Pitt Women’s Soccer Adds Nigeria International Celine Ottah

Pitt women’s soccer continues to grow its squad ahead of the 2024 fall season, with the addition of Nigeria international and junior college transfer Celine Ottah.

Ottah spent the past two seasons playing at the junior college level, first for Polk State College in Winter Haven, Fla., a suburb of Orlando, in 2022 and then at Jones College in Ellisville, Miss. last year. Ottah announced her commitment to Pitt women’s soccer on her Instagram on Thursday.

She plays as a midfielder, mostly attacking and usually moving up with the forwards to create chances for them and for herself.

Ottah had a stellar freshman season for Polk State College in 2022, scoring 15 goals and created 14 assists, both third best on the team, for 44 points, second best on the team. She scored a season highs of four goals in an 11-0 blowout win over Pasco-Hernandeo State College and four assists in a 13-0 dominant victory over Spartanburg Methodist College in the NJCAA South Atlantic District Championship.

Her performances led Polk State College to an 18-2 overall record and an appearance in the NJCAA Division I Championship.

She continued to improve in her second season at the junior college level when she transferred to Jones College in 2023.

Ottah led the team with 19 goals and 45 points, along with providing seven assists in 15 games played and 13 starts. She scored a season high four goals in the 16-0 victory on the road over Andrews College in the season opener and a season high of two assists in the following game at Southwest Mississippi.

Jones College would make it to the NJCAA DII National Tournament where they would win all four games with an aggregate of 12-1 to win the National Championships. Ottah scored both goals in the win over Northeast (Neb.) in the second game of Pool play, a goal in the 4-0 win over Holmes in the Semifinals and then a goal with an assist in the Championship game against Johnson County, a 3-0 victory.

A large part of her coming to the Panthers is due to head coach Randy Waldrum, who also serves as the head coach of Nigeria women’s soccer. She will join star midfielder Deborah Abiodun, who excelled as a midfielder in her first season in college in 2023 for the Panthers, as two Nigerian Internationals with the program.

Pitt women’s soccer, with the addition of Ottah, has added four new players this offseason. This includes forwards in Bailey Wagenknecht from Mississippi State and Ava Boyd, a Pine-Richland alum who came in from Michigan State. They also landed goalkeeper Abby Reisz from Tennessee, who played in 16 games last season, including 11 starts.

Pitt Women’s Soccer Roster 2024

Senior (One Year of Eligibility)
Forward Samiah Phiri
Forward Sarah Schupansky
Midfielder Ellie Coffield
Midfielder Keera Melenhorst
Defender Mackenzie Evers
Defender Ashley Moon

Junior (Two Years of Eligibility)
Forward Emily Cooper
Forward Margaret Wilde
Midfielder Celine Ottah (Jones College) (JUCO)
Midfielder Briana Rodriguez
Defender Haylee Mersereau
Defender Katie Zailski
Goalkeeper Ellie Breech

Redshirt Sophomore (Three Years of Eligibility)
Goalkeeper Abby Reisz (Tennessee)
Forward Bailey Wagenknecht (Mississippi State)

Sophomore (Three Years of Eligibility)
Forward Ava Boyd (Michigan State)
Forward Evie Craven
Forward Sofia Doheny
Forward Paige Dziedzic
Forward Delaney Evers
Forward Aliya Gomes
Forward Kaitlyn Killinger
Forward Lucia Wells
Midfielder Deborah Abiodun
Midfielder Olivia Duray
Midfielder Emma Rhoades
Defender Olivia Lee
Defender Sage Seltzer
Defender Kaley Simqu
Goalkeeper Emily Edwards
Goalkeeper Emma Van Meter

Freshman (Four Years of Eligibility)
Forward Lola Abraham
Midfielder/Forward Rylee Keeley
Defender Coco Dorfman
Defender Emily Graeca
Defender Bella Haynes
Defender Erica Schneider
Defender Dakota Watterson

Outgoings
Midfielder Fleming Dean/transfer to Samford
Defended Lainie Fuchs/returned to Austria to play professionally