England international, transfer from Kentucky, Hollie Olding joins Pitt women’s soccer program

Earlier this week, Pittsburgh Soccer Now shared a feature story on Pitt’s women’s soccer program’s large influx of new players, 17 total, that will be a part of a significant roster overhaul for the program this Fall.

Head Coach Randy Waldrum and his staff aren’t done.

On Friday, Pitt announced the addition of Hollie Olding to the program.

“Our staff is so excited to have Hollie’s commitment to Pitt women’s soccer,” said Waldrum. “She obviously brings a wealth of collegiate and international experience to our program, and her experience at the international level will be huge for us this fall. I love Hollie’s passion, drive and commitment to getting better each day, and the standards she sets for herself are very high. I can’t wait to coach Hollie and to see all that she will bring to our team this fall. This is a great addition to an already exciting 2019 class!”

Waldrum bringing large influx of new recruits in Pitt women’s program overhaul

Olding brings national team experience to the Panthers’ roster, marking the second 2019 commitment with youth World Cup experience for Pitt. The London native has laced up with her country for the U17 Women’s World Cup and with U19 England.

“I am very excited to be joining Pitt,” said Olding. “After looking at some options, I could not turn down the opportunity to play for an amazing coaching staff, the thought of playing under Randy is so exciting, plus I love the drive and ambition of the whole athletic department. I am ready and excited to get started.”

Olding has spent the last two seasons serving as team captain for Kentucky. Last year, she tallied four goals off 10 shots on goal, including a game winner at Little Rock. She missed a portion of the 2017 season after being invited to England National Team camp. In her two-year career with the Wildcats, she logged time in 29 games, including 18 starts.

She was a member of the 2016 U17 England team that advanced to the World Cup semifinals in Jordan, where she started all three group matches and saw considerable time in the semifinal round. She has represented England nine times at the U19 level, including the Lionesses European qualification campaign, European Championships and La Manga International Competitions.

Olding spent her youth career playing amongst England’s top tier clubs, including Chelsea FC and Brighton Hove Albion.