Wikipedia

Draft:Aven Alvarez

Aven Alvarez
Alvarez with the North Carolina Courage U23 in 2024
Personal information
Full name Aven Elizabeth Alvarez[1]
Date of birth (2006-11-14) November 14, 2006 (age 19)[1]
Height 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Positions
Team information
Current team
 North Carolina Tar Heels
Number 4
Youth career
North Carolina Courage Academy
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024– North Carolina Tar Heels 42 (1)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023– North Carolina Courage U23 14 (1)
International career‡
2023 United States U-17 2 (0)
2023–2024 United States U-19 6 (0)
2024– United States U-20 3 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals
‡ National team caps and goals as of May 30, 2025

Aven Elizabeth Alvarez (born November 14, 2006) is an American college soccer player who plays as a right back for the North Carolina Tar Heels. She won the 2024 national championship with the Tar Heels. She won bronze with the United States under-19 team at the 2023 Pan American Games.

Early life

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Alvarez was raised in a soccer family in the Fort Liberty area, the oldest of four children born to Laura and Daniel Alvarez. Her father, who serves in the United States Army, played professionally for USL First Division club Virginia Beach Mariners.[2][3] Alvarez joined the North Carolina Courage Academy at age 13, with her family moving to the Triangle so that she and her siblings could train at a higher level.[4][5] She became the captain of her Courage team and earned ECNL All-American honors in 2023.[2][6] Alvarez also played for the Courage's USL W League side, helping the team to the national title game in 2023 and becoming undefeated national champions in 2024.[7][8]

Alvarez committed to the University of North Carolina, the alma mater of her idol Emily Fox, during her junior year.[5][9] She graduated from Crossroads Flex High School one year early to begin college at age 17.[2][10]

College career

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Alvarez appeared in all 27 games for the North Carolina Tar Heels, starting 13, as a freshman in 2024. In the NCAA tournament, she started and played the full match in the semifinals (3–0 versus Duke) and the final (1–0 versus Wake Forest), helping North Carolina win its 23rd national title and first since 2012.[2][11] She started 15 games as a sophomore in 2025, but missed the NCAA tournament as the team lost in the third round on penalties.[2][12]

International career

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Alvarez made two friendly international appearances for the United States under-17 team in 2023.[13] Later that year, she played all five games for the under-19 team, starting three of them, at the 2023 Pan American Games. The team won bronze as they played against other countries' senior sides.[14][15] She was called up to train with the under-20 team ahead of the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.[16]

Honors and awards

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North Carolina Courage U23

North Carolina Tar Heels

United States U19

References

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  1. 1 2 "National team roster – 2025 Concacaf Women's Under-20 Championship" (PDF). CONCACAF. p. 8. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Aven Alvarez". North Carolina Tar Heels. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  3. ↑ Sugar, Luke (September 19, 2024). "Aven Alvarez of the North Carolina women's soccer team gets an amazing surprise". Keeping It Heel. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
  4. ↑ Abramson, Evan (February 26, 2024). "Financial aid program at North Carolina FC Youth Soccer promotes accessibility". Spectrum News 1 North Carolina. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Gallup, Jasmine (July 21, 2023). "The Women's World Cup Will Be Bigger Than Ever This Year—Especially in North Carolina, Where Soccer Stars Are Born". Indy Week. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  6. ↑ "ECNL Girls 2022-23 All-American Teams". Elite Clubs National League. August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
  7. ↑ "Three W League players called up by the United States, fourth named as an alternate". USL W League. October 19, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  8. ↑ "NC Courage U23 claims 2024 USL W League title after second-half comeback". USL W League. July 20, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  9. ↑ Clark, Travis (September 11, 2023). "SIMA Recruiting Roundup: September 11-17". TopDrawerSoccer. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  10. ↑ Alongi, Tess (October 5, 2024). "Players nicknamed the 'game changers' push UNC women's soccer past Louisville". The Daily Tar Heel. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  11. ↑ Koh, Michael (December 9, 2024). "UNC Women's Soccer Beats Wake Forest to Win 23rd National Championship". Chapelboro.com. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  12. ↑ Koh, Michael (November 24, 2025). "UNC Women's Soccer's Season Ends in Penalty Shootout in NCAA Tournament Round of 16". Chapelboro.com. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
  13. ↑ "U.S. U17 WNT Split Games Against England". United States Soccer Federation. February 19, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
  14. ↑ https://www.soccerway.com/player/alvarez-aven/COiSdpZ2
  15. ↑ "U19 WNT Finish Second at Pan-American Games". United States Soccer Federation. November 6, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
  16. ↑ "U.S. Under-20 Women's Youth National Team Will Play Two Matches Against Mexico in Athens, GA During Final Training Camp Before 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup". United States Soccer Federation. July 1, 2024.
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