MALIBU, California – Two members of the Pepperdine women's soccer team were taken in the same NWSL Draft for the first time, as Hailey Harbison went in the first round to the North Carolina Courage and Michelle Maemone was selected in the third round by Utah Royals FC on Thursday.
 
The duo are the fifth and sixth Waves to be drafted since the NWSL college draft was established in 2013. Harbison is the second-highest Wave ever drafted, going ninth overall. She's also the program's second-ever first-round pick, behind only Lynn Williams (sixth overall) in 2015.
 
The 2019 draft had 36 picks and the Waves were one of seven schools to produce multiple selections.
 
Harbison (Rancho Penasquitos, Calif./Westview HS) and Maemone (San Jose, Calif./The King's Academy) played most of their careers at fullback, but both saw extensive time in the attack as well. They were part of some of the best defenses in program history (including the 2017 squad that set school records with a 0.42 goals-against average and had 14 shutouts).
 
Harbison played with Williams during the 2014 college season and the two will be reunited in North Carolina, which is coming off an NWSL championship.
 
Harbison earned All-West Region and All-WCC honors all four seasons, making the all-region first team three times and the All-WCC first time twice. She's the first WCC player ever to earn the conference's Defensive Player of the Year award twice in a row. Before the 2018 season, she was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy preseason watch list. Harbison started all 80 games in which she appeared (tied for second among Pepperdine field players for games started, and tied for eighth for games played). She had career totals of three goals and seven assists.
 
Maemone started 69 games over her four seasons and appeared in 78 matches. She had career totals of three goals and four assists. She collected All-WCC honorable mention status as a sophomore.
 
"I'm so proud of these two young women," Pepperdine Coach Tim Ward said. "They are so deserving of these opportunities. Hailey has been such a massive part of our national profile the past few years, considering she's been to the U.S. National Team camp at the U-17, U-20 and U-23 levels. This is all that Hailey has ever wanted in terms of her soccer career and to have a chance to play alongside one of her mentors and Wave sisters, Lynn Williams, will just make the transition all the more special. I feel that in time, she will shine in the league.
 
"Michelle's story is funny considering that she wasn't even going to throw her name into the draft, as she wasn't sure if she'd be drafted. We told her that without a doubt, she has the ability to be a very good professional player considering her physical tools, her mentality and her coachability. She should be excited to play for coaches that teach and play the game the same way we ask our girls to play here at Pepperdine. She's going to surprise a lot of people.
 
"We feel so blessed that coaches and scouts in the best women's league on the planet continue to recognize the quality of players we have and that we continue to develop here at Pepperdine!"
 
Pepperdine finished the 2018 season with an 11-6-2 record and in third place in the WCC with a 6-1-2 mark.
 
Pepperdine NWSL Draft history:
2013 Roxanne Barker, Portland, 4th round
2014 Michelle Pao, Sky Blue FC, 3rd round
2015 Lynn Williams, NY Flash, 1st round
2018 Bri Visalli, Chicago, 2nd round
2019 Hailey Harbison, North Carolina, 1st round
2019 Michelle Maemone, Utah, 3rd round