Cincinnati Soccer: Mackenzie Tucker and Vyviene Spaulding join program

The Bearcats women’s soccer team picked up two transfers that could have a major role when the season starts in mid August. Mackenzie Tucker and Vyviene Spaulding joined the program earlier this spring and will look to have an immediate impact as Cincinnati hopes to continue building in the right direction.

Cincinnati Soccer: Mackenzie Tucker and Vyviene Spaulding join program

“We are a very forward-thinking, attack-minded team which I think will be interesting,” Tucker told Cincinnati Athletics. “I’m super excited to see what we do with that, especially with all the players we have coming back and here now. We can be super dangerous on the attack.”

In addition to acquiring Tucker and Spaulding, the Bearcats return junior defender Kendall Battle, sophomore midfielder Lauren Bastian, freshman forward Paige Miller and others. Those three players appeared in all 17 games a year ago, combining for eight goals and seven assists, as the team finished with a 7-7-4 record.

Tucker entered the transfer portal after two years at Xavier and decided to reunite with a pair of former teammates. She played alongside goal keeper Anna Rexford in high school and defender Maddie Thiss with the Musketeers. The junior forward started eight games last season as Xavier clinched the Big East championship.

“Cincinnati is one of the first schools who recruited me the first time around. I fell in love with the city, and when I transferred from up the road, it worked out perfectly,” Tucker also said. “My senior year of high school, Anna and I became good friends. She and Maddie helped put me in with the team.”

Spaulding spent two years at Rice, helping the team make a run to the Sweet 16 in 2021, before moving to Clifton. The Texas native played 1,063 minutes last season, scoring two game-winning goals and two assists in 13 games started. She said the Cincinnati coaching staff is working hard to improve the attack.

“I definitely think our coaches are preparing us for the professional level by playing through the back and connecting passes. Really moving the ball and being smart and patient,” Spaulding explained per Cincinnati Athletics. “That’s a big thing I’ve noticed with them. I was really glad to come here and have that.”