Meet Olivia Albert, the East Lansing senior who will play college soccer at Indiana

EAST LANSING - For those who only follow high school soccer in Greater Lansing, there’s a chance you might not know who Olivia Albert is.

However, for those keenly aware of the club scene in Michigan and who are knowledgeable about the top college prospects, Albert is well-known.

Albert, a senior at East Lansing, chose not to play high school soccer, opting to play year-round with her club soccer team, Midwest United FC, based out of Grand Rapids.

And Albert definitely didn’t need high school soccer to gain more recruiting attention – she has been committed to Indiana University since the spring of 2018, her freshman year. Last week, Albert made it official when she signed her national letter of intent at East Lansing High School.

“I wasn’t really that far into my recruiting process, but I just really loved the campus and I loved the people,” Albert said. “So when I got there, I knew it was the right fit. I knew it was the place for me.”

Albert will be the second Greater Lansing native on Indiana’s roster next season, joining Okemos graduate Bria Telemaque - who, like Albert, graduated from Midwest United's academy.

Albert plays center back for Midwest United and is expected to play the same position at Indiana. The position is second nature to Albert, who has played there since fourth grade.

What makes Albert such a good center back is her athleticism and quickness are already at Big Ten-playing levels, says her United academy coach, Lewis Robinson. On top of that, her reaction time and quickness in the first five yards of any action also stand out.

“The level of commitment that’s made to forego high school and drive to Grand Rapids four times a week to play on a top national club team with other Division I players is really the driver of her success,” Robinson said. “She’s got really high standards and she’s a continual learner, which you have to be to play at that level.

“She’s so nimble and fast, which is really what separates most top soccer players."

It’s just not all that, though. Robinson also notes her soccer IQ, ability in the air on headers, ability to pass the ball to all quadrants of the field and how’s she become a leader for the team over the past couple of years.

“Those are the things that really separate her between all of her peers at that level and allow her to get to the next level,” Robinson said.

“When you start looking at Big Ten center backs, you’re looking at someone who has to be tenacious and be a top-level defender, but they also have to be quality on the ball. They got to be able to pass, they got to be able to dribble, they got to be able to lead, which is really important. And I think Olivia’s really got that.”

Along with her age-group club duties, Albert also logged some game time for MUFC in the United Women’s Soccer league this past summer – the same league Lansing United was in the last few years. She played in all three playoff games, including 67 minutes in the national semifinal against Connecticut Fusion.

“For the past few years, I’ve been able to play with the best players and (it has) given me the best environment I could have,” Albert said.

She’s been with the club since eighth grade. And Albert's not the only recent East Lansing graduate to skip the high school season; Zoe Morse, who currently plays for the Chicago Red Stars in the UWSL and is also a defender, did the same.

“It was the right place for me and my future and I’m really glad that I made that decision,” Albert said.

She’s traveled all over the U.S. for United, and also went to France to play in the summer of 2018 as part of Generation Adidas. Albert also got to meet players from Olympique Lyonnais, seven-time winners of the UEFA Champions League and arguably the biggest women's club soccer team in the world.

“That was crazy,” Albert said. “I really loved it. I met some people I still talk to today. I played against the French players and I got to meet all the professional players from the team in Lyon.”

Albert won’t be wasting any time starting her career at Indiana – she’s enrolling in January.

“We are very excited to have Olivia join us this spring,” said Indiana coach Erwin van Bennekom via email. “I have known and followed her for a while and feel she will fit in very well on and off the field.”

Next fall will be van Bennekom’s fourth season in charge of Indiana, following his tenure at Duke that saw him reach the College Cup twice and the national title game in 2015. In van Bennekom’s three seasons, the Hoosiers’ winning percentage has increased each year.

“I knew when I was committing to the program what the goal was going to be, to build a program for the future,” Albert said. “And so I really hope that we can someday get somewhere where we’re matching the men’s program.”

Contact digital sports reporter Phil Friend at 517-377-1220 or pfriend@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Phil_Friend.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: East Lansing senior Olivia Albert signs with Indiana University soccer