Giametta, Blackburn ready to begin season
August 13, 2025 | Women's Soccer
LUBBOCK – Macy Blackburn and Kaitlyn Giametta walked off the field with their teammates around 10 a.m. on Wednesday morning following a practice and with only a couple of hours before heading to the airport for a trip to California. It's been 264 days since the Texas Tech soccer program played its last game in the 2024 NCAA Tournament but now they're only one day from starting the 2025 season with a road game at San Diego State on Thursday before the home opener against Youngstown State on Sunday at the John Walker Soccer Complex.
"We've been preaching urgency throughout the whole summer and in practice the past couple of weeks," Blackburn said. "We got here a month early and felt the importance every day. Even last spring. We had the mentality that our work will pay off once games got here. It didn't start this week even though we know we're starting the season. Our preparation for the season openers has been something we've been focused on for a long time. We're ready to compete and be one of the best teams out there."
Tech comes into the season ranked No. 25 in the United Soccer Coaches Association preseason poll and was picked second in the Big 12 Preseason Poll. That comes after another impressive season from the program, going 15-5-2 and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Giametta is entering her fifth season with the Red Raiders having played in 58 games and with six goals and nine assists on her resume. She had five goals and five assists last season and scored the team's third goal in the exhibition game last week against Denver in a 4-0 win.
"The mentality for us is always going to be one game at a time," Giametta said. "We go into every game ready to compete. We're not looking at the full season. It's about getting a lot of team chemistry and showing the younger players the way. Every game is a learning opportunity and a chance to show what we know we can do. What we're good at and what we need to work on."
Blackburn enters her fifth season as a two-time All-America and the reigning Big 12 Defender of the Year along with being named the top defender in the nation and to the First Team Preseason All-American Team by TopDrawerSoccer. She's played in 56 games as a Red Raider, already establishing herself as the program's all-time assist leader with 33 to go along with five goals and her dominant defense. With over 4,000 minutes of game action and building resolve by overcoming injuries, Blackburn is ready to take those experiences and the work the team has put in throughout the offseason into her final season.
"I've seen a lot, been through a lot," Blackburn said. "I think taking those experiences, the good and the bad, and using them to fuel my fifth year is exciting. We've had incredible leaders over the years that I've been here who have paved the way. I've been remembering back on how they led our teams in the past and how I can use their leadership to make this team even better. It's something I'm pulling from while also being me and true to myself. Looking to the past and adding our own spice to it."
Four players scored in the win over Denver last Thursday, first with Emma Torres giving the Red Raiders a 1-0 halftime lead and then second-half goals from Sophie Neves, Giametta and Taylor Zdrojewski. Alana Harry and Sam Courtwright picked up assists and the defense limited Denver to only three shots – creating a 23-3 shot discrepancy and forcing goalkeeper Faith Nguyen to make only two saves in the clean sheet.Â
"We have a lot of talent and if we use it to the best of our ability then we're going to be a force," Giametta said. "We're always going to lean on all of our players when we have two games close together. We have a 28-player roster for a reason. We believe in every player on our team and know that everyone is capable of contributing."
First touch for the Red Raiders this season comes at 9 p.m. (CST) at the SDSU Sports Deck on Thursday before the team returns to Lubbock to host Youngstown State in the home opener at 7 p.m. on Sunday on the field last year's team dominated on – going 9-1-1 in home games. Blackburn's first game as a Red Raider was in 2021, a 1-0 season-opening win over UTEP where she had an assist on a goal by Kirsten Davis. As a sophomore in the season opener, she assisted on goals from Charlotte Teeter and Ashleigh Williams in a 2-0 win. Now it's off to San Diego to begin her fifth season, taking with her experience from the past and confidence in her teammates who have prepared themselves to continue building on the program's success.
"I think it's kind of silly not to go into the season with the confidence that you're one of the best teams in the country," Blackburn said. "I like to tell myself and our team that. I'm ready to compete. We have a team full of great girls. Younger girls, girls who are coming back and girls who transferred in with a lot of experience. We have a group of well-rounded people who are ready to go out there and shake it up and win games. I think it's a great opportunity to get a two-game weekend to begin the season. We're locked in and be ready to compete."
