The South Carolina men’s soccer team had one of its most impressive seasons in recent memory in the 2024 season, recording 10 wins for the first time since 2016.
Head coach Tony Annan had nine players return to the program ahead of the campaign, which meant he had to recruit talent via the transfer portal to fill additional places on his roster. One of his additions, junior midfielder Ethan Ballek, has been a key contributor to South Carolina's success, while also showing personal improvement.
Ballek hails from Timmath, Colorado, where he served as the team captain for Real Colorado’s MLS Next Squad — a team in the MLS developmental program that was founded in 2020.
With that team, Ballek led in goals and helped it to a national semifinal appearance in 2020. The experience of playing soccer at an elite level before going to college helped him develop as a player, Bellek said.
“There, I played a false nine, which is exactly what I’m playing here," Ballek said. “So I feel like it translated perfectly.”
Ballek then went on to play his first two years of collegiate soccer at Virginia Tech. His best season with the Hokies came in 2023, when he started in two of the 13 games he played in and scored two goals along with one assist.
But after his sophomore season, Ballek made the decision to transfer from Virginia Tech to South Carolina. Sophomore midfielder Micah Colodny, who also played for Real Colorado's MLS Next team, influenced Ballek's decision to play for the Gamecocks, Ballek said.
“My friend Micah from Colorado, he’s on this team,” Ballek said. “He told me good things about it, and then said I’d probably have a chance at playing at the 10.”
Ballek has seen an immediate rise in playing time since joining South Carolina. The junior has played in has started in every game as a Gamecock so far this season. In his season debut against Winthrop on Aug. 22, he scored two of the team's seven goals, which would remain his highest single-game scoring total.
Ballek would go on to start in all of the Gamecocks' 17 games this season, recording nine goals — the second-most on the team, only behind senior forward Harrison Myring's 10 — and is tied for team-high assists with five.
Ballek said his expanded role on South Carolina has lead to more success around the goal this year.
"I've been more confident in front of the goal and more confident attacking,"said Ballek. "At VTU, I didn't really have full range to do whatever I wanted. Here I feel like I can express who I am as a player."
His connection with freshman midfielder Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez, another key player on the Gamecocks' roster, has also been beneficial to Ballek's success, he said. Velazquez-Lopez was named to the All-Sun Belt Second Team and was also Top Drawer Soccer's No. 8 freshman in the country when it released its Midseason Top-100 Player Rankings.
"I'd credit just my teammates around me working together — like Ale, he's super good at distributing," Ballek said. "He's been finding me the ball a lot, and we've just been connecting really well, so it's been fun."
Velazquez-Lopez said Ballek has had a similar impact on his teammates this year. The junior has found his teammates five times this season and is tied for a team high with the freshman.
"He helps me because we connect with each other really well ... We generate goals, and it helps the team," Velazquez-Lopez said. "He's a very creative, very good player. I like how he plays a lot."
Ballek's work ethic is what has made him a good player, Annan said.
“He’s a hardworking kid who works tirelessly. He’s got a lovely left foot,” Annan said. “He takes his chances, so that makes him a very good player.”
The Gamecocks ended its regular season with a 3-0 win over Georgia Southern on Nov. 5, and the team earned a 5-4-0 conference record on the year. After the game, Ballek said he was excited for the team to compete in the Sun Belt tournament.
“I think we have a chance to go far in it because we do have a good squad," Ballek said. "We've just got to connect some pieces together, and we should be good."
The Gamecocks ultimately did not make it far in the tournament, though, as the team was knocked out in the first round after losing 1-0 to Kentucky. South Carolina will now look forward to potentially being placed in the NCAA Tournament and earning a chance to compete for a national title.
But as far as Ballek's trajectory beyond this season goes, Annan said he has high hopes for Ballek’s future as a Gamecock.
“He’s proven to be a very coachable kid and an exciting player. He’s got a lot to learn,” Annan said. “Hopefully, he continues to open his mind and let things come into him.”