Olivia Griffitts

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Olivia Griffitts
Personal information
Full name Olivia Smith-Griffitts
Birth name Olivia Smith
Date of birth (2001-08-02) August 2, 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth Eagle, Idaho, U.S.
Height 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Position(s) Right back
Team information
Current team
 Utah Royals
Number 3
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2019–2023 BYU Cougars 82 (4)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2024– Utah Royals 7 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of May 12, 2024

Olivia Smith-Griffitts ( née Smith; born August 2, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a right back for the Utah Royals of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Born and raised in Eagle, Idaho, she played college soccer for the BYU Cougars before being drafted by the Royals in the 2024 NWSL Draft.

Contents

Early life and college career

Griffitts was born in Eagle, Idaho, to Matt and Allyson Smith, and has five siblings. [1] [2] She played at forward before becoming a right back, leading her high school conference in scoring as a senior at Eagle High School in 2018–19. [3]

BYU Cougars

Griffitts redshirted her first year with the BYU Cougars before becoming a four-year starter for the team, starting 79 of 82 appearances and scoring four goals. In her first full season, she provided eight assists and was named to the All-West Coast Conference freshman team for the 2021 season, helping reach the final of the NCAA tournament, followed by second-team All-WCC honors as a redshirt sophomore in 2022. She contributed eight assists in the 2023 season and helped the Cougars advance to the semifinals of the NCAA tournament. [2] [3]

Club career

Utah Royals

Griffitts was drafted 20th overall by the expansion team Utah Royals in the second round of the 2024 NWSL Draft. [3] She was signed to a one-year contract with an option for a further year. [4] She debuted for the Royals on March 31, starting in place of an injury Imani Dorsey in a 2–1 loss against the Washington Spirit. [5] She scored her first professional goal, off Ally Sentnor's assist, in a 5–1 defeat to Racing Louisville on April 20. [6] On October 1, she signed a new contract to keep her with Utah to the end of 2027. [7] She played 13 games (all starts) in her rookie season as the Royals finished 11th of 14 teams. [8]

Personal life

She married Kyle Griffitts in 2023. [2]

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References

  1. ↑ "Olivia Griffitts". Utah Royals . Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Olivia Smith-Griffitts". BYU Cougars . Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Lyckama, Michael (January 18, 2024). "Another Idaho native selected in NWSL Draft. She's part of a growing trend". Idaho Statesman . Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Olivia Griffitts Puts Pen To Paper With Utah Royals FC". Utah Royals. March 21, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Royals Suffer Narrow Defeat In Spirit Loss". Utah Royals. March 31, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  6. ↑ Holt, Chandler (April 20, 2024). "Former BYU Cougar Olivia Griffitts Scores First NWSL Goal With Utah Royals". KSL Sports. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Utah Royals FC Defender Olivia Griffitts Signs Through 2027". Utah Royals. October 1, 2024. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
  8. ↑ "2024 Utah Royals Stats". FBref.com . Retrieved December 19, 2024.
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