South Georgia Tormenta’s USLW Head Coach Jim Robbins already has a league title to his name after guiding the 2022 team to a championship in the league’s first year of existence. But when he looks at the team assembled for the 2024 campaign, he can’t help but be excited about the possibility of another.

“This is the deepest team that we’ve had in my three years here,” Robbins said. “We’re strong in all four areas so I think it’s just a question of who is going to step up, who’s really going to show that they can play at the level we need them to play? I’m not sure if we really have any weaknesses right now.”

The USLW League is a pre-professional league composed primarily of college soccer players who spend their summer training and competing while retaining their college eligibility. 

Tormenta returns eight players from their 2023 squad that went 6-3-3 and Robbins said that continuity should help as the team goes in to this year’s campaign.

One of those returners is Right Back Jhenesis Ellerbe who is back for her third season with Tormenta and plays at Georgia Southern during her time at college. She credited the environment the organization has created for her wanting to return to play in South Georgia.

“This is definitely the best group that I think we’ve had,” she said. “The maturity levels are extremely high. I think the youngest player we have is 19 and she is extremely mature. So I think this is a very, very good group.”

Ellerbe said her experiences with Tormenta have certainly shaped who he is on and off the field and she plans on using those skills as she steps in to being a leader for this year’s team.

“It was scary at first (being looked to as a leader) because, obviously, this is another new set of players, but for me, this is something Tormenta has taught me. It doesn’t matter what environment I’m in, I just have to be me and be the leader that I was designed to be,” she said. “I feel like it’s been hard to adjust, but overall the girls have been very accepting and ready to learn and listen.”

One of those new teammates for Ellerbe is Briana Eads, a Center Back who recently finished her college career at the University of North Alabama.

“I hope to continue playing after this, whether that’s overseas or here within the (USL) Super League. I thought this would be a good way to prepare me for that level of play after college,” she said of her decision to play in the USLW League with Tormenta this summer. “I didn’t think it was my time to stop playing soccer yet.”

Eads and Ellerbe both said the team has gelled together quickly and have high expectations for themselves and the team going in to the 2024 season.

“We’ve already been told multiple times that this is already better than it was last season so I’m hoping to take it further than last season and we’ll get a trophy again,” Eads said. “I haven’t gotten a trophy in college so hopefully this is the place to get it.”

One of the challenges, which Robbins admits is a good problem to have, is having a roster of such depth is choosing who will play in each game.

“Who of the 25 (on the roster) do we choose for the 18 man roster for that day. And then, who of that roster do we pick for the starting 11? Those will be the huge challenges we’re going to face but we’re looking forward to it,” Robbins said. “We’re going to have our hands full as a coaching staff sorting this thing out because we have got some great players.” 

Robbins said he and his staff worked really hard to put this team together and try to address some of the areas they felt they were lacking in 2023 when they missed the playoffs, especially on the offensive side when it comes to goal scoring.

“We definitely did our work on trying to find multiple goal scorers who are fast, athletic, capable of being players one-on-one,” he said. “We have six or seven of those right now. If one player doesn’t burn you and score a goal then someone else will. The beauty of this team is we’re dangerous in a lot of areas and hopefully we show that.”

To make the playoffs, Tormenta will need to win the seven-team South Atlantic division with teams primarily from North and South Carolina. 

Tormenta’s first home match will be on Sunday, May 26 when they host the North Carolina Courage at 6 p.m.