By Catherine Laroche
At the end of this season the University of Louisville women’s soccer team will not only be losing five seniors, but five key elements in a team chemistry that puts most other teams to shame. Whether it’s practice, games, going to the movies, eating at Qdoba, or watching “The OC” or “The Real World,” the women’s soccer players are always together.
Not many teams can boast a group of seniors that sing at the top of their lungs before every game. The seniors sing “Believe” by Fantasia, which contains the team’s motto: “Anything is possible when you believe.”
“We are all like sisters,” said senior Ashley Garcia. “We have been through so much together, and know each other very well.”
Kim “Debo” DeBolt
Kim DeBolt has been playing soccer for 18 years. DeBolt had a successful high school career in Eagle, Idaho, where she was part of a 5A State Championship team, a member of the Idaho ODP for five seasons, and a co-captain of the Boise Capitals state championship club team during the 2000-2001 season.
It wasn’t long after that DeBolt started college at U of L. “When I came on my visit of U of L, it felt like home,” DeBolt said. “I liked the coaches, and the players had good chemistry. I just felt comfortable.”
Since joining the soccer team, DeBolt has proven that she can perform in the classroom just as well as she can on the field. She made the athletic director’s honor roll her sophomore and junior years.
The most important thing DeBolt has learned in the past four years is the value of relationships are. “No matter where you go, you always need someone to talk to or lean on. If you have good people in your life, then they will make you a better person.”
Ashley “Gar” Garcia
Ashley Garcia grew up in West Chester, Ohio, and has been playing soccer since she was four years old. “My brother and sister both played, so I just followed them,” Garcia said. “I was the only one who continued to play after high school.”
Garcia chose to play at the University of Louisville for several reasons. “First of all, I wanted to be far enough from home, but also close enough to where I could drive home,” Garcia said. “Secondly, I loved the girls and the facilities. There is no doubt that we have the best soccer fields in the country. At U of L I felt right at home when I was on my visit. Also, [Coach] Karen [Ferguson] was building a program and I wanted to be a part of the team, and helping it become what it is now.”
Garcia said nothing she has accomplished at U of L has meant more than the friendships she has formed with the girls of the soccer team.
“There are many perks about being a student athlete, but nothing compares to being a part of a team that is as close as ours,” Garcia said. “I have been through so much with my teammates, especially my fellow seniors. That is what I will miss the most when I leave. Being a part of a team with such great chemistry is something that is hard to find at any school. I know that each of my teammates would do anything for each other and that is something very special.”
Gina “G” Lower
Every time Gina Lower has stepped onto the U of L soccer field, success has followed. As a freshman, she was named to the Conference USA All Freshman team. During her sophomore year she played every minute of 14 out of 18 games, and was named to the All Conference USA Third Team.
She injured herself in 2003 and had to sit out the season as a medical redshirt. The injury may have hurt her opportunities on the field that season, but she balanced it out in the classroom, earning plenty of academic honors.
In just a matter of time, Lower was back on the field for her junior season of soccer. As co-captain, she was named to the First Team All C-USA and Third Team All Region by Soccer Buzz. She started all 18 games, anchoring the top defense in U of L history, and set records for most shutouts (11), fewest goals allowed (18) and lowest GAA (0.86).
It’s obvious that Lower can hold her own in the classroom, but a lot of people don’t know much more about her.
“I was adopted,” Lower said. “My best friend since junior high, Kelly Inkrot, didn’t believe me when I told her.”
Being adopted has only affected Lower and her family positively. “Something really special to me is that me, my older brother Jeremy, and my younger sister Amy all wear the number 16 on our jerseys,” Lower said.
But the bond she shares with the senior girls on the team is just as special.
“We all have a bond just from going through what we’ve been through the past few years,” Lower said. “We just rely on each other to get through hard stuff. When you see someone else working really hard, it just fuels you to do the same.”
Hollie “Holls” Minogue
Hollie Minogue’s soccer days date all the way back to when she was three years old at the YMCA. While many students these days decide to get as far away from their parents as possible after graduating from high school, Minogue decided to stay here in Louisville.
“I chose U of L because it is my hometown,” Minogue said. “My parents come to every game as well as other family members. The coaches and the girls also made me feel very welcomed on my visit. And look at our beautiful facilities: they are definitely the best in the country. It was just the best fit for me.”
When Minogue isn’t in the game, she helps the team out vocally on the sidelines. But Minogue can use her vocals for more than just helping out the team. “I have been singing since grade school,” Minogue said.
Minogue placed second in the Louisville Idol Contest before going on to the Kentuckiana Idol Contest. She made it to the second round before having to drop out because of NCAA rules for soccer. Minogue also sings the national anthem at volleyball games.
“I hope to continue singing the national anthem even after I am done with soccer,” Minogue said. “I love to sing. I am going to be on American Idol one day. I have never taken voice lessons, but one day I hope to do so, as well as teach myself to play the guitar.”
Heather “Shref” Shreffler
“I have been playing soccer for as long as I can remember,” Shreffler said. “I started playing on my older brother’s all-boys team.”
After playing soccer with the boys in Janesville, Wis., Shreffler decided to join the girls of the U of L soccer team.
“I chose to play soccer at U of L because I felt at home when I came to visit,” Shreffler said. “I could see myself walking on campus and being a part of this team. The chemistry that the girls had was amazing compared to other schools I had visited.”
In her years at U of L Shreffler has worked hard on and off the field. “These past four years I have grown into myself, and have put myself in the driver’s seat of my life,” Shreffler said.
“I have learned that I can do anything that I set my mind to, and to not set boundaries. Failure is not something to be afraid of.”
After these five seniors graduate, they all plan to go their separate ways, but hope to keep in touch. DeBolt hopes to coach a Division I women’s soccer team and start her own club soccer team somewhere. Garcia will graduate with a master’s in Physical Education and a degree in Exercise Science and may become a P.E. teacher. Lower plans to be an accountant and the No. 1 U of L women’s soccer fan. Besides being on “American Idol,” Minogue wants to coach soccer at her old club. Shreffler plans to attend graduate school.
