CHARLOTTE, N.C. (May 8, 2024) – Carolina Ascent Football Club announced today the forwards leading the attack for Head Coach Erika Duncan’s 2024 USL W League squad. The USL W League is a leader in pre-professional soccer in North America, developing the next generation of women’s talent. The Carolina Ascent USL W League season kicks off on May 18 and will run through the end of June. View the Carolina Ascent USL W League Schedule.
“Our attacking group brings a ton of danger and creativity in the final third,” Duncan explained. “They are a strong, dynamic group with a great balance of experience and youth. Bringing impactful players with previous USL W League experience in Kennedy, Olivia and Breckyn is huge for us, and we can’t wait to see them get to work!”
OLIVIA SIMON
In her first season with App State, Simon helped the Mountaineers record the best conference finish in program history. Simon started 17 of the 18 matches she featured in, totaling 1,268 minutes. Her first career goal was the start of the sixth hat trick in program history. Simon was one of 12 freshmen in the country to record a hat trick during the 2023 season.
A native of Waxhaw, North Carolina, Simon played for Cuthbertson High School where she was named Conference and Region Player of the Year while earning All-State honors. Simon also captained her club team with the Charlotte Independence and played for the Charlotte Independence USL W League team in 2023.
KENNEDY JONES
Jones is a consistent presence for the Elon University women’s soccer team entering her senior season. She appeared in all but one match in 2023 and played 1,359 minutes total. In 2022, Jones started all 16 matches she played in, going the full 90 minutes 10 times. As a freshman, Jones’ first collegiate goal was a golden goal overtime winner for Elon.
Before her time at Elon, Jones competed in the Gothia Puma Cup, the world’s largest and most international youth soccer tournament, as a junior. She also earned U.S. Soccer ID2 National Camp selections in 2017. At the club level, Jones led her team to NCYSA State and U.S. National League championship titles in 2018. Playing for Providence Day School, Jones helped the Chargers to the North Carolina Independence School Athletic Association (NCISAA) state title in 2018 as well as an appearance in the state championship game in 2017. She captained Providence Day School for two seasons and was a 2018 NCISAA All-State selection, two-time CISAA First Team All-Conference honoree, and All-Region member as a freshman and a sophomore. Jones previously played for the Charlotte Independence USL W League team in 2022 and 2023.
BRECKYN MONTEITH
Monteith spent the past three years as a member of the App State women’s soccer team. Although she missed the 2023 season due to injury, Monteith was a mainstay in the Mountaineers side in 2021 and 2022. As a junior, Monteith accumulated 1,425 minutes, playing in all 19 games with 18 starts. Her three assists led the team, and she ranked second in shots (39) and shots on goal (16) for App State. In 2021, Monteith netted 10 goals which was the fourth-highest in the Sun Belt. 10 goals also sits third in App State history for the most in a single season. Before joining the Mountaineers, Monteith played for Wake Forest University as a freshman where she averaged 60 minutes per match across eight games, starting five.
Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, Monteith was called up to the Northern Ireland National Team on numerous occasions and made her debut against Slovakia in a friendly match. Locally, Monteith played at Southlake Christian Academy and holds the school record for most career goals. She also set the school record for most goals in a single game with seven and was named Freshman All-Conference and Freshman MVP. Monteith also played for the Charlotte Soccer Academy and averaged 90 minutes per game during her senior year.
AUDREY HARDING
As a Seahawk, Harding departed UNC Wilmington as the seventh-leading scorer in program history with 23 goals and 66 points. She is one of only three players in program history to tally 20 career goals and 20 career assists. Her assists mark is tied for the program-lead. Harding scored six game-winning goals as a Seahawk which is tied for 11th in school history.
Harding’s fifth season at UNC Wilmington culminated in the program’s first Colonial Athletic Association regular season championship. The midfielder was a First-Team All-East Region selection by the United Soccer Coaches and received First-Team All-CAA honors for the second-straight season. Harding ranked fourth in NCAA Division I with a .690 shot on goal percentage. She became the first UNC Wilmington women’s soccer player to earn United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American accolades after receiving Second-Team distinction in 2021.
BRIANNA OLIVER
Across five collegiate seasons, Oliver made 83 appearances for Radford (2019-2021) and Coastal Carolina (2017-2018). She received All-Big South honors all three years at Radford. As a graduate student, Oliver started all 19 games and recorded seven goals and four assists. During her senior season, Oliver notched a hat trick against USC Upstate and led the team with 10 points at the end of the year. In her first season with the Highlanders, Oliver started in all 22 matches, logging the third-most minutes on the team with 1,660. She netted four goals and tallied five assists which ranked third on the team.
Oliver played four years at Woodbridge Senior High School in Woodbridge, Virginia. At the club level, Oliver won two Virginia State Cups and the 2015 Disney Showcase. In 2014, Oliver participated in a national training camp.
SOPHIE SIPPRELL
Sipprell was a member of the UNC Charlotte women’s soccer team for five seasons in which she played in 68 games, scored six goals, and tallied nine assists. During the adjusted 2020 season, Sipprell started all 12 matches in her return from a season-ending injury suffered during the 2019 preseason. As a junior, Sipprell logged three goals and three assists, including a pair of game-winning strikes. She also netted game-winners as a sophomore in back-to-back contests. Sipprell appeared off the bench in 19 games as a freshman and lended three assists for the Niners.
A local talent, Sipprell was a standout player for East Mecklenburg High School. She set the school record for career goals with 89 which included 10 hat tricks all-time. Sipprell’s accolades include three All-Southwestern 4A Conference First Team selections, three 10-4A All-Region squad inclusions, two Offensive Player of the Year awards, and team MVP. Sipprell played club soccer with Charlotte Soccer Academy where she was presented the club’s Amazing Young Woman Award in 2015/16. She also participated in North Carolina Olympic Development Program (ODP) camps.
KATIE DURHAM
Durham is entering her freshman year at Wingate University this fall. Coming from Watauga High School, Durham is ranked in the top 105 players in her class in North Carolina. During her junior year, Durham led the team with 27 goals which ranked sixth in the 4A West Division. Durham also plays ECNL with the Charlotte Independence Soccer Club.
About Carolina Ascent FC USL W League:
The Carolina Ascent FC USL W League team is one of eight teams competing in the USL W League’s South Atlantic Conference in 2024. The team is the pre-professional affiliate for the Carolina Ascent USL Super League squad, the Carolinas’ newest division one women’s professional soccer team. Head Coach, Erika Duncan, leads the squad in 2024 and will join the Carolina Ascent Super League technical staff as an Assistant Coach this August. The Carolina Ascent W League program is focused on developing local soccer talent and providing new, competitive environments for young women across the Carolinas who dream of playing professional soccer. The team’s technical and operational management are led by Affiliate, Charlotte Independence Soccer Club.
About the USL W League:
The USL W League is a leader in pre-professional soccer in North America, developing the next generation of women’s talent both on and off the field. The USL W League strives to use women’s soccer as a force for societal good by creating a national platform to increase opportunity, gender equity, and career development. The League and its member clubs are committed to investing in women’s soccer – through not only financial resources but also with time, energy, and attention – and are united in our mission to grow the women’s game.
