Photo by: Jeff Golden
Women's Soccer Q&A: Joelle Anderson
6/7/2021 8:51:00 AM | Women's Soccer, Competing With Purpose Blog
Joelle Anderson is a bonafide star for the Pepperdine's women's soccer team. Anderson, a senior midfielder/forward, started ten of eleven games for the Waves, scoring three goals and leading the team with three assists in the shortened spring season. Anderson was named to the All-West Coast Conference first team and the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region first team at the conclusion of the season.
In January, Anderson was selected in the third round by the Houston Dash in the 2021 NWSL Draft, becoming the seventh Wave to be drafted to the league. However, Anderson played the spring season, and will finish her fall season with the Waves before joining the professional game.
We caught up with Anderson and discussed her experience competing during the pandemic, her thoughts on being selected, and the "unfinished business" she says she has in her final season at Pepperdine.
Q: What was this last school year like for you?
A: It was definitely different compared to my last few years at Pepperdine. The pandemic put us in a position we never thought we'd be in, and I think we all had to dig deep and be resilient and open to whatever was thrown at us. I'm so proud of how I and our whole team went about it and how we were able to get through it.
I'm not really a fan of Zoom, I don't really like sitting in front of a screen all day, not getting to interact with people face to face, so I would say in that aspect I was not a big fan of it. I'm definitely excited to see if we can come back in person in the fall.
Q: What was it like competing during the pandemic?
A: It was definitely a lot harder, especially because we didn't have fans and our parents weren't able to come, so it was hard playing in an empty stadium with no fans. It definitely took a toll on us mentally, having to go through all these obstacles with getting tested every week and all the COVID protocols, so I think it was kind of difficult for everyone, but we remained resilient. I'm really proud of how we went about it.
Q: How did your team come together and build camaraderie during the pandemic?
A: We were put in situations we really never thought we'd be a part of. We came together as a team and figured out what goals we wanted to achieve and how we could get through this pandemic together as a program, and I think that definitely did translate on the field because we knew it was going to be much different than past years. We really had to figure out what we wanted to do and set those goals, and I think we did a good job of executing them.
Q: In January, you were selected 26th overall in the NWSL draft by the Houston Dash. What was the moment like when you found out you were selected by the Dash?
A: It was honestly unbelievable. I've been playing soccer since I was five years old and being a professional soccer player is really all I could dream about. All of that happened in the span of three or four days, when I found out I might have the chance to get drafted, and then hearing my name called. I was honestly just blown away by how it all happened.
I had been planning on going to the draft next year because I thought I would come back this fall, so I was really not expecting to hear my name called. I can't really describe it, all my dreams becoming reality. It was just a surreal moment.
Q: What motivated you to make the decision to return for both the spring and fall seasons instead of going to the NWSL?
A: I think I felt in my heart that I had unfinished business here. I felt that I needed to show more, to leave on a good note, so I felt that coming back in the fall was the right choice for me. I needed to finish out right with this program and this team. I think it was a good decision.
Q: Speaking of unfinished business, what are your goals for your remaining season in Malibu?
A: Our whole team has talked about this, but leaving a great legacy behind for the program and showing who we are as people and as players. We'll leave it all out there on the field and off the field, and continue forming connections with people that we'll never forget.
We did a great job adapting and being resilient during this spring season, but we didn't finish the way we wanted to. I think we have a lot to look back on and see what we did well and what we need to improve on for the fall.
It's going to be a good season for us. I'm really excited.
Q: Do you have any goals for your professional career, or are you not even thinking about that yet?
A: I'm going to wait to see what happens when I get to Houston. It's always been a dream of mine to be on the national team so hopefully that can be a possibility one day, but I'm just going to see how it goes in Houston. I'm definitely excited for where things can go in the future.
Q: Your team celebrated Senior Day with a 7-0 demolition of San Diego, in which you had an outstanding game, with two goals and two assists. What was that moment like for you and for your fellow seniors?
