By Jinseong Kim
AFC Ann Arbor are excited to announce the signing of DiOnna Hill ahead of the 2022 USL W League season. Hill is Ann Arbor native and she spent her 2021 fall semester at Lawrence Tech University.
A graduate from Skyline High, Hill also played her club youth soccer at Michigan Jaguars, where Shion Soga, Chloe Ricketts, and many other AFCAA players have spent their pre-college career. After finishing high school, Hill committed to Lawrence Tech in 2019. She immediately showed off her talent at the Blue Devils, netting nine goals and notching five assists in 17 games.
Hill only appeared in three games in her sophomore season due to the pandemic. She bounced back strong from the unexpected year-long break, and proved herself in her third year. Scoring eight goals and making three assists in a total of 19 games, the striker was at the head of Lawrence Tech’s WHAC Tournament run.
On joining the club, Hill would say, “I’m honored to be asked to join the AFCAA team after such a long break from the traditional way of playing soccer due to COVID-19. My Michigan Jaguars connection helped me decide by reaching out to a couple of coaches that I know and who are close to me as a resource.”
Women’s Head Coach Boyzzz Khumalo revealed that former AFCAA player Megan Trapp, who currently coaches Hill at Lawrence Tech, played a vital role in bringing her back home. “DiOnna Hill is a player that was recommended to us by Megan Miles [née Trapp] who used to be our former player. She currently coaches at Lawrence Tech. Miles sent me a couple of videos [of Hill] and I was impressed by her performance.”
Building a strong, friendly team spirit was what Hill looked forward to achieve during summer. She believed that the positive dynamics would lead to success both on and off the field. “My goal is to create an environment on and off the field that shows happiness and strength. We as women have to find ways to come together to help one another see the best in ourselves and each other. This will create a dynamic on the field that no other team will ever be able to understand but once we impact them they will never forget us!”
Hill’s personal attributes fit this goal precisely, as Hill says, “As a person I would say that I am a very happy and energetic person, and always want people to feel welcomed and also happy with what they are doing and wanting to achieve. As a person I am very loving and caring for everyone.”
Hill told AFCAA a story about how, when she was young, she attended several tryouts for youth clubs. Eventually, MPSA Crush was the winner, and her eventual coach would say, “Promise me that when you are no longer having fun please stop playing but ask your mom to help you find something else you enjoy.” The fun wouldn’t stop, and, indeed, “He told my mom and I that there’s going to come a time where he wouldn’t be able to give me everything I deserved and that when that time came I would know. He was right!”
Hill would eventually move to Michigan Hawks, and then Michigan Jaguars, and subsequently Lawrence Tech as a collegian. Now she returns to her Ann Arbor roots by joining The Mighty Oak.
We welcome DiOnna back to her home and we look forward to a great summer season as a member of the team and AFCAA Family.
About AFC Ann Arbor
Association Football Club Ann Arbor (AFC Ann Arbor) was founded in 2014 and competes in USL2 (men’s) and USLW (women’s) national amateur leagues. We are a community-based club, focused on equity, justice, and anti-racism. We consider all of our stakeholders, including supporters, players, staff, and ownership to be part of the #AFCAAFamily. Come On You Mighty Oak!