Warlassies goalkeeper signs with UNC Asheville
Alison Little fulfills lifelong goal
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
November 9, 2023
Nesbitt Discover Academy senior and Warlassies goalkeeper Alison Little, bottom right, signs a letter of intent with UNC Asheville, Nov. 8. Photo by Fred McCormick
Preventing opponents from completing their objectives is typically the mission for Warlassies netminder Alison Little, but surrounded by family, friends, coaches and teammates in the Owen High School media center, Nov. 8, she celebrated a goal of her own.
Little, a senior at Nesbitt Discovery Academy and goalkeeper for Owen, fulfilled a lifelong dream, signing a letter of intent to continue her soccer career at UNC Asheville.
A four-year member of the Warlassies roster, Little recorded 170 saves and five shutouts in nearly 1,200 minutes as a junior. Prior to her return this spring as the team’s starting goalkeeper, she marked a major milestone in a career that began at the age of 4.
“It feels incredible,” Little said of committing to the Bulldogs, who finished the 2023 season with a 7-6-4 record. “It’s a tremendous weight lifted off of my shoulder, which will allow me to enjoy my senior season knowing that I have a future in soccer.”
Working toward that goal began when she joined the Highland Football Club as an 8-year-old.
“I fell in love with the sport when I was a kid,” Little said. “I really love playing the game, and I also love the community around the sport.”
Playing soccer at the NCAAA Division I level has been her dream for as long as she can remember, she added.
“When I was a little kid I would watch the pros and think, ‘I could be there one day,’” she recalled. “So, it’s super exciting to take this next step with a great college.”
Little initially met UNC Asheville head coach Andy McNab while training with the Asheville City Soccer Club, and interacted with Bulldogs assistant coach Bella LaCasto while working at an HFC camp last summer.
“I got to know them, and the goalkeeper coach Grant Stidham, when I started looking into the school,” she said. “I really fell in love with the UNCA and the soccer program after touring the campus; it seemed like a great fit for me.”
Owen goalkeeper Alison Little, who recorded 170 saves and five shutouts as a junior, signs to continue her soccer career at UNC Asheville, Nov. 8. Photo by Fred McCormick
The technically proficient goalkeeper will bring valuable characteristics to the Bulldogs program, according to Warlassies head coach Trei Morrison.
“I’ve known Alison forever, as a club soccer player, and she’s worked camps with me for Asheville Buncombe Youth Soccer Association,” he said. “From a soccer perspective, her work ethic and desire to constantly get better are unmatched. Other players have similar traits, but she has just worked incredibly hard to get where she is today.”
Little leads by example, on and off the field, Morrison added.
“She is a great team leader, and when you see her work with the young players in camps, she is fantastic at teaching the game to the kids,” he said. “Her love for soccer is contagious.”
The Owen coach believes the goalkeeper will strengthen the back line for UNCA.
“She is a great shot stopper,” Morrison said. “Her footwork is very strong, and to be honest, I think she could be a Division I player in the field. She has that kind of level of skill and understanding of the game.”
Little looks forward to her continued development in the net with the Bulldogs.
“I’m excited to see what I can be in this sport,” she said. “It will be fun to see how I can fit in on a new team and how I adapt to playing a totally different game.”