Meet The Huskies: Part Three
August 10, 2012 | Women's Soccer
Aug. 10, 2012
SEATTLE - The Washington women's soccer team will open its season on Aug. 31st at Seattle University. In the last segment of Meet the Huskies, get to know three freshmen and a transfer who are all getting ready to don the purple and gold for the first time on the pitch for UW.
Tori Burns
Goalkeeper, Oakland, Calif. / Bishop O'Dowd
Burns is a former teammate of current Huskies Christina Archer and Chelsea Archer. A native of Oakland, Calif., Burns played for the Mustang Soccer Club team in Danville, Calif., for two years and the Bay Oaks Soccer Club team in Alameda, Calif., for four years. Burns lead her club to three first championships; the 2010 Surf Cup in San Diego, Calif., the 2011 Cal North Championship in Sacramento, Calif., and the 2011 US Youth Soccer Far West Regionals in Boise, Idaho. The club also finished fourth in the 2011 US Youth Soccer National Championships in Phoenix, Ariz. At Bishop O'Dowd, Burns was a four-year letterwinner and captain her senior year. She was a First-Team All-League her sophomore season and Second-Team All-League her junior season. In addition to soccer, she has participated in golf her freshman year and was named First-Team All-League and is also a National Hispanic Scholar. Burns also has a resume that you don't see much for soccer players - she has earned a Junior Black Belt in Karate and was the only girl to be a four-time Little League Baseball All-Star team member.
Charlee Garcia
Midfielder/Defender, Pleasanton, Calif. / Amador Valley
Garcia, from Pleasanton, Calif., can play as a midfielder or a defender. Having a dual-citizenship in USA and Mexico, and also speaking both English and Spanish, Garcia has played for the Mexican Women's National Team since 2009; she was teammates with former Husky Veronica Perez. For the U-17 team, she helped lead the team to a first-place finish in the 2010 Four Nations Tournament in Trinidad & Tobago. The team also qualified for the U-17 World Cup in 2010 in Costa Rica, finishing second in the tournament. At Amador Valley High School, she was a four-year letterwinner for the Dons; the school's colors are also purple and gold. Garcia has played with three different club teams - FC Fremont (2000-08), Pleasanton Rage (2009-10), and with De Anza Force ECNL (2010-pres). She helped lead the Force to the semifinals at the 2011 Surf Cup in San Diego, Calif.
Tessa Vollrath
Midfielder/Forward, Seattle, Wash. / Roosevelt
Vollrath is a local signee who hails from Seattle Wash. At Roosevelt High School, she was a four-year letterwinner, earning Second-Team All-KingCo her junior year and First-Team her senior year. As a senior captain, she tied for first on the team with four goals, one assist, and nine points. During the first game of the 2011 season on September 6, Vollrath scored three unassisted goals in a 3-3 tie against Inglemoor. Vollrath played club soccer for three teams - the Northwest Nationals (2005-07), Emerald City FC (2007-10), and Seattle United FC (2010-12). Vollrath was also a three-year letterwinner in Track and Field, reaching the district finals in the 100m hurdles, 300m hurdles, and 4x100 relay.
Kate Bennett
Midfielder, Bellevue, Wash. / Bellevue
Bennett is a transfer from Cal, where she played two years there. She returns to her home state and will have two years to play at UW. At Cal, she played in 39 games and made 12 starts, scoring one goal and tallying five assists. Bennett came into the college soccer scene as one of the most highly rated midfielders in the U.S., having plenty of National Team experience. She started with the U-16 squad and moved up to each youth national team. With the U-17 team, she was selected to play in the first U-17 World Cup in New Zealand, where the US team finished in second. Before heading off to the World Cup, Bennett had trained with the Crossfire Premier U-18 boys team. At Bellevue High School, Bennett was an all-state selection, a two-time all-league selection, a two-time Adidas-ESP All-Star team member, a two-time NSCAA youth All-American and a Parade Magazine All-American. She was also a five-time state champion with Crossfire Premier. Off the field, Bennett is the co-founder of the Bellevue High School Microfinance Club, which is dedicated to helping individuals in the Dominican Republic become self sufficient; she once raised $120,000 for the organization to extend small business loans to poor people in the developing country.
