NCAA champion Asha Means transfers to Auburn from UNC for final season

AUBURN, Ala. — Asha Means, a senior forward who spent the previous four seasons at the University of North Carolina and captained the Tar Heels to the 2024 NCAA Championship, has joined the Auburn soccer program for her final season of eligibility, head coach James Armstrong announced.

“We are thrilled to add Asha’s leadership, experience and quality to our program,” Armstrong said. “The lessons she learned from being a captain on the reigning national championship team will be extremely beneficial to our program, on and off the field. I know she is excited for the opportunity to make an impact in her final collegiate season here on The Plains.”

Means saw minutes in various areas of the pitch over the course of her UNC career. Prior to the 2024 season, she was voted as one of three team captains. Over the course of the year, she appeared in 12 matches, ripping off six shots and placing five of them on frame.

The Charlotte, North Carolina native bagged her first career goal last fall against Louisville. After drawing a foul in the box, Means converted from the spot in the 84^th minute to seal a 5-0 Tar Heels victory.

Prior to college, Means was named the 2021 North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year for her efforts with Charlotte Soccer Academy and Lake Norman Charter School. Means led LNCS to the 2021 2A state title and was voted Player of the Match after scoring a hat trick in the final. She went on to win the South Fork Conference Player of the Year Award after ending the season with 42 goals and 11 assists.