our goalkeeping and midfield positions, and we know we have an excellent fit with these new additions to our Wildcat family. All three of these soccer student-athletes come from championship-experienced teams and know how to compete at the highest level. With a seasoned team coming back and adding these key players we are excited to compete for a conference championship this fall season. It is massive that these young ladies are coming in the spring to develop chemistry and get integrated into our culture. I know our ACU community and soccer community will enjoy watching these players compete and getting to know them off the field as well."
Konsmo made the 2022 Summit League All-Newcomer squad when she started in goal 10 times and appeared in 12 games for the Mavericks. She got her first shutout in the Summit League semifinals and had eight saves in the championship win over Oral Roberts, earning Tournament MVP honors. She then faced top-ranked Notre Dame in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
As a sophomore, Konsmo played in 14 games with 13 starts and a 1.15 goals allowed average.
"ACU Soccer has always been known for its high-caliber goalkeeping and Emma will add to that," said Salas. "Emma brings conference championship experience as well as great athleticism to our goalkeeping core. Her dominant stature, ability to collect balls in the air, and shot-stopping ability stood out to us. It was evident when Emma came to visit that she is an outstanding human being and wants to develop her Christian leadership at ACU. We are thrilled to have Emma as a Wildcat!"
Konsmo was a three-sport standout at Santa Fe Christian in Carlsbad, California. In addition to soccer, she played lacrosse and was All-League MVP and first-team All-Conference in basketball as a sophomore. Her father, Erik, played basketball at Northwest University and her mother, Tammie, ran track and cross country at Seattle Pacific.
"I chose ACU because of the clear devotion to Christ this campus has," Konsmo said. "The Christlike community here as well as the impressive facilities at ACU drew me in, not to mention the amazing coaching staff and team dynamic."
Smith played four seasons at LSU and was a four-time SEC Academic Honor Roll student-athlete. She played in three games as a senior, two as a junior and five as a freshman.
"Abby is a Texan coming back home with SEC experience and strong leadership capabilities as a graduate transfer," said Salas. "She has an attacking flare that is needed to boost our midfield. I've watched Abby since high school and know she will find great joy in our style of play and amongst our team. She fit in really well with our team when she visited and we are excited to watch that chemistry translate on the field."
Smith led Flower Mound High School to a district title as a senior in 2020, earning first-team All-State and district MVP honors along the way. She also was first-team All-District in 2018 and 2019 after winning Newcomer of the Year and second-team All-District in 2017. Her mother, Allison, played soccer and ran track at Stephen F. Austin.
She said she selected ACU because of "The close-knit community of Abilene as well as the kindness and generosity of the coaches and players on the team."
Cerdon will be a senior next season and finished her three seasons at CBU with three goals and three assists over 53 games. She earned WAC All-Freshman status in 2021 when she played in 16 and started eight games for the Lancers. She had two goals against Dixie State that freshman season. She is an Academic All-WAC selection.
"Malia is bringing more poise and maturity into our midfield," Salas said. "Her style of possession will give us crucial components to strengthen our midfield and connect the middle of the field. Her dynamic play accompanied by her tenacious demeanor will elevate our team. Malia is driven and intentional in all that she does and that was evident when meeting her. We are excited to have Malia at ACU!"
Cerdon was a four-time first-team All-League selection at Bishop Amat High School in La Puente, California. She helped the team to four Del Rey League championships.
"I wanted to continue playing in the conference I know along with continuing to live out my faith," said Cerdon. "ACU has a great group of coaches and players, and the facilities are beautiful. I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to play here and glorify God in my academics and out on the field."
