Blood’s Soccer Journey Leads Her From LASSO to Aquinas
Recent graduate Liv Blood is off to Aquinas next year for soccer.
Justin Scott - 6/19/2026
For recent Lowell graduate Olivia Blood, soccer has been part of life for as long as she can remember.
As the oldest child in her family and the oldest grandchild, Blood joked that she was “the guinea pig” when it came to trying sports. While many kids begin with YMCA programs, Blood went straight into LASSO soccer in kindergarten. She stayed with the Lowell-area program through sixth grade, building the foundation of a soccer career that would eventually take her to the college level.
It was also where she built some of her closest friendships.
“There I met my best friends that I’m lucky I can still play with today,” Blood said. Blood and many of those friends made quite the run this year, beating Northview in the final minute of play, then upsetting Forest Hills Eastern in the soccer district semifinal. Lowell also won a conference title in 2025, and in 2024 Blood had 5 assists in a game which still stands as an LHS record today.
As Blood got older, she began wanting more from the sport. That led her to Revolution, now known as MFA and ACGR (Yes, the same club about to occupy Amway Stadium), where she first experienced one of the more difficult moments of her soccer career. After making the move to club soccer, Blood was placed on a lower team.
For a player who believed she was ready for a higher level, it was a tough lesson.
“That broke me,” Blood said. “Especially because I thought I was good.”
Instead of letting that setback define her, Blood used it as motivation. The following year became about improvement, growth and proving she belonged. By the next season, she had earned a spot on the highest team available to her. She stayed at that level through her senior year.
Like many in the cutthroat world of club soccer, and yes it is cutthroat, learning how to handle disappointment is often reality. How you respond to that adversity and continue chasing the game even when confidence took a hit is what matters.
Her college recruiting journey brought another layer of uncertainty.
Blood said the process was difficult, not because she lacked opportunities, but because she was unsure whether she truly wanted to continue playing in college. A difficult club coaching experience during her final two years made her question herself and what she could accomplish.
The Blood family at Lowell’s senior night this year,
She initially hoped to play at Hope College. When that opportunity did not work out, Blood stepped away from the search.
Then another door opened.
Lowell girls soccer coach Joe Woodruff reached out and told her Aquinas College was interested. At first, Blood was hesitant. She had always pictured herself playing at the Division III level or higher and had not seriously considered an NAIA program.
Still, she decided to take a visit.
Aquinas was close to home, only about 20 minutes away, and Blood admitted she went into the visit cautiously. By the end of the day, her perspective had changed.
“I honestly judged the book by the cover,” Blood said.
After talking with the coach and touring campus, Blood got back in the car with her mom and knew where she wanted to be.
“I immediately got back in the car after a talk with the coach and tour and told my mom that this is where I want to be,” Blood said.
Liv Blood at Lowell Soccer’s media day in the spring.
The decision made sense for more than just soccer. Blood has family close by, something she did not originally think would matter as much as it did. She also has a long-term relationship she is committed to continuing with a fellow Red Arrow graduate, and staying near home became a positive instead of a drawback.
Two days after the visit, Blood called the Aquinas coach and verbally committed to become a Saint. She announced her decision just over a month ago,
Her path to college soccer was not a straight line. She was of course a standout in the Lowell program, but it was the club side where challenges were met head on. But each step helped lead her to the right fit.
