Abby Small

Classroom

Abby Small currently has a 3.64 cumulative grade-point average in one of the toughest, most challenging majors on campus in electrical and computer engineering. Small completed an internship at the prestigious Burns & McDonnell Engineering firm this past spring/summer and has already been offered an employment opportunity with them upon graduation in May. Small is a model student-athlete and a wonderful person and leader.

Character

Small is a leader on and off the field. Not only is she a very talented and accomplished soccer player, but also she is the experienced and vocal leader of the defensive unit and will serve as a “coach” out on the field to her defensive teammates. She is one of the hardest workers at every training session and match, and she leads by example at all times. She has had to learn to persevere and play through some adversity and injuries to help lead her team to success, and her courage, tenacity and competitive spirit are appreciated by her teammates and coaching staff.

Community

Small is a leader on and off the field and is one of the SAAC/SALC leaders and representatives for the team. She consistently volunteers her time in the community and is very involved and interested in helping others and giving back to the campus and greater Kansas City communities. Small is the SALC Overall Development Rep in charge of the development of all athletic teams at the university, keeping track of fundraising for all the teams and serving as the women’s soccer representative. Through SALC, Small volunteers with Children’s Mercy Hospital and donates to the Greater KC Boy & Girls Club. She also coaches the youth Futures program for FC Kansas City Youth Soccer Club.

Small is a member of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), a member of SWE (Society of Women Engineers) and a member of Engineers without Borders. Small was named Outstanding Junior for UMKC ECE Spring 2019. She currently is a Co-Op at Burns & McDonnell during the season and volunteers at Harvesters with Burns & McDonnell. She is also heavily involved in UMKC’s “Kicking Childhood Cancer” awareness match.

Competition

In her career, Small has started in 67 of a possible 68 games in which she has played. In six starts so far this year, she is part of a defense to set a school record with two straight shutouts to begin the year and a total of three shutouts in six games. Currently, the team defense is No. 44 (tied) in the NCAA in goals-against average (.547). On the offensive end, she has taken six shots.

She is the 2019 Preseason WAC Defensive Player of the Year, her second-straight such award. She won the 2017 and 2018 WAC Defensive Player of the Year award and is a two-time All-WAC First Team selection (2017, 2018). In 2018, she earned United Soccer Coaches Pacific All-Region Third Team honors.

Since Small began her career at Kansas City in 2016, the defensive unit has recorded 27 combined shutouts in 63 matches played (42.9 percent of overall matches). She has been a key contributor to a program to win back-to-back WAC regular-season championships and record a school-best 16-5-0 mark in 2018.

(All stats as of nomination time.)