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Women’s Soccer Adds Olivia Mills to Staff
February 12, 2024 | Women's Soccer
Mills comes to the Cardinals after five seasons at Elon
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — University of Louisville women's soccer head coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes is excited to announce the addition of Olivia Mills to her coaching staff. Mills will be an assistant coach for the Cardinals primarily working with the goalkeepers and defenders. She comes to the Cardinals after spending the previous five seasons as an assistant coach at Elon.
"We are thrilled to add Olivia Mills to our staff," said Ferguson-Dayes. "We did a very thorough and comprehensive search as we knew adding the right goalkeeper coach and person was critical. Olivia is an excellent goalkeeper coach and we are confident that she will be able to challenge our goalkeepers while helping them reach their full potential. More importantly than Olivia being an excellent coach she is a wonderful person who will quickly gain the trust and respect of our team."
"I am humbled and thrilled to become a part of this incredible program," said Mills. "The opportunity to work alongside such a prestigious and dedicated coaching staff is something I don't take for granted, and I am committed to contributing my best efforts to help elevate and enhance the program, striving to make it even better. UofL is full of special people, and I am excited to integrate myself into this program and community!"
During her time with the Phoenix, Mills mentored some of the best players in their program's history. The 2023 season was a historic one for the record books for the goalkeeping unit under Mills. Goalkeeper McKenna Dalfonso etched her name into the Elon record books, finishing with the all-time record for shutouts in a career. The 21 solo shutouts and 22.5 including combined shutouts were both Elon records that stood for more than 30 years. Dalfonso also finished the top-10 for games started, goals-allowed-average, saves, games played and goalkeeper minutes.
During the 2022 season, Dalfonso recorded seven shutouts and did not allow a CAA goal at Rudd Field. The Phoenix finished with a 9-6-3 record and a top-four seed at the CAA Tournament.
In the fall of 2021, Mills helped guide the maroon and gold to a 9-6-2 record. For their performance during the regular season, Kayla Hodges, Carson Jones and Makenzie DePriest-Kessler were tabbed all-conference honorees.
During the historic spring 2021 season, Mills assisted in leading the Phoenix to its first-ever Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship title and second appearance in the NCAA Division I Championship. Over the course of the season, the Phoenix registered six shutouts, with four of them coming against conference opponents. Four players earned all-conference honors for their performances in the regular season.
In her first season with the Phoenix, Mills helped guide the program to a 12-6-2 overall record, including a 5-3-1 record in conference play. The Phoenix's strong performance throughout the season led to their first berth to the CAA Tournament in program history. Mills helped lead the Phoenix's goalkeepers to a season in which they made 75 total saves and earned four shutout victories. The Phoenix also excelled in the classroom in Mills' first season, earning a program record cumulative GPA of 3.69 for the 2019-20 academic year.
Prior to her time at Elon, Mills was an assistant coach for two seasons with the Campbell women's soccer program. Mills was involved in all areas of recruiting, field instruction and administrative tasks, as well as working specifically with the goalkeepers and CU's sport science initiatives.
Mills helped train the Camels' goalkeeping unit over two seasons in 2017 and 2018. Under her direction in 2017, the goalkeepers conceded a combined 18 goals, the fewest in program history since 1995. Erin Scott developed into one of the conference's best keepers under the direction of Mills. She allowed just 17 goals in 1495 minutes between the sticks for a GAA of 1.02, the fourth-best in program history. Scott notched six solo shutouts on the season, which also ranks fourth in Campbell women's soccer history.
Before joining the Campbell coaching staff, Mills served as an assistant coach at Troy University for one season in 2016. Under her guidance, the Troy goalkeepers only allowed 22 goals on the season, posting a 1.05 GAA. Mikki Lewis had a stellar 2016 season, posting seven shutouts, a 1.08 GAA, which is the fourth-best in program history, and notching 65 saves.
Mills began her coaching career in 2015 at Stetson, where she served as an assistant coach. She worked with the Hatters' goalkeepers, as well as working closely with the staff to design and facilitate all aspects of team training. Under her tutelage, the goalkeepers posted a 1.99 GAA and notched 92 saves. Prior to arriving in DeLand, Fla., Mills spent the summer of 2015 as a strength and conditioning intern at Colorado State, where she developed and executed the summer strength and conditioning program for the Rams football program.
She graduated from Valdosta State in 2015 with a degree in Exercise Physiology. Mills spent four seasons as a team-captain in goal with the Blazers and helped to lead VSU to the 2014 Gulf South Conference championship and a No. 23 overall ranking, as well as three consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament appearances from 2012-14. She earned all-conference honors on three occasions, all-region honors following her senior season, and was named to the Gulf South's all-academic team in 2012, 2014 and 2015.