A: We've all been through so much together, so just to celebrate them in that moment and to be a part of that with them, I think it was just a huge moment for us seniors and the whole team to show how grateful we are for them and how much we're going to miss them in the fall. It was just a great game to show how much they mean to us, and that 7-0 win, it can't get better than that. It was a really exciting moment.
Q: Probably your closest game this season was the 4-3 loss at home in double overtime against eventual national champion Santa Clara. What does it mean to you to know that you've been so close to knocking off the team that later proved to be the best in the country?
A: It was definitely a bummer to lose. It's always a great game, they have so many talented players on their team, so it's always such a fun challenge to play them. They're one of our top rivals, so playing against them helps us as a team. We get better each time and we see what we need to work on.
I look forward to playing them every year. A huge congrats to them for winning the national championship, but it's really encouraging for us, because it shows our team how close we are to being at that level. Hopefully we can beat them in the fall.
Q: You were named to the All-West Coast Conference first team and the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region first team as well, what do these individual honors mean to you?
A: I'm always honored when I get an award, to see my name recognized with so many other talented and amazing athletes. It's always good to see that all my hard work has paid off.
Q: Three of your Waves teammates made the WCC All-Freshman Team. What does the future hold for your teammates, and what are your expectations for the program as a whole?
A: I'm so proud of the freshmen that came in and did a stellar job. They did what they needed to do and executed their roles seamlessly. I'm really excited for the future of this program, and the freshmen coming in this fall will really help our team and our depth, so I'm really excited for what they have to bring.
I feel bad for them because their first year of college was in the middle of a pandemic so they didn't get to experience a true college life, so I'm really proud of them for adapting to the situation, figuring out college life and being away from home under these circumstances. I think they did an excellent job of coming in and showing what it means to be a Wave.
This program has a lot of talent, I'm excited for the future.
Q: Now that you're returning for your fifth year, how do you feel you've grown during your time at Pepperdine?
A: I've grown not only as a soccer player but as a person too. All of the obstacles that I've been through these last four years, just figuring out who I am on and off the field and new relationships, it's shaped who I am today. I can thank my coaches and teammates and the Pepperdine community for helping me become who I am today, so I'm just really thankful to see the obstacles I overcame because of the great environment Pepperdine offers.
In January, Anderson was selected in the third round by the Houston Dash in the 2021 NWSL Draft, becoming the seventh Wave to be drafted to the league. However, Anderson played the spring season, and will finish her fall season with the Waves before joining the professional game.
We caught up with Anderson and discussed her experience competing during the pandemic, her thoughts on being selected, and the "unfinished business" she says she has in her final season at Pepperdine.
Q: What was this last school year like for you?
A: It was definitely different compared to my last few years at Pepperdine. The pandemic put us in a position we never thought we'd be in, and I think we all had to dig deep and be resilient and open to whatever was thrown at us. I'm so proud of how I and our whole team went about it and how we were able to get through it.
I'm not really a fan of Zoom, I don't really like sitting in front of a screen all day, not getting to interact with people face to face, so I would say in that aspect I was not a big fan of it. I'm definitely excited to see if we can come back in person in the fall.
Q: What was it like competing during the pandemic?
A: It was definitely a lot harder, especially because we didn't have fans and our parents weren't able to come, so it was hard playing in an empty stadium with no fans. It definitely took a toll on us mentally, having to go through all these obstacles with getting tested every week and all the COVID protocols, so I think it was kind of difficult for everyone, but we remained resilient. I'm really proud of how we went about it.
Q: How did your team come together and build camaraderie during the pandemic?
A: We were put in situations we really never thought we'd be a part of. We came together as a team and figured out what goals we wanted to achieve and how we could get through this pandemic together as a program, and I think that definitely did translate on the field because we knew it was going to be much different than past years. We really had to figure out what we wanted to do and set those goals, and I think we did a good job of executing them.
Q: In January, you were selected 26th overall in the NWSL draft by the Houston Dash. What was the moment like when you found out you were selected by the Dash?
