Cullowhee, N.C. – Winners of back-to-back Southern Conference regular season championships, Western Carolina women's soccer has reloaded for the 2025 campaign as head coach Chad Miller announced the addition of 11 newcomers to the Catamount program.
The 11 new players come to Cullowhee from eight different states – Arizona, Florida (2), Georgia, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia – with a pair of international student-athletes from Canada and France. The group includes nine incoming freshmen and two transfer additions hailing from junior college Daytona State and NCAA Division II-member, Limestone University.
"We are thrilled to welcome these talented student-athletes to Catamount Country," said Miller, who enters his 15th season as the Catamount skipper. "This class will help us continue to evolve as a program and add great depth, leadership, and quality to our amazing group already here."
The incoming Catamounts are set to join a team that retains most of its production from the 2024 championship squad, including 50% of its goals scored (26 of 52), 56% of its assists (27 of 48), 60% of its shot attempts (237 of 395), and 62% of its shots on goal (123 of 199). The Catamounts also return nearly 70% of their game experience from last season (14,355 of 20,789 total minutes), including a pair of Catamounts who logged over 1,800 minutes in defensive anchors Leanne Trudel between the pipes and defender Mary Mueth.
Western Carolina women's soccer reports to campus at the end of July and opens competition with five consecutive home matches, two in exhibition play. WCU hosts Charleston Southern on Tuesday, Aug. 5, at 4 p.m. and Queens University of Charlotte on Friday, Aug. 8, at 6 p.m. in exhibition action at the Catamount Athletics Complex in Cullowhee.
The regular season opens at home against archrival Appalachian State on Thursday, Aug. 14, at 6 p.m.
Meet the 2025 Catamount women's soccer incoming class:
Amara Yetka | Tempe, Arizona
Position: Goalkeeper
Club Team: AZ Arsenal ECNL
High School/Previous School: Corona Del Sol HS
Prior to WCU: A two-year captain for her club team and a captain her final year playing for her varsity squad, Yetka was named to the International All-Star Team two years in a row. She collected second-team All-Region honors in 2023 and 2024, as well as first-team honors in 2022.
Personal: A recipient of the Academic Excellence Award as a student-athlete scholar and an NSHSS member, Yetka has volunteered her time at Keep Tempe Beautiful, Best Buddies, and Help Hope Live.
Laci Viola | St. Augustine, Fla.
Position: Defender
Club Team: Florida Elite Soccer Academy ECNL
High School/Previous School: Bartram Trail HS
Prior to WCU: A captain for both her club and high school teams, Viola ended her high school career as a two-time state champion and recorded six goals and six assists at centerback.
Personal: Viola received Florida Athletic Coaches Association All-Academic honors during her high school career. She is the daughter of Lauren and Jimmy Viola and has a sister, Lexi.
Isabela Soares | Woodstock, Ga.
Position: Defender
Club Team: NASA Tophat
High School/Previous School: River Ridge HS
Prior to WCU: Soares comes to Cullowhee after a prestigious high school career, collecting Newcomer of the Year and first-team All-Region honors in 2022-23, Defensive Player of the Year Honors in 2023, and second-team All-Region honors in 2023-24. She was most recently named Defensive MVP in the 2024-25 season and was named first-team All-Region.
Personal: Soares worked as a coach for NASA youth program. She is the daughter of Kelli and Edson Soares, and she has a sister who attends the University of Georgia.
Madyson Brown | Bailey, N.C.
Position: Forward
Club Team: ECNL Courage Academy
High School/Previous School: Hunt HS
Prior to WCU: A five-time NSYS National champion, Brown was also an NSL Champion, a four-time Quad Champion, an Eastern Regional Champion, a Body Armor state champion, and a State Cup Champion.
Personal: Madyson is the daughter of Christina and Ricky Brown. Her older sister Makala is the reason why she loves soccer. Madyson is also a regional bow shooter.
Addison Davis | Kenmore, N.Y.
