| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ava Grace Tankersley [1] | ||
| Date of birth | 2002 (age 22–23) | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Tampa Bay Sun | ||
| Youth career | |||
| St. Louis Scott Gallagher | |||
| Fort Zumwalt South Bulldogs | |||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2024 | Arkansas Razorbacks | 102 | (38) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2025– | Tampa Bay Sun | 0 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of February 17, 2025 | |||
Ava Grace Tankersley (born 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for USL Super League club Tampa Bay Sun FC. She played college soccer for the Arkansas Razorbacks, where she was named Southeastern Conference (SEC) Forward of the Year two times and first-team All-American in her fifth season.
Tankersley grew up in St. Peters, Missouri. She is the daughter of Dennis Tankersley, a former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher for the San Diego Padres. She attended Fort Zumwalt South High School, where she was named first-team all-state in her senior season. She played ECNL club soccer for St. Louis Scott Gallagher SC. [2]
In her freshman season with the Arkansas Razorbacks, Tankersley scored 4 goals with 3 assists in 16 games, including the winning assist in the semifinals of the SEC tournament, and was named to the SEC all-freshman team. She did not regularly start in her sophomore season, when she recorded 5 goals and 6 assists in 21 appearances. Arkansas again made the SEC tournament final and reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. In her junior season in 2022, Tankersley grew into one of the team's leaders, starting all 22 games, scoring 9 goals, and leading the team with 12 assists as she was selected to the All-SEC second team. She scored twice during Arkansas's run to the NCAA tournament quarterfinals. [2] [3]
In her senior season in 2023, Tankersley led the SEC with 7 goals in conference play as Arkansas won the SEC regular-season title for the fourth time in five years. She was named the SEC Forward of the Year and first-team All-SEC. [2] [4] She finished the season with 8 goals and 5 assists as Arkansas made the SEC tournament final but only the second round of the NCAA tournament. [2] [5] Tankersley chose to return for her fifth season of eligibility, granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [6] In her graduate season, she scored a career-high 12 goals with 9 assists as Arkansas finished second in the SEC behind Mississippi State. She was named first-team All-American and repeated as first-team All-SEC and SEC Forward of the Year. [2] [7] In the NCAA tournament, she was one of two Arkansas players whose penalty attempts were saved by the opposing goalkeeper in a shootout loss in the third round. [8] During her years in Fayetteville, head coach Colby Hale played Tankersley throughout the front line at winger, attacking midfielder, and striker. [9] She left the program tied for second in career assists (32) and fourth in goals (38). [2]
Following a preseason invitation as a non-roster trialist with the Kansas City Current, Tankersley signed her first professional contract with USL Super League team Tampa Bay Sun FC on February 17, 2025. The move reunited her with her former college teammate Parker Goins. [10] [11]
Arkansas Razorbacks
Individual