Cup proved she belongs last season, now she's ready to lead

SOC: Sophomore defender coming into her own with a year of experience under her belt

Anna Cup has been used to feeling out of place for as long as she can remember playing soccer.

Playing with Sockers FC in Illinois, Cup consistently played with older players. She played a level up when she was 16 and she played two levels up a year later. Going into her junior year of high school, Cup was already battling players that were college bound on regular basis.

All that experience paid off last season as Cup was thrust into a new situation at Valparaiso. Joining an established roster along with eight other freshmen teammates, Cup was the only one in her class to start the season opener. She started every match she played in and became a vital piece of a team that eventually went to the NCAA tournament.

Even if she doubted herself along the way.