Vernon Hills senior Ava Lukyan started playing soccer when she was 4 years old to follow in her older sister Victoria’s footsteps.
But Lukyan soon made the sport her own.
“I started to love the competitiveness of soccer,” she said. “Soccer also is a big safe space for me where I can leave everything behind. It’s always been like that for me. I’ve been super passionate about soccer since I was little. It’s always been my thing, my zone.”
Lukyan, who scored a team-high nine goals last season despite missing several games with an injury, broke new ground in her family by committing to play soccer at Kent State, which has been one of the top teams in the Mid-American Conference for several decades.
Lukyan said she never envisioned earning a scholarship to play soccer and that her parents, Igor and Suzie, who were born in Kiev and immigrated to the United States when they were very young, always encouraged her to play soccer but didn’t push her.
“My dad was a huge fan of soccer and played at Maine East High School,” Lukyan said. “He loves soccer. My parents would coach my rec teams and take me to the field to get touches. They were always involved with me and my sister and wanted the best for both of us.”
Lukyan started getting the attention of college coaches a few years ago. Igor Lukyan said it wasn’t an easy process even as Ava picked up nearly 10 offers.
“It was like a job,” he said. “Literally every night after work, I would send out emails to coaches to come watch her play, then send videos. It was nonstop back and forth. It was basically a year of nonstop additional work with the contacts, greetings and coaches trying to come and watch her play. Once they saw her play, it was even more emails going back and forth.
“Seeing the coaches appreciate her like we do was just amazing.”
Ava Lukyan said spending additional time with her father during the recruiting process was an unexpected bonus.
“He was there every second of the way,” she said. “I don’t know where I would be without him.”
But Lukyan made it happen on the field, where her speed, athleticism and versatility for the Cougars (2-1-1) stand out.
“You can stick her anywhere on the field,” Vernon Hills coach Cory Smith said. “With a player like her, you put her where she’s needed the most in the moment. She can definitely create for other people because of her presence.”
Smith, who begins his third season running the program, has witnessed Lukyan’s ascension from talented player with potential to in-demand college recruit to one of the top players in the state.
“From her freshman year, we knew her physical gifts would be landing her on the varsity all the way through,” Smith said. “She passes the eye test in every way. She’s amazing box to box, just zipping around and creating problems for the other team. She looks to accelerate. That’s one of her best attributes, the ability to go from zero to 60 with or without the ball.”
Vernon Hills senior goalkeeper Carly Sides, a Northern Michigan commit, said she has always appreciated what Lukyan brings to the team.
“What makes Ava such a talented player is her speed on the ball and her work ethic on the field,” Sides said. “She’s able to lead the team through her constant mental drive to always win the ball. She never backs away from any challenge. That’s a big reason she’s a leader on our team because all of the girls look up to her for that.”
Lukyan said she has come a long way.
“My parents can’t believe their daughter is going to play in college,” she said. “If my younger self could look at me now, she would be so in awe and proud of what I’ve accomplished. I never thought I was good enough to play on that (college) level, but I put in so much hard work and effort to be seen and play the best.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
