Athlete of the week: Bianka Sola has made an instant impact with Callaway soccer – LaGrange Daily News

Athlete of the week: Bianka Sola has made an instant impact with Callaway soccer

Published 4:29 pm Friday, February 28, 2025

It has been a quick start to life on the soccer pitch for Callaway High’s Bianka Sola. The senior has gone from limited soccer experience to one of the stars of the Cavaliers’ squad.

Sola transferred into Callaway last February from North Carolina. With no friends and in a new environment, Sola did not know what to expect. She quickly adapted to her new home, befriending McKinley Milner, a starting defender for the Callaway girls team, who recruited her out to the soccer field during her senior year.

“Honestly I was looking for a way to stay active and I felt like this was a good way to do so,” she said. “I had a class with McKinley when I first moved here and we clicked right away. She has become a huge part of my life here and she definitely helped convince me to come out for soccer.”

Sola also sat down with head coach Mike Petite, whose hard-nosed style of coaching was just what she was looking for. 

Sola is very much a volleyball player by trade. In North Carolina, she had plans to one day play volleyball in college. When those dreams were dashed, she found a new path. Sola feels at home on the soccer field.

“The first day it was honestly just straight to work,” Sola said. “They treated me like I’ve been a part of the team for years.”

The Callaway girl’s soccer team is chock full of young talent, leaving Sola as one of the only seniors on the team. Despite this being her first season with the squad, she has stepped seamlessly into a leadership role for the team. 

“It’s tough being one of the only seniors, but it really shows you just how much potential we have,” Sola said. “The younger girls are working every day in practice to get better and we have been able to play pretty well on the field so far.”

Sola leads by example. Her play on the pitch backs up her role as a leader in her first year. The senior scored one of the biggest goals this season when she found the back of the net in the second half of a 1-0 win over Mary Persons.

“It felt really good. It was actually my birthday too. So that was pretty cool,” she said, chuckling. “It honestly felt like a relief. We fought so hard after that goal to maintain the lead and we were able to hold on to win.”

Over the last year, Sola has gotten to know the girls on the team, but is already preparing to say goodbye as she sets her sights on graduation in May.

“So honestly, it hasn’t really sunk in. I took my senior pictures the other day, and I was like, wow, this is real. It’s kind of weird because it feels like I just met a lot of these girls and now I’m leaving them,” Sola said with a twinkle of sadness in her eyes. 

As a natural athlete, Sola has slotted right into the Callaway starting lineup. The senior can play up top and score the goals or play in the midfield and play provider.

With just a couple months until graduation Sola is planning for the future. The senior has plans to attend Ole Miss starting in the fall of this year. While her soccer days may just last the one season at Callaway, her impact on the program will resonate for years to come. 

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