Fifth-year senior defender and midfielder Alex Arlitt is back for the LSU soccer team and wants to help lead the Tigers back into Southeastern Conference competition and national contention.
Though she’s the most experienced player on the team, Arlitt appeared in just four games last season as she battled an ankle injury in what would’ve been her final season at LSU, but she was granted a fifth year of eligibility after applying for a medical redshirt.
Arlitt, or “Artie,” as her teammates call her, looks to lead LSU’s defense after it struggled without her in 2014. The rest of the squad is grateful to have her back on the pitch.
“We missed her last season, and when she wasn’t on the field, you could definitely tell,” said LSU junior forward Summer Clarke. “She has such a strong presence and leadership ability. Having her back is great, both on and off the field.”
An All-SEC hopeful entering her fifth season, Arlitt has started 65 of the 67 matches in which she has appeared.
The Houston native has heightened the standards since she arrived on campus in 2011, taking home Freshman All-SEC honors. The Tigers won the SEC Western Division Championship that year and qualified for the NCAA tournament.
LSU hasn’t captured a division championship or returned to the tournament since then. After patiently waiting, a motivated Arlitt looks to help change that this year.
“I’m just set on my team having a really good season, winning the SEC tournament and making deep run in the NCAA tournament,” Arlitt said. “I think those are realistic goals, so that’s where my focus is right now.”
The stage is set for the Tigers to make a run at the conference and national championships in 2015. Arlitt is part of a nine-member senior class that makes up LSU’s most experienced team since the 2011 squad that made the NCAA tournament.LSU coach Brian Lee recruited Arlitt and has been her coach throughout her collegiate career. He said Arlitt is a special player.
“I already consider her one of the best players in our decade here at LSU,” Lee said. “She certainly hasn’t received the individual accolades that compare to her ability, however the team needs to play a little better too for her to be able to get that attention. She’s very vested in us winning, and I expect her to play a huge role in that.”
Aside from being a leader on the field, Arlitt is there for her teammates off the field and always holds them accountable.
Arlitt is more than a teammate, and she stays in constant communication with other members of the team.
Sophomore forward Jorian Baucom said Arlitt constantly texts or calls her to make sure she is eating right and getting to bed early before a big game.
“She’s a good teammate, as well as a good friend,” Baucom said. “As a captain, she brings the team together, and having her on the field for direction — or whatever else — makes us better as a team.”