2020 Senior Spotlight: Olivia Chase

By Andy Brown
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Updated: May 1, 2020

Andy Brown / Louisburg Sports Zone

Louisburg Sports Zone will be running senior spotlights through April and May everyday (Monday through Friday) in an effort to honor seniors who had their seasons taken away due to the spread of COVID-19.

Olivia Chase had never really given soccer a second thought.

Chase, who hadn’t played soccer before high school, was approached by LHS assistant coach Michael Pickman during summer weights. He asked her to give the sport a try and thought she would make a good addition to the team.

More than two years later, Chase has a second place state medal to show for it and many memories that she will take with her for the rest of her life.

“I am very grateful that he pushed me to do so, because soccer was a huge part of my high school career,” Chase said. “I gained self-confidence by trying something completely new and working to get better at the game.”

Chase, who played mainly junior varsity last season, got the opportunity to suit up on the varsity squad for their state tournament run a season ago and saw some playing time in the state quarterfinals and state championship game.

“Olivia was very new to soccer,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “She is an incredibly smart young lady who always had a fantastic attitude and worked as hard as she could each and every day. Olivia was working hard to learn the game as much as she could to be prepared.”

The senior midfielder/defender was looking forward to her final season with the Wildcats and had every intention of helping Louisburg to reach its ultimate goal – a state championship.

“Soccer season was something I had been looking forward to since the start of senior year,” Chase said. “I was really excited for all the fun times and memories to be made with such a great group of people. It was going to be especially memorable to be seniors with 11 other girls, as we have formed a strong bond over the years and work great together on the field. Our ultimate goal was to go to state again, and I truly believe we would have made it happen.”

Chase was a part of a big senior class, many of whom played big roles in the Wildcats’ three straight final four appearances and back-to-back state runner-up finishes. It was a group of teammates that helped her along in a game she hardly knew.

“The senior class in the girls’ soccer program is very special,” Chase said. “I started playing my sophomore year, and had never played soccer before. One thing I can say is that the girls in my class always helped me out and taught me so much about the game when I was new to it all. The group of seniors on the team really looked out for each other on and off the field.”

That closeness became even more important more than a month ago when Chase and her teammates found out their season was cancelled due to the spread of COVID-19. They were able to help each other deal with a big loss to what was supposed to be a special season.

“Dealing with the cancellation of senior year has been difficult,” Chase said. “It has definitely been emotional, but the team has been able to pick each other up. We had just gotten started with our soccer season and I could tell it would have been one of the best yet. It is disappointing to have such meaningful times be taken away but I know that our health and safety is the most important.”

**Olivia Chase was one of 12 Louisburg seniors this year and was a three-year member of the Wildcat program.**

Although she is left to wonder what this season could have been, Chase is thankful for her time with Wildcat program.

“There have been so many great moments and memories playing on the LHS soccer team, but one of my favorites was when we went to state during my junior year,” she said. “We worked so hard to be at state, and even though we got second we were still proud of ourselves and our program.”

Other than soccer, Louisburg Sports Zone also had a chance to catch up with Olivia on how she has been coping with an early end to her senior year and some of her other interests. Here are her responses from the rest of our Q&A.

LSZ: What have you been missing the most during this time away from everyone?

OC: I miss my friends and going to soccer practices the most during this time away from everyone. I even miss running sprints (haha). I miss game days and team dinners and being able to laugh and make jokes with everyone.

LSZ: What is your most memorable moment as an athlete or in school, and why?

OC: My most memorable moment as an athlete was getting a medal at state because that was the first time I experienced something like that.

LSZ: What is your favorite activity/hobby outside of sports and why?

OC: My favorite activity/hobby outside of sports is spending time with friends and family because it helps me relax and have fun

LSZ: What are your plans for after graduation?

OC: After graduation, I will be attending Pittsburg State University and intend on majoring in the Nursing program.

LSZ: What accomplishments that don’t involve athletics are you most proud of and why?

OC: An accomplishment outside of sports that I am proud of is my grades. It might sound simple but I have put a lot of effort into my grades and it has paid off in the end!

LSZ: What do you think would be something that a lot of people don’t know about you?

OC: Something that people may not know about me is that I love dogs and I want to have a golden doodle when I am older.