Jenna Butler (soccer)

Last updated

Jenna Butler
Duke vs Ascent 2025 - 030 (cropped).jpg
Butler with the Carolina Ascent in 2025
Personal information
Full name Jenna Carolene Butler [1]
Date of birth (2000-01-18) January 18, 2000 (age 26)
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position Center back
Team information
Current team
 Carolina Ascent
Number 5
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2018–2022 NC State Wolfpack 86 (7)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2024 Carolina Ascent (USL W) 10 (2)
2024 Washington Spirit 1 (0)
2025– Carolina Ascent 15 (2)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of September 3, 2025

Jenna Carolene Butler (born January 18, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center back for USL Super League club Carolina Ascent. She played college soccer for the NC State Wolfpack and began her professional career with the Washington Spirit in 2024.

Contents

Early life

Butler grew up in Gainesville, Virginia. [2] She played club soccer for Prince William Courage, Northern Virginia SC, Fredericksburg FC, and FC Virginia. [2] She committed to the NC State Wolfpack during her junior year. [3]

College career

Butler played five seasons for the NC State Wolfpack, starting in 86 games and scoring 7 goals as a center back. [2] In her freshman season in 2018, she played in two NCAA tournament wins, scoring the lone goal of the opening round against Northwestern and taking out seven seed Santa Clara on penalties, but she missed the round of 16 loss to UCLA due to injury. [2] After suffering a season-ending injury as a sophomore in 2019, she had a short junior season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. [2] She started every game over the following two full seasons, making use of the extra year of NCAA eligibility granted due to the pandemic, [2] and helped the Wolfpack to fifth and sixth consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, not counting the pandemic year. [4] She graduated from NC State with a degree in industrial and systems engineering in 2022. [5]

After graduating, Butler declared for the 2023 NWSL Draft but was not selected. [6] The following year, she played for the Carolina Ascent's USL W League side, starting all 10 games and scoring 2 goals, and was named in the league's second-team Team of the Year. [7]

Club career

Washington Spirit

The NWSL's Washington Spirit announced on July 18, 2024, that they had signed Butler to first professional deal on a national team replacement contract. [8] She made her professional debut three days later, starting and playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 win over Mexican club Guadalajara in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. [9] She went on to play the entirety of the Spirit's three Summer Cup games and appeared as a substitute in their friendly against Arsenal. On August 23, the Spirit re-signed Butler for the remainder of the season. [10] On October 6, she made her NWSL regular-season debut against the Orlando Pride as a stoppage-time substitute for the injured Andi Sullivan. [11] She wasn't used in the playoffs as the Spirit reached the 2024 NWSL Championship, losing to Orlando. [12]

Carolina Ascent

On January 16, 2025, Butler returned to the Carolina Ascent – now their professional side in the USL Super League – during their inaugural season. [13] She made her USL Super League debut in the spring opener, a 2–1 win over Lexington SC on February 15. [14] On March 8, she scored her first professional goal with a header from Jill Aguilera's set piece in a 2–1 victory over the Spokane Zephyr. [15] She played every minute of the Ascent's games in the spring, helping secure the Players' Shield with the best record in the league. She was named in the USL Super League Team of the Month twice in her first four months. [16] In the playoff semifinals, the Ascent lost 2–1 to Fort Lauderdale United in extra time. [17] She remained on the field for every minute until she was handed a straight red card for her foul on a stoppage-time breakaway in a 1–0 loss to the Spokane Zephyr on September 24. [18]

Honors

Carolina Ascent

References

  1. ↑ "NC State University Fall 2022 Commencement Program". North Carolina State University. December 15, 2022. p. 8. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Jenna Butler". NC State Wolfpack . Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  3. ↑ Clark, Travis (August 20, 2025). "Recruiting Roundup: December 26-Jan. 2". TopDrawerSoccer . Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Women's Soccer Earns Sixth Straight NCAA Tournament Appearance". NC State Wolfpack. November 7, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  5. ↑ Lasson, Rob (December 20, 2022). "ISE Senior Scores her Degree". North Carolina State University . Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  6. ↑ "NWSL Announces Final Draft-Eligible List". TopDrawerSoccer . January 11, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  7. ↑ "USL W League announces 2024 Team of the Year". USL W League. July 30, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Washington Spirit Signs Three to National Team Replacement Contracts". Washington Spirit. July 18, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Recap: Spirit prevails, 2-1, in inaugural Summer Cup match versus Chivas Femenil". Washington Spirit. July 21, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Washington Spirit Extends Jenna Butler and Kaylie Collins Through End of 2024". Washington Spirit. August 23, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Recap: Spirit falls to Orlando, 0–2". Washington Spirit. October 6, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Jenna Butler 2024 Match Logs". FBref.com . Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Carolina Ascent FC Sign NWSL Defender Jenna Butler". Carolina Ascent FC. January 16, 2025. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  14. ↑ Clark, Harrison (June 25, 2025). "2024/25: A Season of Firsts". Carolina Ascent FC . Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  15. ↑ Clark, Harrison (March 9, 2025). "Carolina Ascent FC Pick Up Away Win Over Spokane Zephyr FC, 2-1". Carolina Ascent FC . Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  16. ↑ Clark, Harrison (June 4, 2025). "Jenna Butler Earns May Team of the Month Honors". Carolina Ascent FC . Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  17. ↑ Gaskins, Cam (June 9, 2025). "Carolina Ascent inaugural season ends with semifinal loss to Fort Lauderdale". WBTV . Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  18. ↑ Clark, Harrison (September 24, 2025). "Carolina Ascent Drops First Match, Loses to Spokane 1-0". Carolina Ascent FC . Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Carolina Ascent claims 2024/25 USL Super League Players' Shield". USL Super League. May 17, 2025. Archived from the original on May 22, 2025. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
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