Jacqui Little is finally earning Just A LITTLE RESPECT

By Brian Elsner

The 5-foot 3-inch senior, known for her blazing speed and crafty dribbling skills, came to Santa Clara in 1996. She set a school record at Marymount High School in Pacific Palisades with 43 goals her junior season, catching the attention of collegiate coaches all over the country. Little chose Santa Clara over numerous other schools due to its rich tradition in collegiate soccer, hoping to set a tradition of her own along the way.

Midway through her senior season, Little has put up numbers that will mark her as one of the great women's soccer players in the Broncos' history. With her two goals last Wednesday against Saint Mary's, Little places fourth on the all-time Bronco point list with 134, trailing only Santa Clara greats Jenni Symons ('88) and Jenni Fechner ('85) as well as teammate, senior Mandy Clemens. Her 52 goals tie her for fifth on the all-time leaders list in the history of the West Coast Conference. With numbers like these, Little should be upset about a lack of attention, but she isn't.

"Of course everyone would love to be an All-American and sometimes I feel like I get caught in the shadows of other players," Little said. "But all I really care about is what my teammates think of me."

Fortunately for Little, her teammates are fond of her. After another amazing season, cumulating in a third straight trip to the final four, the Broncos selected her as their 1998 Offensive Most Valuable Player. Being valuable, however, is nothing new to the speedy forward. In the 1999 Nike/Classic at Buck Shaw Stadium, Little put on a show as she dazzled Evansville defenders and fans alike, recording her second career hat trick. Her performance against the Purple Aces propelled Little to her third Nike Classic MVP award, repeating the feat she accomplished as a freshman and a sophomore. For Little, there truly is no place like home.

"I didn't have any special motivation to repeat as MVP," Little said. "I really like playing at home and in a tournament setting."

Playing well in tournaments must come easily for Little. Entering 1999, Little held the school record for goals (7), assists (5) and total points (19) in NCAA tournament games. At the same time, Little understands that all the statistics in the world will not gain the respect of her teammates.

"I don't just want to score and assist," Little said. "I want to work as hard as I can every game, so when I am done my teammates will know that I was an important part of this team."

Little's work ethic stems from her close family life. Paulette and Richard Little attend nearly every home game to watch their daughter display her repertoire of moves against powerless defenders. In addition, Little has a twin sister who attends UCLA and an older sister who recently graduated from UC Berkeley.

"My family is very important to me," Little said. "If I am having a bad week, I can feel better by just spending time with them."

With a strong support system in place, Little plans to continue her soccer career after graduating from Santa Clara. She hopes to play professionally for a season in Italy, while waiting for a professional league to open in the United States.