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Former Rebel Souza to Represent Brazil in 2016 Summer Olympics
Less than three years ago Rafaelle Souza left her final stamp on the Ole Miss soccer program. Now, in Rio de Janeiro, she will don the Brazilian women’s national team’s colors at the 2016 Summer Olympics as the first Rebel soccer Olympian in school history.
In three years in Oxford, Souza arguably made one of the biggest impacts of any player on the program. She’s the all-time career leader in points (108) and goals (44), and was just the second Ole Miss player to be drafted.
A two-time NSCAA All-Region performer and All-SEC selection, Souza was also a standout in the classroom as well. The Salvador, Brazil native earned CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team honors in 2013, and was also named an NSCAA/Adidas Scholar All-America selection. She shared the 2012 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors with Missouri’s Allison Hu, before winning it outright following her senior campaign in 2013.
In her three seasons as a Rebel, Souza helped the program to 37 wins overall, including a 13-9 season in 2012, and a program-best 16-6-2 mark in 2013. The 16 wins still stands as the school record, as Souza pitched in with 22 goals that year, second most by any player in a single season.
“We’re really excited for Rafa to represent her country in Brazil,” head coach Matthew Mott said. “She has really continued to grow as a player since leaving Oxford, and is playing at a really high level for Brazil. “She is a great Rebel and an awesome representative of our program, and I know she is going to play great.”
After being the 10th overall pick to the Houston Dash in the 2014 NWSL College Draft, Souza made 16 appearances with the Dash. One season later, FC Kansas City acquired her rights, but she didn’t play with the club after entering training with the Brazilian national team in preparation for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup and 2016 Rio Olympics.
At the World Cup, Souza, alongside Monica Hickmann Alves, the duo kept clean sheets in all three matches as Brazil qualified from its group without conceding a goal. Following competition in Canada, she remained there as part of the Brazilian selection for the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.
Souza and Brazil open up competition in the 2016 Summer Olympics Wednesday, Aug. 3, at 2 p.m. CT against China in Group E of the women’s soccer tournament.
Souza is one of nine current or former Rebels representing their home country in the summer games, joining Gwen Berry (track and field, USA), Antwon Hicks (110-meter hurdles, Nigeria), Sam Kendricks (pole vault, USA), Connie Price-Smith (track and field, USA) Brittney Reese (long jump, USA), Ricky Robertson (high jump, USA), Raven Saunders (shot put, USA) and Anthony Perez (basketball, Venezuela).
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Soccer on Twitter at @OleMissSoccer, on Facebook at Facebook.com/OleMissSoccer, and on Instagram at Instagram.com/
Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports Information
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