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Sophomore Sensation Avery Oder is Built for the Big Stage
10/19/2026 3:05:00 PM | Women's Soccer
A product of Roswell, Ga., Riley Jackson is in her third season with the North Carolina Courage. Once a Duke women's soccer commit, Jackson signed with the Courage as a 17-year-old in high school. A former No. 1-ranked recruit nationally, she was the 2021-22 Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Jackson will continue serving as a contributing writer throughout the 2026 season, telling stories about the Duke women's soccer program.
DURHAM, N.C.— Duke women's soccer sophomore Avery Oder is no stranger to big moments. For the second straight year, the California native opened the season with a goal, this time in front of a hometown crowd of family and friends during the Blue Devils' 3-1 win at Southern California to kick off 2026. It was the dream start to an exciting campaign for Oder, showcasing her rapid development and growing impact on the pitch.
"There is obviously a ton of excitement about the first game of the season and especially this year since I was surrounded by my family and friends," said Oder. "It was such an incredible trip, and being able to visit home and bring the whole team to my house was so cool. Besides my family, a lot of my high school friends and family friends were at the game, and scoring in front of them was really cool too. My aunts and uncles and grandparents all came as well, and that was one of the few times that they have been able to see me play in person, which was really special."
Oder's family has been an important support system for her since day one. With both parents having played collegiate sports at Pepperdine, their understanding of the sports world and wealth of experience have provided her with constant encouragement.
"They have been such great supporters of me since day one," said Oder. "My mom played college soccer at Pepperdine and my dad played baseball at Pepperdine so they understand how the sports world works and have experience playing at the Division I level. It has been great for me to lean on them and get advice from them throughout this journey so far. They have always been so committed and so helpful to me."
Another role model for Oder is former Duke midfielder Carina Lageyre, who now stars for National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) side Angel City FC. Reflecting on her own journey, Oder shared the advice she would give her freshman self: learn from the upperclassmen, attack your goals with confidence and maintain a growth mindset.
"I would tell myself to be confident to go after what you want and learn from the seniors. I think specifically Carina Lageyre has been such a great role model for me. She was so helpful when I came into Duke a semester early and she is also one of my best friends," said Oder. "Attacking every practice and having a growth mindset really helped me my first semester. One of the biggest learning curves as a forward here is learning how to defend and press because the expectations are different from that of club soccer and I think my openness to learning helped me with that."
With 36 appearances for the Blue Devils under her belt, Oder continues to build invaluable confidence on the pitch. Tasked with playing multiple roles this season, she has displayed extraordinary versatility, seamlessly shifting between the midfield and the front line to influence the game.
"The sky is the limit for her. She is playing multiple positions for us these days and showing her versatility," said Duke head coach Kieran Hall. "Ultimately Avery is just so cerebral; she thinks a step or two ahead and understands where to move and when to move."
"This season I've played a few different positions now. I want to continue to grow on the final product, whether that is connecting my through passes when I am in the midfield or putting the ball in the back of the net from a central position," said Oder. "When I am wide it means connecting my crosses and scoring more goals. I also just want to be someone my team can lean on in big moments."
Oder's ability to influence games and score goals is part of what makes her special. In a statement 5-0 victory over then-No. 1 Stanford, Oder delivered a standout performance with two vital goals. She doubled the Blue Devils' lead before halftime and later buried her second penalty of the season to make it 4-0.
"Scoring that first-half goal against Stanford was my favorite moment from the season so far," said Oder. "Going into that game, the team was so confident and I felt confident trying to not make the moment bigger than it was. I was just happy to contribute to the team's success."
So far this season, Oder has tallied six goals and four assists, showing no signs of slowing down. Her six goals and four assists through 13 matches have already equaled her season totals from her rookie season. Oder has started 34-of-36 matches for the Blue Devils since stepping foot on campus.
"Avery is showing more and more appetite to affect games and scorelines, really reveling in taking responsibility for her role and the team," said Hall. "She is refining her game to become more and more effective."
Continuing to build connections and drawing on her previous experience will be critical heading into the postseason. The front line at Duke features exciting individual talent but truly shines as a potent, unified force when everyone is on the same page.
"Now that I have played in an ACC Tournament and an NCAA College Cup, I understand what it takes to get to those places again this year," said Oder. "I think up front you can see that our connections and chemistry are really good, so I think that it is important that we continue to work off each other and play as a unit rather than individuals.
