When the Lady Wildcats play Sunset Tuesday night, all eyes are likely to be on senior Ali Vann. Last time the two teams met, Ali, shown here with country singer Granger Smith, scored two of the Cats’ six points in a big win. She’s hoping to duplicate those stats.

Al-Pal, as she’s known by her teammates, plays Forward for the Cats and for her Liverpool club team. She credits her dad as being her biggest supporter – “he’s never missed a game” – and calls Mia Hamm her role model. Ali is proudest of winning the Spirit Award, a ribbon passed down each year and given to her by last year’s senior Julia Newtown. She says she also recalls the moment in junior high when she was named MVP of a summer soccer camp at Texas A&M – the moment she began dreaming of playing high school soccer and winning the District Championship.

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Off the field, Ali loves to go to Chick Flicks with her teammates – PS I Love You is her favorite – and listen to the band Rocket Summer. She says no one knows she’s afraid of heights, an affliction left over from a Colorado ski trip with her youth group from Lake Highlands United Methodist Church in 8th grade. “When I got to the top of the mountain and looked out,” she told me, “I was deathly afraid.” Next year, she’ll avoid the Rockies and attend Mississippi State to become a kindergarten teacher. After two torn ACL surgeries, college soccer just isn’t in her future.

Ali is confident about her team’s playoff prospects. “We ARE going to win district. Our biggest challenge will be to beat Creekview. They beat us 2-1 in our first matchup this season, but if we can beat them on their turf, I think we can beat anyone.”


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  • Carol Toler

    Blogger CAROL TOLER and her husband, Toby, are the parents of four LHHS graduates. She has an MBA from SMU and is the proud recipient of the Exchange Club of LH's Unsung Hero Award and Councilman McGough's Blake Anderson Public Service Award. She received LHHS PTA's Extended Service Award, FMJH PTA's Charger Award and a Life Membership from the LHFC PTA. She has moderated candidate debates for Dallas Mayor, Dallas City Council and RISD Trustee races and taught seminars on garnering publicity for nonprofits. She completed training with Dallas Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation and Inside RISD, and she's a sustaining member of LH Women's League. She has served on the boards of After8 to Educate, Dallas Free Press, Healing Hands Ministries and Camp Sweeney and chaired fundraisers for multiple Dallas nonprofits. Email ctoler@advocatemag.com.