Emi Passini gave her oral commitment Monday to play women's soccer at the University of South Alabama, but only after the NCAA Division I Jaguars gave their commitment to the Middleton defender.

USA, which made its scholarship offer to Passini last spring, stood by its offer even after Passini suffered a torn ACL in a Women's Premier League game in July, according to her father Michael. His daughter liked what she saw of the campus two weeks ago during her official visit to Mobile, Ala., and made her decision over the weekend.

"It all came down to her comfort level with the coach (Mike Varga) and the school's commitment to providing a solid educational experience,'' Michael Passini said of his daughter, who will join former Mount Horeb athlete Kayla Conrad on the Jaguars' roster. "The players and academic staff she met were all top-shelf."

Passini chose USA over walk-on opportunities at Iowa State and Ball State. She also had talked to coaches at the University of Wisconsin about walk-on options there, but no offer had been made.