Natalia Evans
Contributing Writer
The 2023-24 Women’s Soccer Team made Sewanee history this year. A testament to a strong coaching staff and committed players, this year’s Conference Champions are just as likely to call themselves a family as they are a team. One of the many highlights of the year was Brianna Fee (C’ 25) being named an All-American, a national award bestowed by United Soccer Coaches for outstanding athletic performance. This award encapsulates a record breaking season for the entire Women’s Soccer Team, as well as Fee’s lifelong love for the sport.
Fee doesn’t remember a time when she wasn’t playing soccer. She and her sister, Olivia Fee (C’ 25), chose to continue their journey in playing soccer together at Sewanee. “I love not just playing soccer but watching it, and how it brings people together,” Fee said. “It’s so powerful in that way.”
Athletics has allowed Fee to embrace her passion for challenging herself. Setting goals and working towards them is a mentality she takes in all aspects of her life. Fee said, “I have always been someone who, if I have a goal that I want, I have no problem putting in whatever work is necessary to achieve that.”
Fee’s favorite moments of the season both came in the back half of Conference Championship Finals against Rhodes. In the last few minutes of regular time, with Sewanee down 0-1, Fee scored the goal to tie with an assist from CeCe Cobb (C’ 24). Fee said, “We all felt this urgency because there were fifteen minutes left in regular time. I’ll never forget hearing the crowd’s reaction, and it was so surreal to have all my teammates surround me.”
In overtime, Brianna was assisted by her sister in scoring the game-winning goal. “I know all of Olivia’s tendencies and she knows mine,” Fee said. “It was the perfect way to end the game, it was like a fairy tale.” In the end, the team lifted the trophy on their home field, celebrating their hard work and success with the crowd of family and fellow Tigers.
It wasn’t until weeks later that Fee, working on an assignment in the library, received a call from her coach, Greg Cathell. Fee recalled him asking her to remember when she was a senior in high school, when he’d told her he believed she had what it took to be an All-American. He then informed her that, that morning, she’d been named an All-American by United Soccer Coaches. “He started talking about the ceremony and next steps, and I couldn’t even comprehend it,” Fee said. “I started to cry, happy tears. I was absolutely shocked. I’m still shocked. I still don’t believe it half the time. It’s a moment I’ll cherish forever.”
Moving forward in preparation for next season, Fee believes that the team is ready to go even farther. “All of us are hungry for more,” she said. “We want to continue setting records and making history. We want to use this momentum as confidence.” This season has changed the tone of Women’s Soccer at Sewanee.
In the upcoming year, Sewanee will be the team to beat, and our players will be looking to continue to upset their own records. Contending with the best teams in the nation is something Sewanee is capable of because, as Fee says, “we are one of them.”
Fee gives credit to the bond she shares with her team and coaches, as she relates that each of her triumphs have been backed by the collective effort of each member of the team. Fee said, “Doing such incredible things with a group of people that you consider to be your family… there’s nothing like it.” She thanks her coaches for their time, energy, and passion, and is grateful that the team was able to showcase that input with the things they accomplished this season. Fee looks forward to next year as an opportunity to continue pushing her boundaries as a player, using this season’s success as motivation.