"We are thrilled to add Olivia Mills to our staff," said Ferguson-Dayes. "We did a very thorough and comprehensive search as we knew adding the right goalkeeper coach and person was critical. Olivia is an excellent goalkeeper coach and we are confident that she will be able to challenge our goalkeepers while helping them reach their full potential. More importantly than Olivia being an excellent coach she is a wonderful person who will quickly gain the trust and respect of our team."
"I am humbled and thrilled to become a part of this incredible program," said Mills. "The opportunity to work alongside such a prestigious and dedicated coaching staff is something I don't take for granted, and I am committed to contributing my best efforts to help elevate and enhance the program, striving to make it even better. UofL is full of special people, and I am excited to integrate myself into this program and community!"
During her time with the Phoenix, Mills mentored some of the best players in their program's history. The 2023 season was a historic one for the record books for the goalkeeping unit under Mills. Goalkeeper McKenna Dalfonso etched her name into the Elon record books, finishing with the all-time record for shutouts in a career. The 21 solo shutouts and 22.5 including combined shutouts were both Elon records that stood for more than 30 years. Dalfonso also finished the top-10 for games started, goals-allowed-average, saves, games played and goalkeeper minutes.
During the 2022 season, Dalfonso recorded seven shutouts and did not allow a CAA goal at Rudd Field. The Phoenix finished with a 9-6-3 record and a top-four seed at the CAA Tournament.
In the fall of 2021, Mills helped guide the maroon and gold to a 9-6-2 record. For their performance during the regular season, Kayla Hodges, Carson Jones and Makenzie DePriest-Kessler were tabbed all-conference honorees.
During the historic spring 2021 season, Mills assisted in leading the Phoenix to its first-ever Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship title and second appearance in the NCAA Division I Championship. Over the course of the season, the Phoenix registered six shutouts, with four of them coming against conference opponents. Four players earned all-conference honors for their performances in the regular season.
In her first season with the Phoenix, Mills helped guide the program to a 12-6-2 overall record, including a 5-3-1 record in conference play. The Phoenix's strong performance throughout the season led to their first berth to the CAA Tournament in program history. Mills helped lead the Phoenix's goalkeepers to a season in which they made 75 total saves and earned four shutout victories. The Phoenix also excelled in the classroom in Mills' first season, earning a program record cumulative GPA of 3.69 for the 2019-20 academic year.
Prior to her time at Elon, Mills was an assistant coach for two seasons with the Campbell women's soccer program. Mills was involved in all areas of recruiting, field instruction and administrative tasks, as well as working specifically with the goalkeepers and CU's sport science initiatives.
Mills helped train the Camels' goalkeeping unit over two seasons in 2017 and 2018. Under her direction in 2017, the goalkeepers conceded a combined 18 goals, the fewest in program history since 1995. Erin Scott developed into one of the conference's best keepers under the direction of Mills. She allowed just 17 goals in 1495 minutes between the sticks for a GAA of 1.02, the fourth-best in program history. Scott notched six solo shutouts on the season, which also ranks fourth in Campbell women's soccer history.
Before joining the Campbell coaching staff, Mills served as an assistant coach at Troy University for one season in 2016. Under her guidance, the Troy goalkeepers only allowed 22 goals on the season, posting a 1.05 GAA. Mikki Lewis had a stellar 2016 season, posting seven shutouts, a 1.08 GAA, which is the fourth-best in program history, and notching 65 saves.
Mills began her coaching career in 2015 at Stetson, where she served as an assistant coach. She worked with the Hatters' goalkeepers, as well as working closely with the staff to design and facilitate all aspects of team training. Under her tutelage, the goalkeepers posted a 1.99 GAA and notched 92 saves. Prior to arriving in DeLand, Fla., Mills spent the summer of 2015 as a strength and conditioning intern at Colorado State, where she developed and executed the summer strength and conditioning program for the Rams football program.
She graduated from Valdosta State in 2015 with a degree in Exercise Physiology. Mills spent four seasons as a team-captain in goal with the Blazers and helped to lead VSU to the 2014 Gulf South Conference championship and a No. 23 overall ranking, as well as three consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament appearances from 2012-14. She earned all-conference honors on three occasions, all-region honors following her senior season, and was named to the Gulf South's all-academic team in 2012, 2014 and 2015.
WSOC: Karen Ferguson-Dayes Presser (11/17/25)
Monday, November 17
NCAA Tournament: Louisville vs. Kentucky
Monday, November 17
WSOC: Mackenzie Geigle and Erynn Floyd Presser (vs. Kentucky/NCAA Tournament - 11/15/25)
Saturday, November 15
WSOC: Kentucky Highlights - NCAA Tournament (11/15/25)
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