Texas Tech soccer continues to add both talent and confidence with the arrival of Abbi Sine, a rising junior transfer from BYU and a former top player in her class our of high school. Ranked as the No. 12 overall recruit nationally and No. 2 player in Texas per Prep Soccer, Sine comes to Lubbock with elite upside looking for a chance to reset her career with a program she believes can contend for a College Cup.
Watch full interview here and read a summary version below.
Why She Chose to Transfer — And Why Texas Tech
For Sine transferring wasn’t about running from BYU, a place she very much loved and always dreamed of going as a kid. It was about resetting after a difficult stretch that tested her physically and mentally.
“I had a couple of injuries in college playing at BYU. I tore my ACL before going in. Just a lot of injuries that I wasn’t expecting. I didn’t handle it very well. I was really excited to get onto the pitch and just realized I needed a fresh start.”
With a number of options and visits lined up, Texas Tech stood above the rest once she got to Lubbock and experienced the campus and people first hand.
“I went on a visit, and the campus is incredible. I love the architecture. I love the people. I love everything about it. Everything they do for athletics is so incredible, and fans are amazing. It’s just a different level in Lubbock. Everybody is Texas Tech. Everybody is big.”
Even the familiar recruiting cliché finally made sense.
“People say that, and I never understood it. But it just felt right.”
As a Texas native, returning home only reinforced the decision.
“I am a Texas girl. I’ve lived in five different places, but I will forever claim Texas as my home.”
That feeling was only reinforced at the Big 12 Football Championship game between BYU and Texas Tech in Arlington last week. By that point, Sine had already made her decision to transfer to Texas Tech – in fact, she told head coach Tom Stone that day, as he was also in attendance. Still finishing the semester at BYU, Sine watched the game dressed in her BYU gear, taking in the rare perspective of seeing her former team face the program she was about to join. It was also her first opportunity to experience the Texas Tech fanbase at full volume.
“The fans were incredible. It was red everywhere. They did the whole Raider Power, and I was blown away. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, they’re going to do this at our games and I can’t wait.’”
Her Soccer Background: Built Early, Tested Often
Sine has been involved with U.S. Youth National Teams since age 12, gaining international experience and establishing herself early within the national-team pool.
“I went to my first camp at 12 and then just was in camps every year after. I went to Sweden with the national team… and when I went to England, we played the English team.”
Her national-team résumé spans multiple age groups. Sine has competed internationally with the U-17 USWYNT in England, including an international camp in February 2023. She was also a member of the U-16 USWYNT UEFA Development Tournament Championship team and participated in the U-15 USWYNT virtual camp in May 2021 as well as the Central Region minicamp in March 2020. In addition, she has been selected five times as a participant in the U.S. Soccer Youth National Team Talent ID Centers.
Sine worked her way back into the national picture after injuries, earning selection to the U.S. Youth National Team Talent ID Camp in June 2025, an invite-only event that included just 42 players nationally. It was there that she first met her now teammate Texas Tech rising sophomore Raleigh Greason, who earned All-Big 12 Freshman Team honors in her first season with the Red Raiders this past season.
Position, Identity, and How She Fits the System
Originally a winger, Sine found her true home on the back line early in her development and embraced the outside back role as more than just a defensive position. While many players are moved there out of necessity, Sine leaned into it – studying the position, watching film and learning how to influence games on both sides of the ball.
“Defending 1v1 is one of my favorite things in the entire world.”
Her background as an attacker still shows in how she sees the game. Sine prides herself on her pace, willingness to get forward and comfort in space, traits that align seamlessly with how Texas Tech asks its outside backs to play.
“I will run 70 yards for you anytime you need it,” she told her new head coach Tom Stone “But I also really love those five to ten yards in the middle where I can create and take players on.”
That freedom, to overlap down the line or drift inside, was one of the biggest reasons Texas Tech stood out during the recruiting process. Sine spoke at length about her desire to be more than a touchline runner, valuing the chance to invert centrally, combine in tight spaces and become a playmaker for her teammates.
The role carries added significance at Texas Tech, where the outside back position has been a focal point of the program’s identity. Sine arrives following the graduation of Macy Blackburn, the Red Raiders’ all-time leader in assists and a three-time All-American who redefined the position during her career in Lubbock. Blackburn’s ability to dictate games from the flank set the standard — and it’s a challenge Sine embraces rather than avoids.
Having played in the same conference as Tech the last two years, Sine has studied Blackburn’s game and understands the responsibility that comes with competing for that role, seeing it as an opportunity to grow within a system that trusts its outside backs to be difference-makers.
“She’s an amazing player, and I watched her a lot. To be able to come in and play her position is kind of a really big honor, so I’m really excited.”
Faith and a Program That Listened
Faith has always been central to Sine’s life and soccer journey, shaping not only where she has played, but how she approaches the game. Until now she has never played a competitive match on a Sunday, choosing instead to observe the Sabbath — a commitment she has carried with her throughout her youth and college career.
“I’ve never played a game on Sunday, actually.”
That reality made open communication essential during the recruiting process and Sine said Texas Tech’s willingness to listen stood out immediately. Head coach Tom Stone and the Red Raider staff were transparent and supportive, working with her to ensure she could honor her faith while remaining fully engaged with the team.
“Coach Stone was super, super open about the fact that we play Sundays, but if I could get to a service in time without missing team meetings, he had no problems with it.”
Beyond scheduling, Lubbock itself offered a sense of balance. The presence of a temple just minutes from campus gave Sine confidence that she could maintain her routines and sense of grounding away from the field.
“Lubbock has a temple 10 minutes from campus.”
For Sine, this support and understanding reinforced that Texas Tech valued her as a person first, not just a player.
Texas Tech National Championship? Sine Sees It
Sine didn’t arrive in Lubbock unfamiliar with Texas Tech’s level. Coming from conference foe BYU, the Red Raiders were already a team circled on the calendar, one that demanded preparation and respect.
“Texas Tech and TCU were always the two teams we prepped the most for.”
One moment in particular left a lasting impression. Early in a match against the Red Raiders in 2024, the pressure arrived almost immediately.
“Ten seconds into the game, the ball was already in our box and we were all grabbing each other like, ‘What just happened?’”
That intensity, paired with the program’s recent success, convinced Sine that Texas Tech is on the verge of something bigger. She believes the foundation is already in place, now it’s about taking the final step.
“I think Texas Tech has been banging on the door. I think it’s our time. Big 12 Championship but I think Texas Tech could go to a National Championship.”
And she meant it. Her personal ambitions extend beyond college soccer, but she sees Texas Tech as the right place to grow, compete and chase the highest goals alongside a team that shares that mindset.
Let’s go win a natty Abbi. Wreck ‘Em.
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