For UCSB freshman forward Genelle Ives, it pays to be fast. Of the ten goals tallied by the women’s soccer team so far this season, Ives has scored three and assisted on five others, topping the team in both categories. Anyone who has seen her play this season will tell you that the damage she inflicts on opposing squads is, in large part, a product of her commanding speed on and off the ball.

“Genelle has three main strengths; one of them is her speed. There is a very high level of fitness there and a very high level of experience,” Head Coach Paul Stumpf said. “She really just has a knack for scoring goals.”

In her high school days, Ives put her speed to good use. Chosen team MVP twice in track, Ives set school records in both the 100- and 300-meter low hurdles, which helped earn her a spot in the California Track and Field State Championships.

Speed, it seems, is not Ives’ only strength. Just a glance at her high school r