MALIBU, California – Senior midfielder/forward
Joelle Anderson added to the Pepperdine women's soccer program's legacy of NWSL Draft selections as she was picked in the third round (26th overall) by the Houston Dash on Wednesday.
Anderson (San Jose, Calif./Harker School) is a three-time All-West Coast Conference selection (2019 first team and 2017 and 2018 second team), and a two-time United Soccer Coaches All-West Region pick (2019 first team and 2017 second team).
She heads into the Waves' spring season having accumulated 21 goals, 13 assists and 55 points, while having started 40 of 55 career matches over three seasons. On Pepperdine's career records lists, she ranks fifth in shots per game (2.87), tied for seventh in points per game (1.00), eighth in shots (158), ninth in goals per game (0.38), tied for ninth in goals (21), tied for 10th in assists per game (0.24) and tied for 10th in game-winning goals (eight).
Last season, Anderson had team highs of seven goals, 18 points and 68 shots as the Waves advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 11th time in program history.
It's the third consecutive NWSL Draft that has seen a Wave get picked, and Anderson is the seventh all-time Pepperdine player taken.
Anderson will be reunited with another Wave,
Bri Visalli, in Houston. In 2017, when Visalli was a senior and Anderson was a freshman, the Waves won the WCC title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Former Pepperdine assistant coach
Twila Kaufman is an assistant coach with the Dash.
The 2020-21 college soccer season, which has been delayed from the fall, will begin in early February. Pepperdine's first West Coast Conference game will be February 20th vs. Santa Clara. Non-conference matches will be announced in the near future.
Pepperdine NWSL Draft Selections
2013: Roxanne Barker, Portland, 4th round
2014: Michelle Pao, Sky Blue FC, 3rd round
2015: Lynn Williams, NY Flash, 1st round
2018: Bri Visalli, Chicago, 2nd round
2019: Hailey Harbison, North Carolina, 1st round
2019: Michelle Maemone, Utah, 3rd round
2020:
Joelle Anderson, Houston, 3rd round
