Women’s Soccer Trio Ready to Lead

South Carolina’s three captains bring something different to the table for the women’s soccer program, but the cumulative goals are the same for Christina Tsaousis, Maggie Taitano, and Cuyler Zulauf, who were chosen by their teammates in leadership positions.

“It’s our final year, and it’s about going out with a bang,” said Tsaousis, a fifth-year senior goalkeeper who anchored the Gamecock defense last year by posting seven complete game shutouts, which was second in the SEC, and helped the team earn 10 clean sheets overall. “We always talk about winning an SEC Championship, going to a final four, and winning a national championship. Right now, we’re just focused on being as consistent as possible and carry that through the entire season.”

“We’re here to enjoy the moment,” said Taitano, a senior midfielder. “Every day we get to come to this facility and train together. We get to play a lot of games against great competition. We want to leave here with a ring. The only way to do that is to enjoy every day and give our all.”
“I’m super excited to play with these girls,” said Zulauf, a senior midfielder who was tied for second on the team with six goals last year. “We’ve grown so much, but we haven’t gotten a ring since I’ve been here, and that’s a standard here. That’s something we’re striving for, and we don’t want to leave here without.”

“It was a pretty well-rounded voting process this year, and these three rose to the top,” said head coach Shelley Smith, who is in her 26th year leading the program. “A lot has to do with how they conduct themselves, how they lead on and off the field, how they lead by example, how they help others, and being a great representative of the program. I’m proud of them and how well respected they are by their teammates. They’ll tell you that it’s not just them. They have a huge group of seniors that they expect to be on the same page.”

Expectations for Smith’s program haven’t changed much in the last quarter century. The Gamecocks are known for competing for championships and playing great defense. With 15 of the 28 women on the roster being seniors or graduate students, Smith is counting on experience to lead the way.

“The biggest confidence I have is the fact that we have such a strong group of seniors,” Smith said. “When you have such experienced players in your program, you know you’re in a good position. They push themselves, and they’re very competitive. They have respect for each other, and that’s the kind of program we’ve tried to always build. The locker room has been tremendous this year. That is a great sign.

“They’re so motivated to do better than they did the last time we were out here. The 2025 season was a success for most teams in the country, but for us it was a disappointment. We fell short on some of our goals. They have that drive and passion to improve on that.”

“Half of our team is upper classmen, and we’ve built so much experience,” said Zulauf, who is an exercise science major and would eventually like to go to physician’s assistant school. “We’ve dove into the process of being developed by (Associate head) Coach Jamie (Smith), Coach Shelley, and (goalkeeper coach) Marnie (Merritt), and we’re ready for this. We’ve really grown up together in the past three years that we’ve been here.”

For the captains playing in their final season for the Garnet and Black, they’ve embraced their roles as leaders, but they’re not feeling pressure.

“It’s an honor,” said Taitano, who is studying sport and entertainment management and hopes to work for a professional sports team. “I have such great teammates. I’m excited to help lead the team. I just need to do what I do best, play my game, help the team, and just have fun. The fans and the atmosphere here, it’s just so electric. I’m excited just thinking about it. The energy that Columbia brings to our games is incredible.”

“Every year that I’ve gotten older, I’ve felt more confident, and I’ve felt more relaxed,” said Tsaousis, who is studying psychology and wants to coach at the collegiate level. “That also has to do with the experience piece. I think we’ll be ready to go. I just want to enjoy it and stay in the moment because it’s my final season, and I’m never going to be in this position again. I’m just going to enjoy the fans, enjoy the soccer, and enjoy my teammates and just go out there and love the game.

“The toughest thing is keeping the tone of the team. However I react, that’s typically how it’s portrayed across the team. I’m focused on staying calm and being an anchored leader in the back.”

One of the keys for the Gamecocks early on will be filling big shoes from last year’s lineup from which they graduated their top defensive player, Gracie Falla, who was a four-year starter and earned multiple All-SEC honors, as well as the transfer of their top goal scorer. But replacing those players isn’t up to one individual.

“There’s a lot of experience here,” Zulauf said. “I don’t think there’s much of a gap to fill. We’re all working together to build a better attack. The new South Carolina standard will be that of an attacking team.”

“I think it’s a collective,” Tsaousis, said. “It’s pushing everyone on the team to find more in themselves. That was a big thing for us in the offseason in challenging each other. It has been so competitive. Defensively, that has pushed our togetherness and our organization. Everything we are doing has been heightened because we know we have to get better.”

“We don’t expect be perfect,” Smith said. “We expect to grow as a team. Our expectation is that our team will learn from every match.”

The Gamecocks open the 2026 season at Stone Stadium on Wednesday, August 12 at 7 p.m. vs. Oregon State.