Bridget Howard of the Mountain West Network recently sat down with Vanesssa Valentine on the Taking the Lead podcast. Not only is Coach Valentine coming off of a great campaign in her first year at the helm of the pack, but Valentine also just won gold at the El Salvador Beach Soccer Cup competing for the Women's Beach Soccer National Team.
Heading into her second season as ÁùºÏ±¦µä's head coach in 2024, Valentine led ÁùºÏ±¦µä soccer to one of the best turnaround seasons in program history. Winning just three matches in the year prior to her arrival, Valentine led ÁùºÏ±¦µä to six wins en route to the Pack's first bid to the Mountain West Tournament in a decade.
ÁùºÏ±¦µä finished in sixth in the conference standings in Valentine's first season, the highest Mountain West finish for the Pack in the last decade. The 2023 team ranked in the top eight in program history in goals (24), assists (18), shots (211), corner kicks (92) and shutouts (5).
In her first season, Valentine played a key role in Emily Rich earning a third consecutive All-Mountain West honor and helped goalkeeper Ally Larkin earn a spot on the All-Mountain West Newcomer Team. Four players (Brooklyn Blake, Lauren Muff, Caly Ah Soon, and Penny Murphy) were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team under her watch.
Coming to Reno as the eighth head coach in ÁùºÏ±¦µä women's soccer history, Valentine brought a wealth of experience as both a head coach and an assistant. Prior to her arrival, she helped Cal to a 10-win season and an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2022. She also played an instrumental role in leading three Cal players to All-Pac 12 honors.
You can listen to Valentine on the Taking the Lead podcast with the links below.
