The Senior Class That Helped Texas Tech Press Play After a Pandemic Pause
When Tom Stone took over as head coach in 2008, Texas Tech soccer wasn’t just struggling – it was buried. The Red Raiders had won only four total conference games in the six years prior to Stone’s arrival and had never made an NCAA Tournament appearance in the school’s history.
It took time to build. Brick by brick and culture piece by culture piece. What happened in that time is it’s own story for another day but by 2012, Texas Tech reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time. They even won their opening-round game. From there the Red Raiders became a fixture in the postseason, making their first Sweet 16 in 2014 and missing the tournament only once through 2019.
Then the world stopped.
When COVID-19 hit, everything Stone’s program had built – the chemistry, rhythm and confidence – was thrown into chaos. The next three seasons came and went without a postseason berth and the program suddenly faced its greatest test yet: rediscovering the identity they had worked so hard to create.
“Nobody [around country] came out of COVID the way they went in,” Stone recalled. “Talk about misery. Teams were literally rebuilding their chemistry, rebuilding their character. Everyone got weird during that. Everyone was off balance.”
When the Big 12 Conference decided to play he remembered being hopeful that soccer might serve as a sanctuary for his players during that time – only to realize later how wrong that was. But how could anyone have known?
“We were all thinking, oh, this will be their escape. This will be their sanctuary for this really weird time in our lives,” he said. “And it wasn’t. They should have been with their families and we should have been with ours.”
When things slowly trickled back to normal, or at least whatever new normal the world became post-Covid. A group of players made their way to campus that would spark this reboot.
“Then here comes this class right after that,” Stone recalled. “And they’re so full of personality and so full of inspiration. And they love soccer so much.”
They were no longer inheriting the burgeoning contender they had once committed too as youth players. But they chose to come anyway and help rebuild it. By 2023, alongside seniors still around from the 2019 pre-covid and last NCAA tournament team, their work blossomed into history: an undefeated regular season, highest ranking in school history, the program’s first-ever Big 12 regular-season title and a trip to the NCAA Sweet 16. It marked the return of Texas Tech Soccer as a national name.
A handful of players in that class have years remaining due to redshirt seasons. But of that core, Macy Blackburn, Peyton Parsons, Molly Skurcenski and Kate Leibel, are now in their final season at Tech – eyeing their third straight NCAA tournament appearance.
The Players That Make Up The 2025 Graduating Class
You can’t start any discussion about this class without the all-time leader in assists Macy Blackburn. A two-time All-American and one of the fiercest competitors Coach Stone has said he has ever coached, she undoubtedly has led this reboot in more ways than one.
“Oh my gosh, yeah! That’s such a loaded question because I could talk for literally ever,” Blackburn said when asked what her time at Tech has meant to her. “It was my dream to come here. And the fact that I get have gotten to graduate from here, go to grad school, play five years here and lead this team, like it’s been truly just a dream come true.”
Peyton Parsons, a player Stone describes as “Super High IQ” whose composure and creativity have been in the middle of some of the best moments of Red Raider soccer in her time here. She was also responsible for sending the team to the Sweet 16 in 2023 after burying the game-winning penalty kick in a PK shootout with Princeton. Cold blooded killer.
Molly Skurcenski, the glue. Or as her head coach articulated it: “the secret sauce to every great team we’ve had since she got here. She has played multiple positions in her career and never asked for the shine even though she has dang near built the spotlight for her teammates herself over the years.
Kate Leibel, the quiet assassin of the group. Does all the dirty work playing one of the tougher positions in the Texas Tech system at defensive mid. A player fans may not notice in the boxscore but can’t miss when watching the full field action in person. She always shows up. For that reason her teammates have affectionately dubbed her “Big Game Kate.”
“Every big game she’s played in,” Stone said, “she’s absolutely torn it up.”
Then came two additions to this group as transfers. The first coming before the start of the 2024 season when Faith Nguyen transferred in from UCLA. Following the program leader in career shutouts Madison White was no easy task but she slipped right in bringing her own style and leadership to the team. Coach Stone called her “an inspirational leader” in fact.
“Who could have replaced Maddie White? Well, Faith Nguyen is who,” he said. “We would never have guessed that.”
And last but certainly not least came Chloe Japić, a transfer who arrived this past summer from Virginia. Set to be a veteran leader, especially on the defensive end, her season ended early due to injury. Despite that cruel twist of fate she has still managed to leave her mark.
“We only had her for five games,” Stone said. “She’s already made an indelible imprint on our culture and our team. Such a sweetheart, a fabulous player and was ready to give us her sixth year before she got hurt. She’s a Red Raider for life.”
This Story Has Plenty of Ink Left in the Pen
As this group prepares to lead Texas Tech into its third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance — after the program missed three straight from 2020 to 2022 — Stone can feel the full circle moment.
“The class is really special,” he said. “Gosh, I personally am going to miss them because they’re such great kids, and their families are incredibly inspirational and supportive.”
Blackburn said that what makes this group so meaningful is not only what they’ve accomplished, but the relationships they’ve built. And most important of all, that the journey together isn’t finished yet.
“These girls have just truly made my time here just one of a kind,” said Blackburn before turning her focus to what’s ahead as the senior captain always does. “I know I’m going to cherish these years for the rest of my life, but I’m trying not to think about the end too much because I know we’re going to have a long season left.”
For every player who follows, this group will be the example. The class that showed what it means to truly “strive for honor evermore.” Not even a global pandemic could stop them from picking up the pieces and leaving the Double T better than they found it.
And they ain’t done yet.
Catch this senior class, as well as the entire team, Thursday night at 7pm in Lubbock for the regular season finale versus UCF. First 500 fans in attendance receive the always beloved Texas Tech Soccer annual scarf.
Join the conversation with other Red Raiders on the Inside The Double T forum.
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