Every aspiring soccer player dreams of playing on the big stage under the bright lights — and for Olivia Lee, that dream became a reality when she officially signed for the Panthers on Nov. 23, 2021.
Raised in Westchester County, New York, Lee attended Scarsdale High School, where she played two seasons for the varsity soccer team. In that short span, she surfaced as a dynamic center midfielder because of her physicality, relentless work ethic and keen field awareness.
Despite only playing for two seasons for Scarsdale, Lee made a meaningful impact, helping guide her high school to the 2022 Section 1 Class AA girls soccer championship.
Since she began playing at the age of three, soccer has had a large presence in Lee’s life — her father, Duncan, played collegiate soccer at Bucknell University from 1979 to 1982 and was a big reason Lee became a soccer player. Lee’s competitive mindset that she’s known for on the field emerged as she battled her older sisters throughout her childhood.
“I grew up around sports my whole life,” Lee said. “It’s kind of been a family thing for a while.”
From playing backyard soccer with her sisters to competing at Ambrose Urbanic Field under the bright lights, Lee’s journey to becoming a Division I athlete was anything but easy. From the Division 1 recruiting process to the physical transition from high school to collegiate play, she encountered obstacles, setbacks and doubts along the way.
Surprisingly, playing Division I wasn’t an explicit goal, but almost an expectation. As she began to grow, mature and compete at a higher level, she recognized the importance of “carrying on the family legacy.”
Struggling to cope with mental health as a student-athlete also presented its setbacks for Lee.
“I think student-athletes always go through mental challenges because of how difficult it is to balance school, soccer and social life,” she said.
Finding that equilibrium was a difficult task at first.
“Throughout my years, I’ve seen dips in confidence and in my mental health through the season,” she said.
As she settled into the season, she eventually navigated her internal struggles by finding a balance between academics and soccer.
“Life is not always going to be easy or perfect,” Lee said. “Knowing how to deal with those hardships is really important in life.”
Since making her debut in 2023, Lee has performed at an elite level, achieving several awards, recording stellar statistics and eventually becoming team captain in 2025. In her first season wearing blue and gold, Lee started 14 of the 23 games she appeared in. In those 23 matches, she logged 1,359 total minutes. This includes a season high 110 minutes at Chapel Hill as the Panthers defeated the Tar Heels 2-1 in the ACC Championship Quarterfinals. She was also named to the All-ACC Academic Team.
As a sophomore, Lee elevated her performance off the field. Not only was she named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Second Team, but also earned All-ACC Academic Team for the second consecutive year. Lee’s work ethic and determination apply not only to soccer but also to her academics.
During her sophomore year, Lee helped anchor the Pitt defense, logging 18 starts at center back. In those 18 matches played, the 5-foot-7 defender recorded a team-high 1,519 minutes. She also scored her first career goal at home as she netted a header brace against Dartmouth in a 6-1 rout.
“That was probably the happiest moment I ever had on that field,” Lee said. “And I have had a lot of happy moments with Pitt soccer … It was such an unfamiliar feeling of scoring at the collegiate level.”
Following her first career goal, Lee displayed new levels of growth and maturity on the field. On Aug. 14, 2025, it was official — Olivia Lee was named 2025 team captain.
Communication is an extremely important skill to perfect, especially for a captain of a soccer team. Lee’s impactful communication is more than likely why she was named captain as just a junior.
“My coaches always say communication adds an extra player on the field,” she said.
Even with strong communication, leading a Division I soccer team is no easy task. Although the Panthers’ record so far this season isn’t quite up to expectations, Lee has displayed flashy moments on defense and as a captain.
Since the start of this season, she has recorded three shutouts at center back while playing the full 90 minutes in all games. She also currently leads the team in total minutes played.
Lee becoming a captain was not always an expectation for her. At first, she was just like every other first-year, competing with the best and helping the team win, develop and grow. Although the role of a captain was not unfamiliar to Lee, who was named captain of her club and high school teams, she did not think it was a possibility once she arrived in Steel City.
“I never would have expected [to become captain],” she said. “The focus for me was really individual as a player. I didn’t really expect it coming into this year.”
Before the start of the 2025 season, when she discovered she was going to be the leader of the team, she burst into tears. Lee had finally found her confidence and purpose as she recognized her true potential.
“It speaks volumes to how far I’ve come,” she said.
If Olivia Lee could go back to her childhood and give her younger self advice, it’s “to not hold herself to such high standards and appreciate life for what it is.”
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