Position: Defender
Club Team: WNY Flash/ Girls ECNL 07
High School/Previous School: Nichols School
Prior to WCU: Named her team's MVP and awarded first-team Girls All-Catholic Conference honors, Davis played a key role in helping her team push to three consecutive championship appearances.
Personal: A high honor student all four years of her high school academic career, she is the daughter of Sharon and Robert Davis and is the youngest of four siblings Ashley, Trevor, and Kayleigh. Her father played volleyball and was a volunteer firefighter in the Air Force, while her mother attended Buffalo State to pursue her education.
Madison Gellner | Lake Mary, Fla.
Position: Forward
Club Team: Florida Krush Kraze
High School/Previous School: Bishop Moore HS / Daytona State
Prior to WCU: A four-time district winner in her high school career, Gellner comes to Cullowhee after most recently competing for Daytona State where she was a national champion at the NJCAA level last year. She was also a member of a pair of high school state championship teams in 2021 and 2022.
Personal: A licensed aesthetician in the state of Florida, Gellner has two siblings. She enjoys spending time at the beach and being outdoors.
Adrienne Altizer | Hurricane, W. Va.
Position: Forward/Midfielder
Club Team: Pittsburgh Riverhounds ECNL
High School/Previous School: Parkesburg South HS
Prior to WCU: A dominant player throughout her high school career, notching 201 points on 72 goals and 57 assists, Adrienne is a three-time West Virginia AAA All-State selection and four-time all-region honoree.
Personal: Adrienne graduated with highest honors and will be a member of WCU's Brinson Honors College. She was also selected to attend West Virginia Rhododendron Girls State in 2025 and was selected as a senator. She is the daughter of Derek and Wendy Altizer and has three brothers: Andrew, Benjamin, and Christian.
Abigail Hendrickson | Wyckoff, N.J.
Position: Forward/Midfielder
Club Team: STA
High School/Previous School: Ramapo HS
Prior to WCU: Named captain of her Ramapo High girls' soccer team, Hendrickson was a 2024 league champion and Co-Conference champion. A member of the NJGSCA Top 20 team, she received all-region honors in 2023 and 2024.
Personal: Hendrickson received Super High Honor Roll honors 2023-2025. The daughter of Sharon and Brian Hendrickson, she has one brother, Nicholas. Her father is a longtime firefighter.
Jessica Avonyo | Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Position: Forward
Club Team: Mislata CF and Valencia CF Canada
High School/Previous School: Bear Creek Secondary School
Prior to WCU: Selected to play for Valencia CF Canada, Avonyo was the only girl on her Canadian club team. She then joined Mislata CF in Spain and competed in the 2025 SWIT Cup where her team ranked top two in goals scored. She received her UEFA C coaching certification, furthering her tactical and leadership experience.
Personal: Avonyo was an honor roll student throughout her high school career and was the recipient of academic excellence awards in Mathematics, French, and Nutrition.
Kylie White | Virginia Beach, Va.
Position: Midfielder
Club Team: Beach FC (Va)
High School/Previous School: First Colonial HS
Prior to WCU: Named a 757 Prep Soccer player to watch and ranked in the top 50 players in the state of Virginia, White was named her high school captain and helped push her team to three state playoff appearances and two state finalist berths. Her 2024/2023 US Youth National/International Futsal team competed in France.
Personal: White ranked within the top 10% of her graduating class, achieving a 4.1 GPA in high school. She is a member of the National Honor Society, Legal Studies Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and Future Business Leaders of America. She is the daughter of Lee and Maria White and has one brother, Gavin.
Lucie Bertrand | Dampierre-en-Yvelines, France
Position: Midfielder
Club Team: Chevreuse Soccer Club
High School/Previous School: Sport Etude Academy / Limestone University
Prior to WCU: Bertrand joins the Catamounts after beginning her collegiate career at Limestone University, where she played two seasons for the Saints. Before joining the college ranks, she competed for two years in the French National U19 Championship and claimed Vice Champion with her Paris Saint-Germain team in 2022 and 2023. She notched five goals for the Saints last season, including a two-goal, one-assist effort in a 3-2 win over Tusculum.
Personal: Bertrand has a brother, Marius.
