GREENVILLE, N.C. - Following a fifth-straight season with at least nine victories, East Carolina soccer head coach Rob Donnenwirth announced Thursday he will add seven student-athletes to his 2011 roster. Beth Batchelor, Allyson Glover, Lexi Herring, Kelley Johnson, Kelly Miller, Mackenzie Semerad and Brett Thomas have all declared their commitment to join the Pirates.

Elizabeth (Beth) Batchelor, F, 5-8, Fr., Washington, N.C. (Washington/WYSA Wilson Explosion)

High School: Four-year letterwinner for coach Jim Kozuch at Washington High School ... Two-time team captain (2009-10) ... Three-time Coastal 3A All-Conference selection (2008-10) ... Earned all-region and N.C. All-State honors as a senior ... Coastal 3A Conference Player-of-the-Year (2010) ... Named Washington Daily News Female Athlete-of-the-Year (2010) ... Garnered WITN Player-of-the-Week honors (2010) ... Also earned letters in basketball (4) and tennis (4) ... National Honor Society member ... Marshal ... Honor Roll student that sports a 4.64 cumulative GPA ... Named Executive President of Washington High School ... Club Experience: Played for coach Trent Dorough and the WYSA Wilson Explosion ... Helped the Explosion claim the N.C. President's Kepner Cup Championship in 2010 ... Led the squad in scoring ... In 2009 played for the NBASA Coastal United Premier ... ODP Experience: Member of the North Carolina ODP squad for two years (2009-10) ... Invited to attend Region III Camp in 2010.

Batchelor on Choosing East Carolina: "ECU has always been my top school of interest thanks to its great achievement in athletics and academics. After meeting the players and the coaches through camp and my visits, I couldn't see myself as anything but a Pirate."

Donnenwirth on Batchelor: "Beth is the most talented player to come out of our area since I have been here at ECU. She is an outstanding athlete. She has good speed and strength and this coupled with her competitiveness has made her a prolific goal scorer. We see Beth playing as a forward or as a wide player."


Allyson Glover, GK, 5-10, Fr., Rocky Mount, N.C. (Northern Nash/92 CASL Spartan Elite)

High School: Four-year starter and letterwinner for coach Joe McCarthy at Northern Nash High School ... Named team captain her senior year ... Four-time Big East All-Conference selection, while also being named all-area for four-straight years and all region for three years ... Owns school records for shutouts in a season (16), fewest goals allowed in season and career shutouts ... Took home Coaches Award as a sophomore (2008) and Defensive MVP honors during junior campaign (2009) ... Member of the National Honor Society and History Club ... Honor Roll student that sports a 3.9 cumulative GPA ... Sports Editor of the Yearbook ... Club Experience: Played for coach Sean Nahas and the 92 Capital Area Soccer League (CASL) Spartan Elite ... Helped 93 CASL Elite to the 2008-09 NCYSA State Cup Finals ... Played three years in the USYA Region III Premier League (2008-10) and for ECNL (2009-11) ... Two-time NCYSA State Cup Champion (2010-11).

Glover on Choosing East Carolina: "I grew up coming to camps and games at ECU. Being in that atmosphere all these years was a huge factor in my decision. I want to pursue a career in law and ECU is a great fit for that. When I met all the players and coaches, it just sealed the deal for me. I'm very excited to be a Pirate."

Donnenwirth on Glover: "Ally has the physical tools to be a top notch goalkeeper. She has good instincts and gained valuable experience playing for CASL. Ally has been a Pirate since birth and her enthusiasm for ECU will push herself and her teammates.

Lexi Herring, MF, 5-8, Fr., Wilmington, N.C. (New Hanover/91 & 92 Cape Fear Wave)

High School: Three-year letterwinner for coach Al Pastore at New Hanover High School ... Two-time first-team all-region (2009-10) ... Named second-team all-region as a freshman ... As an all-conference selection in 2009 helped New Hanover to the state semifinals ... Earned Most Valuable Freshman honors in 2008 ... Two-time Most Valuable Offensive Player (2009-10) ... Named all-area as a senior ... Member of the National Honor Society and Lyceum Academy ... Club Experience: Played for 91 & 92 Cape Fear Wave under the direction of Peter Broadley and Dino Ankrah ... Adidas ESP participant (2009) ... Participated at the Disney Showcase in 2010 ... Tampa Sun Bowl Finalist - Super Y ... ODP Experience: Member of the 1993 NCYSA State Team (2005-07) ... Helped squad to the South Atlantic Region Championship in 2006 and 2007 ... Qualified for the ODP state pool in 2009.

Herring on Choosing East Carolina: "I believe the academic programs at ECU will allow me to pursue my dream of becoming a physical therapist. I've always hoped to play competitive soccer at the DI level and I really like the campus, the coaches and the team."

Donnenwirth on Herring: "Lexi has very good technical ability and vision as a center midfielder. She is a good possession player and also has the ability to get forward in the attack."

Kelley Johnson, D/MF, 5-8, Fr., Springfield, Va. (South County Secondary/Braddock Road Azul)

High School: Three-year letterwinner for coach Maureen Saale at South County Secondary ... As a freshman earned second-team all-district and honorable mention all-region honors ... During junior year took home first-team all-district and second-team all-region accolades ... Club Experience: Member of Braddock Road Azul that won six Virginia State Cup Championships (2005-09 and 2011).

