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Lone Peak players celebrate with junior Kate Fuller after she scored a goal during the Region 3 game against Pleasant Grove in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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Lone Peak junior Kate Fuller heads the ball during the 6A semifinal game against Syracuse at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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Lone Peak junior Kate Fuller (center) kicks the ball during the 6A semifinal game against Syracuse at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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Lone Peak junior Kate Fuller takes a shot during the Region 3 game against Pleasant Grove in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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Lone Peak junior Kate Fuller brings the ball down during the Region 3 game against Pleasant Grove in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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Lone Peak sophomore Kate Fuller passes the ball between a host of defenders during the 6A semifinal game against Layton at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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American Fork's Julie Huddleston (25) and teammate Stori Jones battle for the ball with Lone Peak's Kate Fuller during a high school girls soccer match on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Lone Peak junior Samantha Sellers (left) and sophomore Kate Fuller (right) celebrate with senior Brooklyn Dowdle after she scored a goal during the 6A quarterfinal game against Farmington in Highland on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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It’s not always easy for a high school athlete to come in a year behind a very talented group.

As a freshman, it can be the sophomores getting most of the attention. It can be easy to just stay in the shadows of those older stars as the seasons progress.

But Lone Peak junior forward Kate Fuller found a better way.

“Everybody brings something special to the team,” Fuller said. “For me, I feel like my sophomore year I kind of found my spot in the midfield. With Bella Devey and Kate Denny in the midfield with me my sophomore year, it was hard to stand out because they were such great players and are so talented. But I think I just kind of played my game. I know that everybody brings their own specialty to the to the game and to the team. I think my sophomore year kind of helped me find my spot and then this year I could feel more confident.”

Knight head coach Shantel Jolley said that even though Lone Peak had an enormously talented group of seniors, Fuller managed to stand out.

“She probably played some of the most minutes on our team,” Jolley said. “She’s just hard to ever want to take off the field. There was just something about her this year that she just had to be on the field for us to be successful. There was a major drop when she would come off.

“But she never looked like she got tired. She was so consistent and I never felt like she had a bad game. She might have a few minutes where she was off but then she was great the remainder of the game.”

For her consistency, dedication and willingness to take on any challenge, the Daily Herald is pleased to honor Fuller as the 2024 Utah Valley Girls Soccer Player of the Year.

“This means so much to me because every day at practice we all showed up and worked so hard,” Fuller said. “I think it’s the time and effort that me and our whole team put into this. Honestly, our team was so close throughout this whole season, so I think that’s what led to our success. I’m just honestly so grateful for this because it’s not just me. It’s also for my team and every single player on the field.”

Jolley saw Fuller take on an even greater role as she integrated her skills with the abilities of the other Knights.

“The seniors have been the core of our team, but Kate just does her job without needing the spotlight,” Jolley said. “She started as a sophomore and she didn’t miss a step. She looked like she belonged. I think many people didn’t realize she was a year behind Bella and Denney because she was already playing at that level. I think she’s appreciated those girls above her and worked really hard to learn from them.”

The result on the field was that Fuller was a major contributor to a team that put together the perfect season and won another 6A state championship.

“Going into this year, we knew we had the pieces,” Fuller said. “We just knew we had to put it together. Game by game, we increasingly got better. Throughout our whole season, it was just so exciting to see this team show the outcomes that we knew we could produce.

“Going into every game, we knew we could win and we knew we could finish it. It was just about how we performed. It’s been so awesome seeing us accomplish our goals.”

Having that type of success is the dream for someone like Fuller who said she has been playing soccer for “as long as I can remember” and has always focused on it.

“I love soccer because it’s kind of an outlet for me, for life and school and everything going on,” Fuller said. “I know that when I can just have the ball at my feet and step on the field, it just gets my mind free.

“I’ve also always loved it because of the social part and being a part of a team. That was what was so special about our team this year. I loved going to every practice because I loved our team so much and everyone loved each other. I just honestly love playing the game. It’s always been so fun for me.”

Jolley said Fuller brings a tremendous feel for the game and makes the most of opportunities.

“Her biggest strengths are her ability to set up her teammates and find that perfect pass,” Jolley said. “I think the semis and the finals were the perfect examples. She essentially had the game-winning assists in both, just these perfectly-slotted balls. She just has this technique that she can just place balls perfectly. Very rarely does she overhit or miss-hit them.

“She knows when to set up her teammates, and that’s always her first look, but then she has the ability to find her own shot as well. Her technical ability is phenomenal.”

Fuller said she feels like her biggest contribution is just being able to sense what is the rhythm of the game.

“If the game is playing too fast or we’re kind of out of control for a little bit, I feel like I’m a player that can settle the ball down and get our team all on the same page,” Fuller said.

Both Jolley and Fuller recognized that she hasn’t had to be the main vocal leader for the Knights because others filled that role, but that will probably need to change as she heads into her senior year.

“I think for us next year, especially with her being a senior and losing a lot of leadership from this team, the biggest step she could probably make is to be a really vocal leader,” Jolley said. “She’s always a great example leader. She’s always working hard and never takes things off. But I think for her, she can get a little bit more vocal on the field and off.”

Soccer is a huge part of Fuller’s life, but she said that being with friends and family is also very important to her. She enjoys pickleball and cooking as well, and said English is her favorite subject right now.

As a junior, Fuller still has another season with Lone Peak and believes the Knights can have another great season.

“Losing the seniors will be hard, so everyone else will need to step up,” Fuller said. “We have some good players coming up who I think will contribute a lot. I think we have a good chance of going far next year because we have the talent to do it. We just need to step up.”

She remembers being a young player coming into high school soccer and said her biggest piece of advice is to be confident.

“Don’t be afraid to make mistakes,” Fuller said. “It’s obviously hard being a freshman coming into a team with girls who are seniors and so much older than you, but you always have to be confident. I feel like when you’re confident you’re at your best version of yourself.”