Francis Marion University Athletics

FMU:  3-year returning starter....Team MVP for 2022....Conference Carolinas Fall Academic All-Conference Team 2021, 2022, 2023....Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 10-16, 2022 and Aug. 29-Sept. 4, 2022)....Entering 2023 campaign has 270 career saves....As a Patriot, is third in career saves (237) with 8 clean sheets and a 2.30 goals against average....Played and started in 14 of 16 matches in 2022....Conference rankings: 3rd in GAA (1.214), 4th in save percentage (.782), T-5th in shutouts per match (.286), and 6th in saves per match (4.36)....Started all 27 matches during her first two seasons at FMU....Team MVP for 2021....Started all 17 matches in 2021....Was in goal for all but 78:40 of the season....Her 118 saves was the third-highest season total in program history....Recorded shutouts at Southern Wesleyan (9-18-21) vs Converse (9-25-21)....Very impactful first-year at FMU.....Team MVP for 2020.....Posted 58 saves and a 2.37 GAA while starting all 10 matches....Two complete-match shutouts (at Clayton State 2-8-21 and at USC Aiken (3-29-21)....Transfer from Lees-McRae College, where she played her freshman campaign....Very excited about her joining us.....Coach Parker has known the Willets family for some time now....Willets comes from a great hard-working, genuine family.....Her personality, hard-work, energy, and goalkeeping abilities will only add to the pool of talent we already have....Chi Alpha Sigma national college athlete honor society....Division II ADA Academic Achievement Award 2021....Member of Alive in Christ....Peach Belt Conference Presidential Honor Roll 2021....FMU Swamp Fox Athletic-Academic Honor Roll 2020 (fall), 2021 (spring), 2022 (spring), 2023 (spring, fall), 2024 (spring)....Conference Carolinas Presidential Honor Roll 2022, 2023 (fall), 2024 (spring).

LMC: Appeared in seven matches (373 minutes) in the Bobcats’ goal, while recording 33 saves, a .702 save percentage, and a 3.37 goals against average.

PERSONAL:

• Born in Smithtown, NY
• A graduate of William Floyd High School, where she played for coach Kayleigh Sidaris
• As a senior, garnered All-State, All-Conference, and All-County accolades
• Named the Suffolk County Girls Soccer Coaches Association (SCGSCA) League AA “Goalkeeper of the Year” as a senior
• 3-year starter for the Colonials
• Tallied 391 career saves and 28 shutouts 
• Nickname:  MK

PERSONAL FAVORITES: 

• As a child what you wanted to be when you grew up:  Marine Biologist 
• How you got your nickname: My hometown friend gave it to me when we were younger since MK was easier to say on the field than Makayla
• Favorite Fictional Character: Stitch
• Favorite Athlete:  Tobin Heath 
• Favorite Sports Team:  New York Rangers
• Favorite Movie or TV Show:  Greys Anatomy 
• Favorite Food:  BEC SPK (For all my New Yorkers)
• Favorite Vacation Spot:  Anywhere with a beach or ski mountain
• Favorite Musical Artist:  Billy Joel
• Favorite Thing About FMU:  Small Campus 
• Favorite Off-Field Activity: Spending time with family and friends 
• Goals for Upcoming Season:  Make it to the conference tournament and have more shutouts than the previous season
• Why you first chose your sport:  My parents put me in it when I was young and I stuck with it
• Biggest mental challenge in your sport: Being able to brush off a goal that was scored on you to prepare yourself for the rest of the game
• Interesting Notes:  3-time FMU MVP (2020,2021,2022); 2-time Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Week during 2022