Kacey Smekrud

Kacey Morgan Smekrud (born November 28, 1999) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder. She played college soccer for the Charleston Cougars, for whom she also competed in track and field, and for the Clemson Tigers. She has previously played professionally for Åland United in Finland's Kansallinen Liiga and Sporting JAX of the USL Super League.

Early life Smekrud began playing soccer as a child while living in Iceland, where her father was stationed with the United States Air Force. She graduated from Oldham County High School, earning all-region honors three times and being named to the all-state second team as a senior. She also played five years for Kentucky Fire Juniors, helping the club reach back-to-back Kentucky State Cup appearances, including one state championship.

Clemson Tigers In 2022, Smekrud transferred to Clemson as a redshirt senior. She appeared in seven matches for the Tigers, totaling 160 minutes played. She recorded three shots on the season, including a season-high two shots against Boston College on October 23, 2022, and logged a season-high 41 minutes against Campbell on August 21, 2022.

Club career Before turning professional, Smekrud played for several semi-professional and developmental clubs in the United States. She competed with the Cincinnati Sirens in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) and Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL).

Later, she transitioned to the USL W League, playing for Racing Louisville and Lexington SC. During Lexington's inaugural season, she recorded an assist in the club's first-ever road win—a 6–2 victory over St. Charles FC on June 4, 2023.

Following her collegiate and pre-professional career, Smekrud signed her first professional contract with Åland United in Finland. The club competes in the Kansallinen Liiga, the top tier of women's soccer in Finland. Her move marked her first experience playing professionally outside the United States. She scored her first professional goal against PK-35 Vantaa on October 11, 2025. The following month, she was named the Kansallinen Liiga's Defender of the Month. During the 2025 season, she made 23 league appearances and scored 1 goal for the club.

In January 2026, Smekrud signed with Sporting JAX of the USL Super League, a Division I professional women's league sanctioned by U.S. Soccer. She joined the club midway through the team's inaugural season, marking her return to professional soccer in the United States.

Career statistics College

Season GP GS G A PTS SH SOG Charleston Cougars 2018 11 1 1 0 2 12 5 2019 17 7 0 0 0 11 3 2020 9 9 2 0 4 10 7 2021 12 4 0 0 0 6 1 Clemson Tigers 2022 7 0 0 0 0 3 1 Career total 56 21 3 0 6 42 17

Club

League and club divisions based on publicly available sources.