Avery Oder keeps showing she belongs in the moments that matter.
The Duke sophomore opened the 2026 season the same way she started the previous one: with a goal. This time, it came in Southern California during the Blue Devils’ 3-1 win, and it landed in front of a crowd packed with family and friends from home. For Oder, a California native, it was the kind of start players picture long before the first whistle of a new season.
“There is obviously a ton of excitement about the first game of the season and especially this year since I was surrounded by my family and friends,” said Oder. “It was such an incredible trip, and being able to visit home and bring the whole team to my house was so cool.
Besides my family, a lot of my high school friends and family friends were at the game, and scoring in front of them was really cool too. My aunts and uncles and grandparents all came as well, and that was one of the few times that they have been able to see me play in person, which was really special.”
That support system has been there from the beginning. Both of Oder’s parents played collegiate sports at Pepperdine, and she has leaned on that background as she navigates life as a Division I athlete.
“They have been such great supporters of me since day one,” said Oder. “My mom played college soccer at Pepperdine and my dad played baseball at Pepperdine so they understand how the sports world works and have experience playing at the Division I level.
It has been great for me to lean on them and get advice from them throughout this journey so far. They have always been so committed and so helpful to me.”
Oder has also drawn inspiration from former Duke midfielder Carina Lageyre, now with Angel City FC. Looking back, she said the lesson for her freshman self would be simple: trust herself, learn from veterans and stay hungry.
“I would tell myself to be confident to go after what you want and learn from the seniors. I think specifically Carina Lageyre has been such a great role model for me.
She was so helpful when I came into Duke a semester early and she is also one of my best friends,” said Oder. “Attacking every practice and having a growth mindset really helped me my first semester.
One of the biggest learning curves as a forward here is learning how to defend and press because the expectations are different from that of club soccer and I think my openness to learning helped me with that.”
That growth has shown up in her production and in the trust Duke has placed in her. She has appeared in 36 games for the Blue Devils, started 34 of them, and this season she has been asked to fill multiple roles across the midfield and front line.
“The sky is the limit for her. She is playing multiple positions for us these days and showing her versatility,” said Duke head coach Kieran Hall. “Ultimately Avery is just so cerebral; she thinks a step or two ahead and understands where to move and when to move.”
Oder said she wants to keep sharpening the final piece of her game, no matter where she lines up.
“This season I've played a few different positions now. I want to continue to grow on the final product, whether that is connecting my through passes when I am in the midfield or putting the ball in the back of the net from a central position,” said Oder.
“When I am wide it means connecting my crosses and scoring more goals. I also just want to be someone my team can lean on in big moments.”
She has already shown exactly that kind of impact. In Duke’s 5-0 win over then-No. 1 Stanford, Oder scored twice, including the goal that doubled the lead before halftime and another on her second penalty of the season to make it 4-0.
“Scoring that first-half goal against Stanford was my favorite moment from the season so far,” said Oder. “Going into that game, the team was so confident and I felt confident trying to not make the moment bigger than it was. I was just happy to contribute to the team's success.”
Through 13 matches, Oder has six goals and four assists, matching her rookie-season totals already. Hall said she’s taking on more responsibility with every outing.
“Avery is showing more and more appetite to affect games and scorelines, really reveling in taking responsibility for her role and the team,” said Hall. “She is refining her game to become more and more effective.”
For Oder, the next step is making sure Duke’s attacking group stays connected as the postseason nears. She said her experience in an ACC Tournament and an NCAA College Cup has given her a clearer sense of what’s required.
“Now that I have played in an ACC Tournament and an NCAA College Cup, I understand what it takes to get to those places again this year,” said Oder. “I think up front you can see that our connections and chemistry are really good, so I think that it is important that we continue to work off each other and play as a unit rather than individuals.
The Blue Devils’ next ACC match is Oct. 24 against NC State at 5 p.m. inside Freeman Field at Koskinen Stadium.
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