Creighton women’s soccer brings in transfers from Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Louisville

OMAHA, Neb. – Creighton women’s soccer head coach Jimmy Walker boosted the 2024 signing class with the addition of Oklahoma transfer Kelis Brown, Ole Miss transfer Ella Luna and Louisville transfer Alyssa Zalac.

“We are really excited about Kelis, Ella and Alyssa coming to Creighton,” said Walker. “These three are all talented players that have played at a very high level, bringing experience and quality to our team. More importantly they are all really good people that align with the culture we are building here at Creighton.”

Brown, a midfielder from New Albany, Ohio, arrives at Creighton after spending the previous three seasons at Oklahoma. As a Sooner, Brown appeared in 22 matches while logging 15 shots in 749 total minutes of action on the pitch. She recorded her lone point of her career in her first career start, dishing out an assist in a contest against Arkansas in 2022. Off the pitch, Brown excelled in the classroom earning a spot on the Fall Academic All-Big 12 Team twice with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

“Kelis is a player I have been familiar with for quite a while due to my Ohio connections,” Walker stated. “I remember watching Kelis play when she was in high school and she was always a hardworking, talented, creative player. Kelis will bring depth and experience to a competitive midfield and having played in the Big 12 will be ready to compete in the Big East right away. Kelis will also be a great signing from a team culture standpoint due to her experience. We are excited to coach Kelis this fall!”

A graduate of New Albany High School in Ohio, Brown guided the Eagles to 38 victories over four years, including a trio of OHSAA Division I District Finals. Registering 36 goals and 40 assists with the Eagles, Brown earned First Team All-Ohio Capital Conference and First Team All-Central District Division I honors twice, while being named to the Central Ohio All-Star Prep Super 12 Team as a junior and senior. The two-time captain at New Albany, Brown also played club soccer for Ohio Premier Soccer Club ECNL for a year, scoring two goals in eight total games.

Originally from Milwaukee, Wis., Luna will have three years of eligibility remaining after spending the 2023 season at Ole Miss. The freshman midfielder appeared in 14 matches during her lone season with the Rebels, logging a combined 293 minutes of action and a total of four shots.

“We are excited about Ella as she is a talented player that has a great soccer IQ,” said Walker. “I was a big fan of Ella when she was playing club soccer in Wisconsin and it’s great that I get the opportunity to coach her this fall. Ella is a creative, technical player with good ability, good endurance and quality. Having played in the SEC, Ella will be well equipped to compete in the BIG EAST Conference.”

Prior to joining the Rebels, Luna graduated from Whitefish Bay High School in Wisconsin. As a junior, Luna guided the Blue Dukes to a WIAA Division II State Championship with a perfect 20-0-0 record, while netting nine goals and dished out eight assists. Earning Second Team All-North Shore Conference honors, Luna also scored two goals and added two assists while leading her team to a state runner-up finish as a senior. Luna also played club soccer for the SC Wave, where she was a five-time Wisconsin State Cup Champion. Her team was also the Girls Academy Mid-America champs in 2020, as well as finalist in 2021 and 2022.

Zalac, a Montreal, Canada native, comes to Creighton after spending the previous two seasons within the Louisville program after redshirting at Ole Miss in 2021. Prior to her one-year stint at Ole Miss, Zalac spent one season at Vanier College in Montreal where her team did not compete due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although she has not yet played at the collegiate level, Zalac brings valuable experience and athleticism to the Bluejays goalkeeping group.

“Alyssa rounds out our signing class for this fall and is going to be a great addition for us,” added Walker. “Alyssa will bring depth and experience to our goalkeeper position due to competing in the ACC conference at Louisville last year. Alyssa is a talented goalkeeper with good size and athleticism. What is impressive about Alyssa is her ability to play with her feet, which gives great options to build out of the back. Alyssa will also bring experience and leadership to our culture this fall.”

Prior to beginning her career at Vanier College, Zalac played club soccer at Lakeshore Soccer Club in Kirkland, Quebec for coach Nicholas Razzaghi. While with Lakeshore, Zalac lead Lakeshore SC to Provincial championships and national silver medals in both 2018 and 2019, while being awarded the 2018 LSEQ Golden Glove award, which recognizes the best goalkeeper in Quebec.

Brown, Luna and Zalac join the 2024 signing class of: Anna Bragg (Omaha, Neb.), Reese Carpenter (Terrace Park, Ohio / Xavier), Mallory Connealy (Omaha, Neb. / Xavier), Samantha Lee (San Clemente, Calif.), Marissa LeVine (Murrieta, Calif. / UC Irvine), Ella Offer (Rochester Hills, Mich. / Xavier) and Allison Williams (Flower Mound, Texas).