Mepham soccer standout Briana Sayoc begins next chapter

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After helping lead Wellington C. Mepham High School’s girls’ soccer team to an appearance in the Nassau County Class A championship game as a junior in 2019, Briana Sayoc’s only drawback about meeting her graduation requirements early to embark on the next chapter of her life is missing her senior season, which was moved from September to March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s hard not being able to play my senior year, but sometimes in life you’ve got to make tough decisions and sacrifices,” said Sayoc, an All-County center-midfielder who earned an athletic scholarship to the University of Tennessee. “I’m still doing what I love at another level and working to become the best version of myself.”

Sayoc, an honor student at Mepham and member of the Spanish National Honor Society, headed to Knoxville, Tenn., on Jan. 17 to participate in the Lady Vols’ offseason workout program and enroll in classes. A typical workout consists of two hours of skills development and strength and conditioning. “It’s like juggling two full-time jobs,” she said of her new schedule.

A five-year varsity starter and two-year captain for the Pirates, Sayoc completed five goals and 10 assists as a junior and scored a crucial goal in the team’s semifinal playoff victory over North Shore High School. MacArthur topped Mepham for the county title, which proved to be Sayoc’s final high school game.

“Briana made an impact on our program right away as an eighth grader and was always a go-to player in the middle,” coach Janine Bizelia said. “She’s a tremendous talent, and grew as a leader and became a captain. It’s sad we didn’t get to compete in the fall. Her teammates and I are going to miss her when we start playing in March, but we’re all proud of her.”

If there’s no conflict with Tennessee’s spring soccer schedule, Sayoc said she’ll try to make it back to Mepham for Senior Day. The North Bellmore resident also plans to attend graduation in June.

Sayoc, who began playing soccer at the age of 6, chose Tennessee over Clemson, Michigan, St. John’s and Penn State. She plans to major in business and marketing. “I just fell in love with Tennessee when I visited,” she said.

The Lady Vols, playing an abbreviated schedule due to Covid-19, finished 4-4-1 overall in 2020; all nine games came against SEC (Southeastern Conference) rivals. 

“Briana is a technical, hard-nosed central midfielder, who can help a team create chances,” Tennessee’s women’s soccer head coach Brian Pensky said. “She’s quick, she’s a good passer, and can hit a ball with both feet . . . That left foot of hers is a natural gift.”