UNI soccer signs six to 2024 recruiting class
11/9/2023 11:10:00 AM | Women's Soccer
CEDAR FALLS — UNI soccer officially announced the signing of six prep players to its 2024 recruiting class on Thursday morning following Wednesday's National Signing Day. The six-person recruiting class includes five Iowa natives and one out-of-state recruit. Positionally, the class is made up of three defenders and three attackers.
Ella Anliker, Ella Ubben, Abby Bell, Kylie Knief, Liberty Bates and Torie Delgado are the six athletes that will be joining the Panthers for the 2024 season.
"We are excited to add these six talented young women to the UNI soccer family," said head coach Bruce Erickson. "With the success we had this season, they will all come in and complement the current players. They all possess great skill and mentality along with a terrific upside. As a whole, they provide great depth and competition to a very talented squad."
Ella Anliker - West Des Moines, Iowa (Valley HS) - Forward/Midfield
Anliker is a three-sport athlete at the high school level, competing in both soccer and track and field at Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, Iowa. Anliker has excelled for the Maroons on the pitch, helping lead Dowling Catholic to three consecutive Class 3A state tournaments. Individually, Anliker has been named to the Iowa Girls' Coaches Association (IGCA) 3A West All-District First Team for three consecutive seasons.
Anliker also competed on the wrestling mat for the combined Dowling Catholic/Urbandale wrestling program last winter and advanced to the first-ever Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) Wrestling State Tournament. Anliker was the first-ever state qualifier from the women's wrestling program.
Anliker plays club soccer with Sporting Iowa ECNL.
Ella Ubben - Cedar Falls, Iowa (Cedar Falls HS) - Defender
Ubben is not straying too far home to continue her soccer career, as the Cedar Falls native is remaining in Cedar Falls to join the Panthers. Ubben has starred at Cedar Falls High School (CFHS) for the last three years, and was named to the IGCA 3A East All-District First Team in consecutive seasons. During the 2023 spring season, Ubben set the CFHS women's soccer's program record for career goals (37) in a 2-1 victory over Dubuque Senior.
Additionally, Ubben was named to the Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Association (IAHSSCA) 2nd Team All-State last spring. She has earned all-state, all-district, all-conference and all-metro honors during her prep career.
For her club soccer, Ubben features for VSA Rush GA.
Abby Bell - Polk City, Iowa (North Polk HS) - Defender
Bell also plays club soccer with VSA Rush GA. The Polk City, Iowa native is coming off of an impressive 2023 season for North Polk High School in which she was a unanimous first team all-conference selection and an IGCA 2023 2A Central All-District First Team selection. Additionally, Bell was named to the IGCA 2023 2A First Team All-State.
Last season, Bell helped lead the Comets to the 2023 IGHSAU Girls State Soccer 2A quarterfinal round. Bell is also a two-time state qualifier in cross country for North Polk.
Kylie Knief - Grimes, Iowa (Dallas Center-Grimes HS) - Forward/Midfield
Knief has helped lead Dallas Center-Grimes to back-to-back IGHSAU Girls State Soccer 2A Championships. Knief and the Mustangs secured their second consecutive state championship in 2023 with a perfect season, going 22-0 en-route to the state title. She led the Mustangs with 28 goals and 11 assists last spring.
Knief picked up a significant individual accolade following the 2023 season, as she was named to the 2022-23 United Soccer Coaches Winter/Spring High School Girls All-American Team. Her selection marked the first time that any athlete from Dallas Center-Grimes had received a national honor, and capped a season in which she picked up a bevy of awards. Knief was named to the 2023 IGCA 2A First Team All-State and was a first team all-conference and first team all-district selection.
For her club soccer, Knief plays for Sporting Iowa ECNL.
Liberty Bates - Council Bluffs, Iowa (Abraham Lincoln HS) - Forward
The Panthers landed another prolific goalscorer at the high school level in Bates, who set Abraham Lincoln High School's (ALHS) program record for career goals (63) last spring. Bates also holds ALHS' record for career assists (36) and set single season records for most goals scored in a season and most assists in a season during her high school career. She has helped lead ALHS to three consecutive Missouri Valley Conference Championships and to the 2022 IGHSAU Girls State Soccer 3A Championship, where the team finished in second place.
Bates was named to the Missouri Valley Conference's All-Conference Team in 2021, 2022 and 2023 and has been named to the IGCA 3A West All-District Team in consecutive seasons. She was also named the Daily Nonpareil's Southwest Player of the Year in 2023. Bates also has competed in one season of track and field at ALHS.
For her club soccer, Bates plays for Sporting Nebraska FC GA.
Torie Delgado - Corona, California (Santiago High School) - Defender
Delgado is the lone out-of-state recruit in the Panthers' fall signing class, but the Corona, California native is the fourth player from the Golden State to join UNI's roster. Denise Camarena, Giselle Loza and Maddie Eastus are the other Californians that feature for the Panthers.
Delgado plays her club soccer with Legends FC, one of the premier clubs in California and a consistent producer of Division I talent. Camarena and Loza also rose through the club ranks with Legends FC. Delgado attends Santiago High School.
