Olivia Pappalardo

Kansas State

Sep 18 (Thu)

7 p.m.

Position:
Midfielder
Height:
5-5
Class:
Sophomore
Hometown:
Chicago, Ill.
High School:
Maine South

2014 Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention
2015 Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention

SENIOR (2015): Pappalardo started all 20 matches as a midfielder and logged 1,678 minutes on the pitch. She totaled one assist and 12 shot attempts, including five on goal. She helped CU win the Colorado Cup, logging 250 minutes in matches against Colorado State, Colorado College and Denver. Her lone assist on the season came in a 4-0 win over New Mexico on Aug. 30. Pappalardo had two shot attempts and played 77 minutes in a 1-0 win over Cincinnati on Sept. 4. She logged all 110 minutes and attempted two shots in a 3-3 draw with No. 25 Arizona on Oct. 30.

JUNIOR (2014): Pappalardo competed in 20 matches and started the final seven of the season. She played a season-high 87 minutes during a double-overtime tie against Washington, which contributed to her 847 total minutes on the pitch. Pappalardo tallied a pair of goals in 2014 to go along with a pair of assists. Her two assists came in back-to-back matches against Pac-12 opponents, Oregon State and Oregon as CU won 1-0 and 2-1, respectively. Both of Papparado’s goals were game-winners, her first was at home versus Arizona State, helping CU claim the 2-0 victory. She also scored the game-winner against 15th-ranked BYU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, lifting CU to a 1-0 lead, eventually going on to win, 2-0, to advance to the round of 32 for a second straight season. Her success in the classroom also earned her Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention.

SOPHOMORE (2013): Pappalardo was an important part of the Buffs’ midfield, playing in 16 games and making 13 starts, until an injury sidelined her for the final seven games of the season. In the Buffs’ third match, she contributed two assists to help CU to a 2-0 shutout of Air Force. The two-assist performance was the first by a Buff since 2010. Just three games later, she scored her first collegiate goal, netting the game-winner in a 4-1 thrashing of UT-Martin. Pappalardo matched a season-high three shots against USC before a non-contact injury took her out of the game and ended her season.

FRESHMAN (2012): Pappalardo showed versatility in her first season, playing a freshman-high 1,541 minutes. In 19 games, including 16 starts, Pappalardo took 16 shots, ranking second among freshmen. Her two assists came in back-to-back victories against Cincinnati (2-1) and Wyoming (2-0). She played a season-high 110 minutes in the Pac-12 opener at Oregon (0-0).

HIGH SCHOOL: Pappalardo is the 97th best player in the nation according to TopDrawerSoccer.com and ranks in the top 150 of the ESPNHS list of best high school soccer recruits for 2012. She was the only freshman on the varsity squad at Maine South High School. She earned Central Suburban League Rookie of the Year honors from the Pioneer Press and won the Niles North Regional Championship in her one year as a Hawk. That season she was also invited to the ID2 Regional Camp in Dallas. Pappalardo played for seven years with Chicago’s Eclipse Select club team, ranked the No. 2 girls’ soccer club in the country from 2009-2011 by Soccer America. She served as co-captain for the last three years. Eclipse Select won the Elite Club National League national championship in 2011. Her senior year she was also selected for the U-18 ECNL All-Event team at the Sanford Event. In the U-16 race in 2010, the team won the regional championship and became a national finalist. The team reached the finals in the U-15 and U-17 state cups and took the U-19 state title in 2012. In June 2012, the Eclipse Select team went 2-2 in the national tournament, finishing in 11th place. Pappalardo was invited to the ID2 National Camp as a junior and selected for the U-16 ECNL All-Event team at the Disney Soccer Showcase. She also was the starting point guard as a sophomore at Maine South. In the 2009-10 season, the Hawks won the CSL and Chicago-Area Class 4A Illinois High School Association Regional championships.

IN THE CLASSROOM: Pappalardo majors in psychology and sociology.

PERSONAL: She was born on April 13, 1994 to Tony and Linda Pappalardo. Her nickname is Liv. She has one older sister, Mia, who attends the University of Iowa. She enjoys playing basketball, hanging out with friends and baking. She has family members who live in Greece and would love to one day live in Europe as well. She was a member of her high school’s Italian club and earned high honors in Italian three years in a row.