March 24, 1998
GREENVILLE, SC -- Furman head women's soccer coach Brian Lee announced the signing of Melissa Barnes to a national letter-of-intent Tuesday. Barnes becomes the fifth to sign with the Lady Paladins this spring.
Melissa Barnes, a goalkeeper from Prospect, Kent., is the Region II Olympic Development Program (ODP) team goalkeeper. She is an NSCAA High School All-South region selection and is the all-time high school shutout record holder for Kentucky. She is also a three-time all-state selction and member of the Kentucky ODP team.
"I am really excited about this recruiting class," Lee said. "I believe each one of these student-athletes will be a strong addition to our growing program and will help enable us to achieve regional and national prominence in the upcoming years."
Joining Barnes in this year's class is Kaye Brownlee, from Kennesaw, Ga.; Melissa Turner, from Atlanta, Ga.; Lauren Killey, from Austin, Texas; and Natalie Muro, from Birmingham, Ala.
Kaye Brownlee will join the Lady Paladin program as an excellent midfielder from Kennesaw, Ga. A member of the 1997 Georgia State champion Atlanta TopHats, Brownlee is also a member of the Region III (South) Olympic Development Program (ODP) team. Brownlee helped lead Sprayberry High School to a 35-12 record over her first three seasons.
Another Georgia prepster, Melissa Turner joins the Lady Paladin program as a midfielder/defender. Turner played for Jim Haskin and Missy Butler at Pope High School and is a member of the Cobb Union Fury. She is also a three year member of the Georgia State ODP team.
Lauren Killey is a midfielder/forward from Austin, Texas. She helped lead the Austin Thunder to the South Texas state finals as captain. Killey is a three-year starter for South Texas ODP team.
Natalie Muro is a midfielder from Birmingham, Alabama. Muro is a member of the Alabama Angels club team and has been a member of the Alabama ODP team for four seasons. She attends Hoover High School, where she was named Best Offensive Player and was recognized as all-region and all-state.