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Clayton State University

Clayton State University Athletics
 2000 Clayton State Blvd. Morrow, GA 30260
Division 2 Georgia Southeast
Public Medium National competitor
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Coaches

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Ross Henderson

A member of the Laker Nation since 2018, Ross Henderson was named the sixth ever women’s soccer head coach in December of 2021. Henderson served as an assistant coach for three seasons before being elevated to head coach. Ross has recently achieved his UEFA B-License Diploma in Berlin, Germany, and is aiming to continue his soccer education over the next few years.


Career Highlights

- Nine career wins

- Three All-Conference Players

- One National Player of the Week

- One Elite 16 Award Winner


During the 2022 season, Henderson was in his first, full year as Head Coach. The Lakers went 3-10-2 and went 3-5-2 in the Peach Belt Conference. In the same year, the Lakers upset the, at the time, No. 20 Flagler Saints at Laker Field on Monday, October 3rd, 3-0. Henderson guided freshman Amiah Sprunger-Hightower to a second-team All-PBC selection. The Lakers made it to the PBC Tournament but they ran into a tough Columbus State side that was No. 3 in the country.


During the 2021 season, Henderson took over as acting head coach after Fergal Forde stepped aside for personal reasons. Sitting at 0-2-1 at the time of the coaching change, the Lakers finished the season by going 6-5-0 in the final 11 games.


During that season, the Lakers faced the No. 1 team in the country and then the No. 2 team in the country, both conference opponents. Clayton State closed the regular season with three-straight wins, including a pair of 1-0 wins over North Georgia and Young Harris. With those wins, the Lakers secured the fourth seed in the conference tournament and a home tournament game, the first since 2006.


The Lakers fell in the opening round of the tournament but had a lot to look back on. Three players were named Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week while Valentina Bonaituo was named the United Soccer Coaches Division II National Player of the Week, marking the first ever occasion in program history.


Bonaiuto and Reia Henry also earned second-team All-Conference honors while Isabel Massa was named the women’s soccer Elite 16 Award Winner, the third ever in Clayton State Athletics history.


The 2020 season was moved to the spring of 2021 and the Lakers were set for a 10-game, conference only schedule. They managed six games, going 3-3, all being one-score games.


In 2019, the Lakers put together a magical run that saw them reach the PBC Championship Match. Prior to that game, Clayton State advanced past the first round on a 4-1 PK result over UNC Pembroke before upsetting No. 18 UNG 5-4 on PKs. In the championship match, Clayton State took the No. 3 Flagler Saints to overtime and were looking for a bit more magic, but the Saints were able to win the title in the first overtime.


That season saw Manoly Baquerizo be named second-team All-Region and first-team All-Conference. Jane Brouer was also named an All-Conference selection.


Henderson’s debut season with Clayton State came in 2018. The Lakers posted a 6-6-4 record after opening season with a 3-0-2 record.


During his time as an assistant, Ross helped coach three CoSIDA Academic All-District selections and one CoSIDA Academic All-American.


Prior to Clayton State, Ross played professionally for Myrtle Beach Mutiny of the National Premier Soccer League from 2014-17. During that time, he helped lead the club to a South Atlantic Division Championship from 2014-16. He serves as team captain in 2016.


Henderson played collegiately at Erskine from 2012-15. He started 57 games and scored 19 goals while adding 11 assists for 49 points. He was a three-time All-Conference Carolina selection and earned first-team honors in 2013 after recording eight goals and two assists in 14 games. He was a team captain his final two seasons.


He earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology a minor in business administration. He holds a B-Tec Diploma in sports development, coaching and performance from Lincoln College in England.

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Isabel Massa

The 2022 season will be the first season as an Assistant Coach for Isabel Massa. Massa is coming off one of the best careers in Clayton State women's soccer history in terms of her performance on the pitch and in the classroom. In 45 career matches from 2018-2021, the Caracas, Venezuela native made 32 career starts. She totaled nine goals, two assists, and logged over 3,000 career minutes. In addition, Massa sent-in 89 shots including 38 on-frame.


Not only was Massa successful on the soccer pitch, she flourished in the classroom. Massa was a three-time winner of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award, was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection, and was the Clayton State Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2021. Her academic accomplishments did not go unnoticed in the Peach Belt Conference as well. Massa was a three-time recipient of the PBC Team of Academic Distinction, a two-time honoree on the PBC Presidential Honor Roll, and was the winner of the PBC Elite 16 award in 2020.

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