A: It was honestly unbelievable. I've been playing soccer since I was five years old and being a professional soccer player is really all I could dream about. All of that happened in the span of three or four days, when I found out I might have the chance to get drafted, and then hearing my name called. I was honestly just blown away by how it all happened.
I had been planning on going to the draft next year because I thought I would come back this fall, so I was really not expecting to hear my name called. I can't really describe it, all my dreams becoming reality. It was just a surreal moment.
Q: What motivated you to make the decision to return for both the spring and fall seasons instead of going to the NWSL?
A: I think I felt in my heart that I had unfinished business here. I felt that I needed to show more, to leave on a good note, so I felt that coming back in the fall was the right choice for me. I needed to finish out right with this program and this team. I think it was a good decision.
Q: Speaking of unfinished business, what are your goals for your remaining season in Malibu?
A: Our whole team has talked about this, but leaving a great legacy behind for the program and showing who we are as people and as players. We'll leave it all out there on the field and off the field, and continue forming connections with people that we'll never forget.
We did a great job adapting and being resilient during this spring season, but we didn't finish the way we wanted to. I think we have a lot to look back on and see what we did well and what we need to improve on for the fall.
It's going to be a good season for us. I'm really excited.
Q: Do you have any goals for your professional career, or are you not even thinking about that yet?
A: I'm going to wait to see what happens when I get to Houston. It's always been a dream of mine to be on the national team so hopefully that can be a possibility one day, but I'm just going to see how it goes in Houston. I'm definitely excited for where things can go in the future.
Q: Your team celebrated Senior Day with a 7-0 demolition of San Diego, in which you had an outstanding game, with two goals and two assists. What was that moment like for you and for your fellow seniors?
A: We've all been through so much together, so just to celebrate them in that moment and to be a part of that with them, I think it was just a huge moment for us seniors and the whole team to show how grateful we are for them and how much we're going to miss them in the fall. It was just a great game to show how much they mean to us, and that 7-0 win, it can't get better than that. It was a really exciting moment.
Q: Probably your closest game this season was the 4-3 loss at home in double overtime against eventual national champion Santa Clara. What does it mean to you to know that you've been so close to knocking off the team that later proved to be the best in the country?
A: It was definitely a bummer to lose. It's always a great game, they have so many talented players on their team, so it's always such a fun challenge to play them. They're one of our top rivals, so playing against them helps us as a team. We get better each time and we see what we need to work on.
I look forward to playing them every year. A huge congrats to them for winning the national championship, but it's really encouraging for us, because it shows our team how close we are to being at that level. Hopefully we can beat them in the fall.
Q: You were named to the All-West Coast Conference first team and the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region first team as well, what do these individual honors mean to you?
A: I'm always honored when I get an award, to see my name recognized with so many other talented and amazing athletes. It's always good to see that all my hard work has paid off.
Q: Three of your Waves teammates made the WCC All-Freshman Team. What does the future hold for your teammates, and what are your expectations for the program as a whole?
A: I'm so proud of the freshmen that came in and did a stellar job. They did what they needed to do and executed their roles seamlessly. I'm really excited for the future of this program, and the freshmen coming in this fall will really help our team and our depth, so I'm really excited for what they have to bring.
I feel bad for them because their first year of college was in the middle of a pandemic so they didn't get to experience a true college life, so I'm really proud of them for adapting to the situation, figuring out college life and being away from home under these circumstances. I think they did an excellent job of coming in and showing what it means to be a Wave.
This program has a lot of talent, I'm excited for the future.
Q: Now that you're returning for your fifth year, how do you feel you've grown during your time at Pepperdine?
A: I've grown not only as a soccer player but as a person too. All of the obstacles that I've been through these last four years, just figuring out who I am on and off the field and new relationships, it's shaped who I am today. I can thank my coaches and teammates and the Pepperdine community for helping me become who I am today, so I'm just really thankful to see the obstacles I overcame because of the great environment Pepperdine offers.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Soccer
