Kayleigh McQueen has decided to play college soccer at Gordon State College in Georgia.

Nansemond River High School’s girls’ soccer team has an abundance of talent this year, and McQueen is one of the key pieces to a team that reached the regional semifinal last season. With just a couple of weeks until her senior season starts, McQueen signed her National Letter of Intent to play soccer at Gordon State in a signing ceremony at Nansemond River Tuesday.

This year has been quite the journey for the Lady Warrior. She had an ACL injury last year, which put an end to her season, and she doubted that she could ever return back to her original playing form. But she rehabbed and felt like she came back better than ever.

“I had so many struggles along the way, but it was my passion to play in college and strive to be the best I could be,” she said.

Back in November, she had a soccer tournament with her club team. Gordon State saw her at the tournament, and the coaches there immediately let her know that they wanted her to run their field as the center back. The girls on the team were welcoming, McQueen said. Gordon State in a junior college, and McQueen has plans to play NCAA Division I soccer after her two years there.

Her major of choice is biology. In the future, she wants to become an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon, inspired by her injury, to help kids who also have a passion for sports. Her family helped her throughout the process but let her make her own decision about her future. They were also influential in her rehab process.

“I knew if I had given up through everything, I would be giving up on myself,” she said. “My mom, dad and teammates motivated me through everything. I don’t know what I would have done without them. I kept pushing through at my darkest moments, because I knew it was going to pay off in the end.”

McQueen is excited to be able to get back on the field with her teammates for her last season, which is going to motivate her.

“It is going to fuel me in a positive way, being back with my team, and the love and support there,” she said. “I want to do my best to help get the team to states.”