Watch the Blue Devils in their next ACC match on Oct. 24 against NC State at 5 p.m., inside Freeman Field at Koskinen Stadium.
#GoDuke
DURHAM, N.C.— Duke women's soccer sophomore Avery Oder is no stranger to big moments. For the second straight year, the California native opened the season with a goal, this time in front of a hometown crowd of family and friends during the Blue Devils' 3-1 win at Southern California to kick off 2026. It was the dream start to an exciting campaign for Oder, showcasing her rapid development and growing impact on the pitch.
"There is obviously a ton of excitement about the first game of the season and especially this year since I was surrounded by my family and friends," said Oder. "It was such an incredible trip, and being able to visit home and bring the whole team to my house was so cool. Besides my family, a lot of my high school friends and family friends were at the game, and scoring in front of them was really cool too. My aunts and uncles and grandparents all came as well, and that was one of the few times that they have been able to see me play in person, which was really special."
Oder's family has been an important support system for her since day one. With both parents having played collegiate sports at Pepperdine, their understanding of the sports world and wealth of experience have provided her with constant encouragement.
"They have been such great supporters of me since day one," said Oder. "My mom played college soccer at Pepperdine and my dad played baseball at Pepperdine so they understand how the sports world works and have experience playing at the Division I level. It has been great for me to lean on them and get advice from them throughout this journey so far. They have always been so committed and so helpful to me."
Another role model for Oder is former Duke midfielder Carina Lageyre, who now stars for National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) side Angel City FC. Reflecting on her own journey, Oder shared the advice she would give her freshman self: learn from the upperclassmen, attack your goals with confidence and maintain a growth mindset.
"I would tell myself to be confident to go after what you want and learn from the seniors. I think specifically Carina Lageyre has been such a great role model for me. She was so helpful when I came into Duke a semester early and she is also one of my best friends," said Oder. "Attacking every practice and having a growth mindset really helped me my first semester. One of the biggest learning curves as a forward here is learning how to defend and press because the expectations are different from that of club soccer and I think my openness to learning helped me with that."
With 36 appearances for the Blue Devils under her belt, Oder continues to build invaluable confidence on the pitch. Tasked with playing multiple roles this season, she has displayed extraordinary versatility, seamlessly shifting between the midfield and the front line to influence the game.
"The sky is the limit for her. She is playing multiple positions for us these days and showing her versatility," said Duke head coach Kieran Hall. "Ultimately Avery is just so cerebral; she thinks a step or two ahead and understands where to move and when to move."
"This season I've played a few different positions now. I want to continue to grow on the final product, whether that is connecting my through passes when I am in the midfield or putting the ball in the back of the net from a central position," said Oder. "When I am wide it means connecting my crosses and scoring more goals. I also just want to be someone my team can lean on in big moments."
Oder's ability to influence games and score goals is part of what makes her special. In a statement 5-0 victory over then-No. 1 Stanford, Oder delivered a standout performance with two vital goals. She doubled the Blue Devils' lead before halftime and later buried her second penalty of the season to make it 4-0.
"Scoring that first-half goal against Stanford was my favorite moment from the season so far," said Oder. "Going into that game, the team was so confident and I felt confident trying to not make the moment bigger than it was. I was just happy to contribute to the team's success."
So far this season, Oder has tallied six goals and four assists, showing no signs of slowing down. Her six goals and four assists through 13 matches have already equaled her season totals from her rookie season. Oder has started 34-of-36 matches for the Blue Devils since stepping foot on campus.
"Avery is showing more and more appetite to affect games and scorelines, really reveling in taking responsibility for her role and the team," said Hall. "She is refining her game to become more and more effective."
Continuing to build connections and drawing on her previous experience will be critical heading into the postseason. The front line at Duke features exciting individual talent but truly shines as a potent, unified force when everyone is on the same page.
"Now that I have played in an ACC Tournament and an NCAA College Cup, I understand what it takes to get to those places again this year," said Oder. "I think up front you can see that our connections and chemistry are really good, so I think that it is important that we continue to work off each other and play as a unit rather than individuals.
Watch the Blue Devils in their next ACC match on Oct. 24 against NC State at 5 p.m., inside Freeman Field at Koskinen Stadium.
#GoDuke
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