RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State Athletics Hall of Famer Thori Staples Bryan has been selected to the 24th Class of the North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame.
Staples Bryan, one of the most decorated student-athletes in Wolfpack women’s soccer history, will be inducted into the North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame on Saturday, Feb. 4, in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The former Wolfpack defender led NC State to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including an NCAA Quarterfinal appearance and school-record 19 wins in 1995. Staples Bryan is the only four-time All-ACC performer in program history and one of two players to earn multiple All-America honors.
In 1992, she was named Soccer America’s Freshman of the Year and the ACC Rookie of the Year. Two years later in 1994, she was tabbed the North Carolina Female Athlete of the Year.
Following her standout career in Raleigh, Staples Bryan played for the U.S. National Team from 1992-2003. She featured in the 1995 FIFA World Cup team and was an alternate for the 1996 U.S. Olympic team. In total, the former Pack defender tallied 64 caps for the USWNT.
Staples Bryan also shined in the professional ranks, playing for the WUSA’s San Jose CyberRays from 2001-04. She helped the CyberRays win the league title in 2001 and was the only player in WUSA history to play every minute of every match in the 2001 inaugural season.
In August 2002, Staples Bryan was named to the ACC 50th Anniversary women’s soccer team. She ranks tied for eighth in program history with 86 matches started in Red and White.
Following her playing career, Staples Bryan has held various coaching positions in North Carolina. For the past 10 years, she has run the Thori Bryan Soccer Academy in Wake Forest, North Carolina. The academy provides summer soccer camps and individual and team training for youth soccer players.
Staples Bryan also volunteers on the advisory board for Off the Bench, an advocacy organization designed to increase female participation at the elite level in the sports of soccer, volleyball and lacrosse.
The North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on Saturday, Feb. 4, at Piedmont Hall in Greensboro. Tickets to the event can be purchased here.
The NC Soccer Hall of Fame was established in 1996 with the first class inducted in 1997. Voters in the…
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