Ava Gizzie ’27 is a force to be reckoned with on the soccer field. This past regular season, the New Canaan, CT, native scored a season-high eleven goals for the Swarthmore women’s soccer team. On Oct. 25, Gizzie’s eleventh goal was scored three minutes into the match against Gettysburg College, which finished with a 4-0 shutout for the Garnet. During a stretch from Sept. 13 against The College of New Jersey to Oct. 15 against conference opponent Dickinson College, Gizzie scored ten goals in nine consecutive games: at least one goal a game. For their effort, Gizzie was named Offensive Player of the Week by the Centennial Conference. They add the honor to a collection of awards: 2023 Centennial Conference Rookie of the Year, 2x United Soccer Coaches All-Region First-Team selection (2023, 2024), and 2x All-Centennial First-Team election (2023, 2024). At the time of writing, they have totaled 31 goals, eight assists, and 70 points in their career. Gizzie has much more left to give as the Garnet rolls into the conference semifinal matchup on Friday as the No. 1 seed facing Franklin & Marshall College at home. The Garnet currently stand as the No. 13-ranked team in the nation with an undefeated conference record and a 13-2-3 regular season record.
Aimee Lee: Congrats on being named the Centennial Athlete of the Week! How are you feeling going into Friday’s game?
Ava Gizzie: I’m feeling positive and excited about Friday. Having the home field advantage is big, especially with being able to have friends and family come out to support the team. Our team has been performing so well this season and we are excited to keep building this weekend.
AL: What are some personal and team goals for the post-season?
AG: As a team, we have been focused on the end goal of winning a Centennial Conference Championship and going all the way to the NCAA Championship. We have had other goals along the way, like certain passing and possession percentages, but in the end I feel that it’s about these larger end goals. For me, my major goal was to beat my scoring record from my first two seasons at Swat and beat my other statistics like points. On a more subjective level, my goals have aligned with the team’s goals to be able to name five ways that you have contributed to the team on and off the field during the season.
AL: How do you prepare for games? Any pregame rituals?
AG: I’m not big on rituals, but I do have some tasks I like to complete throughout the day or the day before. I try to go on a walk the day of a game to decompress, and I like to do visualization the night before or the morning of the game. Otherwise, I like to be in the locker room early to listen to music with the team and get excited for the game.
AL: Reflecting back on the season, what are some memorable moments that keep you motivated, on or off the field?
AG: In the beginning of the season, we had a stretch of good results against non-conference teams which created a feeling of building confidence as a team. This collective confidence that carried us as we went into conference play has kept me motivated throughout the season so far. Feeling connected as a group of players and performing as a team has helped us realize that we are just as good as other nationally ranked teams which has definitely fueled the team and I through an unbeaten conference run and now into the tournament.
AL: What is the best piece of advice you would give to incoming student-athletes?
AG: Swat might feel small, but my advice would be to embrace the small community because there may not be many more times in your life where your friends are so close in proximity and where it’s so easy to make new connections.
AL: Describe your ideal rest day, with no external obligations, just 24 hours spent the way you would like to.
AG: In this scenario I would have a kitchen, and I would wake up to no alarm and cook myself breakfast and read a book outside on a porch. Then I would go on a nice long, slow bike ride exploring a new area and maybe stopping at a coffee shop along the way. I would bring my camera as well and take photos. I would spend my afternoon outside with friends with a soccer ball and some music, and then have a picnic dinner and watch the sunset. In the evening I would watch a movie or TV show in my room or do some artwork for fun.
AL: What is your favorite class that you’ve taken at Swarthmore and why?
AG: My first-year seminar first-year fall was very memorable. It was called imagining natural history with [Alexander Griswold Cummins Professor of English] Betsy Bolton and it was all about the local ecology and natural history of the Crum Woods. It was creatively engaging and the most memorable part was going kayaking in the Crum.
AL: “Swarth”-more or “Swath”-more?
AG: “Swarth”-more.
AL: What is the last song you’ve listened to?
AG: “One of These Nights” by The Eagles.
