Rachele Manfre, a defender from Greenville, South Carolina, has signed to play soccer for Eastern Kentucky University, head coach Nick Flohre announced on Thursday.
Manfre is a transfer from Clemson. She appeared in 15 games over two seasons on Clemson’s backline and helped the Tigers reach the NCAA Second Round in 2017.
“We’re thrilled to have Rachele joining us this season,” Flohre said. “She comes from playing at an extremely high level in the best conference in women’s college soccer.”
Before arriving at Clemson, Manfre was a standout player – and teammate of current Colonel Larissa Heslop – at Riverside High School in Greenville. She was an all-region performer and helped the Riverside Warriors reach the South Carolina Division 4A Upper State Semifinals in 2013.
Manfre played for Carolina Elite Soccer Academy (CESA) in the prestigious Elite Clubs National League (ECNL). Her CESA club team qualified for the national playoffs three times and was the U.S. Youth Soccer Association (USYSA) state champion and a region quarterfinalist in 2012.
Manfre also attended the ECNL Id2 Player Development Camp in 2014 and the U.S. National Training Center in Georgia in 2015.
In addition to playing soccer, Manfre was a star sprinter on the track at Riverside High. She broke the school’s 800 meters record and was a member of the 4×200-meter relay team that holds the school record.
“Not only is Rachele a very good player, she’s a great person and has already impressed her new teammates here at EKU,” Flohre added. “We’re looking forward to seeing her contribute to our program on and off the field.”
Manfre will be eligible to play immediately at EKU. She joins one of the top programs in the Ohio Valley Conference, as the Colonels have advanced to the OVC title game the past two seasons.
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Steve Fohl
Associate Director of EKUSports Communications