Women's Soccer Alum Hannah Smoot Takes Career Overseas

Following a standout four-year career at Maryville, Hannah Smoot is taking the next step in her student-athlete journey after securing an exciting postgraduate opportunity to continue her collegiate soccer career in England.

A cornerstone of the Scots' attack throughout her time with the program, Hannah earned First Team All-Conference honors in every season. After being named Conference Rookie of the Year in 2022, she went on to earn Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2023, while finding the net 38 times across 78 appearances during her Maryville career.

Now, Hannah will take that experience overseas this fall, beginning a 12-month postgraduate journey that will see her work towards a master's degree in Strength and Conditioning and play another season with one of the country's largest and most successful soccer programs.

In recent years, the UK has become an increasingly popular destination for former US college athletes looking to extend their playing careers alongside their postgraduate education. Hannah is not the first former Scot to take advantage of the opportunity, with fellow Maryville alum Bailey Sipos making the move overseas back in 2021 to continue her own soccer career in the UK.

While the chance to play another year of college soccer initially caught their attention, several other factors also influenced her decision to follow a similar path. Master's degrees in the UK take only 12 months to complete, tuition is typically cheaper, and former US college athletes can often use their playing experience to earn substantial athletic scholarships.

Both Hannah and Bailey were supported throughout the process by UK-based company Play Overseas, which provides a free service to graduating and former student-athletes, helping them identify opportunities to further both their sporting careers and education overseas. Learn more about the UK postgraduate pathway here https://www.playoverseas.co.uk.

Play Overseas is currently recruiting student-athletes for 2027 entry and beyond. Any student who wishes to explore the possibility of playing a further year of college sport in the UK while pursuing a master's degree can register their interest via the following link: https://app.playoverseas.co.uk/register