Johnson on Choosing East Carolina: "I wanted to go to an out of state college and I thought ECU would be a good fit for me. The coaching staff fits my style of play and the soccer team was nice and inviting."

Donnenwirth on Johnson: "Kelley was a key player for the Braddock Road Azul out of Virginia. She can play centrally in the midfield or in the back. She is a good ball winner due to her toughness and tackling ability. She is also a good distributor due to her technical ability and vision."

Kelly Miller, D, 5-4, Fr., Zionsville, Indiana (Zionsville Community/Carmel United U18 Elite)

High School: Four-year varsity starter for coach Ramon Aguillon at Zionsville Community High School ... Two-time all-conference selection (2009-10) and team Defensive Player-of-the-Year winner ... Earned all-state and all-region honors as a senior ... As a freshman was named team Newcomer-of-the-Year ... During junior campaign helped ZCHS to a No. 19 national ranking by ESPN Rise as well as sectional and regional championships on the way to the state semifinals ... In the classroom was named Academic All-State (2010) and was a four-time Eagle Scholar Award winner (2007-10) for having a GPA of 3.5 or higher ... Club Experience: Played for coach Beth Goetz and the Carmel United U18 Elite ... Named 2009 TopDrawerSoccer Watch List ... Member of the 2010 Indiana State Cup Championship and 2009 semifinalist squad ... 2009 Disney Showcase U17 Finalist ... Played in the Red Bull and Midwest Regional League (2008-10) ... Member of the ECNL and Midwest Regional League (2010-11) ... ODP Experience: Played for the 93 Indiana State Team from 2008-10.

Miller on Choosing East Carolina: "I chose ECU because it offers a very competitive soccer program and great academic opportunities. On my visit, the players and coaches were very welcoming and it felt like a good fit for me."

Donnenwirth on Miller: "Kelly is an outside back that loves to get forward into the attack. She is an excellent passer of the ball and can find her targets short or long. She is a very focused player that can also play as a wide midfielder."

Mackenzie Semerad, MF, 5-8, Fr., Phoenix, Arizona (Desert Vista/ AZ Sting Futbol)

High School: Four-year varsity starter for coach Paul Manoogian at Desert Vista High School ... Helped Desert Vista to the 2009 state finals and 2010 state semifinals ... As a senior was named first-team All-Arizona, all-region player-of-the-year and Desert Vista Female Athlete-of-the-Year ... Maintains a cumulative 3.5 GPA and is active in the Best Buddies Program ... Club Experience: Played for AZ Sting Futbol Club under coach Kim Byrnes ... Member of the 2007 Surf Cup and 2010 ECNL Red Bull championship teams ... Named 2009 AZ Sting Futbol Club Player-of-the-Year ... Helped the Sting to five Arizona State finals appearances (2004-10) ... ODP Experience: Two-year member of the Arizona ODP team (2008-10) ... Qualified for the Region IV ODP Pool.

Semerad on Choosing East Carolina: "I was hoping to go to school and play soccer out of Arizona so I could experience another part of the country. I had heard really good things about ECU from a former player (Anastasia Nikas) and when I visited I decided this is where I wanted to go. The coach and staff made me feel comfortable and the girls were great. I especially like that ECU plays the same style of soccer I like. Also I hope to be a teacher one day, so ECU's education program is a perfect fit."

Donnenwirth on Semerad: "Mackenzie is a great attacking player due to her excellent technical ability, vision and creativity. She is a playmaker that can penetrate off the dribble or with a well-timed killer pass to set up goal-scoring opportunities."

Brett Thomas, MF, 5-6, Fr., Fairfax, Va. (W.T. Woodson/ SYA Arsenal)

High School: Four-year varsity letterwinner and three-year starter for coach Warren Williams at W.T. Woodson High School ... Member of the district championship team as a freshman ... Recipient of the W.T. Woodson Cavalier Award (sophomore) ... As a junior led the Cavaliers to the 2010 Liberty District Championship ... Three-time Virginia State Regional participant ... Maintains a cumulative 3.4 GPA ... Club Experience: Played for coach Stevie Alabi of the SYA Arsenal ... Gained club experience playing with WAGS ... Helped lead club team to the 2009 and 2010 Division I Championships ... Member of three consecutive undefeated regular season Arsenal teams ... In 2010, the Arsenal took home Jefferson Cup, Columbia Invitational, OBGC Capital Cup and WAGS U18 Division I titles ... Also plays for Loudoun U18 Red, who recently took third place at the 2010 Disney Showcase and is ranked 25th in the country by GotSoccer.com.

Thomas on Choosing East Carolina: "My dad and aunt are ECU alumni, so I've visited the campus several times over the past few years and have always loved the atmosphere. I feel like ECU is a perfect fit for me academically and after attending the school's summer camp and meeting the coaches and players, I knew that this was where I wanted to go. The teams' chemistry and enthusiasm for soccer is infectious and I'm excited to be a part of that."

Donnenwirth on Thomas: "Brett is a left-footed outside midfielder that we first saw at our summer camp. She has a good ability to get behind defenses off the dribble or by combining. Her crossing ability is excellent and will provide good service for scoring opportunities."