First-years Macie Mietz, Gemma Gillepsie and Piper Wilkison join the Bulldogs. Photo by Darcy Leber.
JULIA LORELLI | STAFF REPORTER | jlorelli@butler.edu
“Welcome to the Team” is a Q&A series where the Collegian sits down with first-year student-athletes who are entering their first season at Butler University. These articles will address why they chose Butler, what they hope to get out of this season and some personal tidbits that you won’t find anywhere else.
This week, staff reporter Julia Lorelli sat down with three first-year players from the Butler women’s soccer team: Macie Mietz, Gemma Gillepse and Piper Wilkison.
Macie Mietz is a 5’7” defender from Bethel, Connecticut.
THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN: Why did you come to Butler from Connecticut?
MACIE MIETZ: I chose Butler because of the great academics and of course, the soccer team. I was born in Nebraska, [so] I’m originally from the Midwest. Coming back to the Midwest was [something] I wanted and [I wanted] to try something different.
TBC: When did you first discover soccer?
MM: When I was three years old, I did [soccer] through the YMCA in Nebraska. And then I tried all these other sports and ever since, I just loved soccer. It was my favorite.
TBC: What made soccer stand out from the other sports?
MM: I’m a very active type of person. I tried the sports that you don’t really need to move around much, [but] I was just so impatient. I always need to be moving my body [and in] soccer [you] definitely move a lot.
TBC: What made you choose soccer over track?
MM: I chose soccer over track because I really did track to stay in shape for soccer. I loved [and enjoyed] soccer more. I figured I would keep doing something that I loved.
TBC: Is there someone that you grew up watching that inspired you to continue to play?
MM: I would say Alex Morgan. As a little girl, I always watched her and wanted to be like her.
TBC: What made her special to you?
MM: She just made an impact on women’s sports. Everyone watched women’s soccer because of her. My goal is [to] make an impact on the game like she did.
TBC: What’s something that you have to have in your soccer bag before a game?
MM: My headphones to listen to music before. I like rap. I like Sexyy Red, [she’s] my favorite. I listen to country too.
TBC: What made you pick defense as your position?
MM: I tried every position except for goalie growing up, but I chose outside back, especially because I get to defend and attack. I’m involved in both, and I’ve always been one of the most athletic girls on the field. In my opinion, in that position, you have to be able to run and maintain [your speed] so it gives you the most ability to attack and to run as much as you want.
TBC: If you could be teammates with anyone, who would you pick and why?
MM: I would say Caitlin Clark. I would want to be teammates with her because I feel like in any situation, she [does her] best and makes an impact on the team. So, I would want to be around her as a teammate.
Gemma Gillepse is a 5’8” defender from Rolling Meadows, Illinois.
TBC: Did your siblings or parents influence you to start playing soccer?
GEMMA GILLEPSE: I’d say my older brother did, but I don’t really come from a soccer family, so it was just kind of trying out a bunch of sports and seeing what stuck. My older brother played until high school, so I wanted to be like him a little bit.
TBC: What made you pick defense as your position?
GG: That was actually from my club coach. I was a midfielder for the majority of my club career. [I] started as more of a forward, but I think defense definitely fits me [better] because I’ve kind of naturally moved to defend the goal and I would rather pass than attack. It’s more of a physical thing. I’d say I have more of an interest in being more physical than scoring a goal.
TBC: Is there someone that you grew up watching besides your brother and who influenced you to continue playing?
GG: Kevin De Bruyne, who plays for Manchester City. His vision of the field is something that I’d like to replicate in my game, even though I’m a midfielder. I really like seeing him play.
TBC: If you were stranded on an island, what three things would you have to have?
GG: My iPad, a blanket and then probably [my younger] sister.
TBC: Do your teammates have a nickname for you?
GG: Coach Tari [St. John] calls me Gemini. It’s some reference to some older Gladiator show. I have no idea what it is, but that or Gem.
TBC: What sports did you play before deciding on soccer?
GG: I did gymnastics and I think basketball and softball, but all those were very recreational. Soccer has really been my main sport since I was little.
TBC: What made soccer stand out?
GG: I’d say it was a little bit of a natural ability. I just thought that was what I was best at. So I stuck with it, and it was easiest to play with my friends, to just go out and kick a ball around.
Piper Wilkison is a 5’7” goalkeeper from Newport Beach, California.
TBC: What made you come to Butler from California?
PIPER WILKISON: There were a lot of components to it. I talked to a couple of different schools before settling on Butler, but it was always in my plan to get out of California to see other parts of the nation and to broaden my horizon. What really helped me choose Butler was the coaching staff, the girls on the team and the academics here. They just seemed like the best combination of those three things compared to other schools.
TBC: What other schools did you look at?
PW: I was talking to a handful of schools [including] Brown, Gonzaga, Rice [and] Villanova.
TBC: Did your siblings or parents influence you to play soccer? Or did you come into it on your own?
PW: I grew up in a big sports household; I have three older siblings. My dad played collegiate [football at West Point]. It’s always been kind of in our family. My parents just put all of my siblings into every sport into every sport you can think of.
TBC: What made you pick goalie as your position?
PW: I remember there was something called AYSO. It’s a league in California, and I remember this one game I was put in as a goalie and I dove for the ball. Even though I was really little, I was like, “This is fun, I want to be a goalie.” And as I got older and I started playing club, I was put at center back, and my coach would always call me a wrecking ball because I would just go for bodies and no ball. I remember coming home from practice every day crying to my parents. I was always just saying, “I want to be a goalie. I want to be a goalie.” My dad influenced me not to be a goalie, because he was a goalie when he played [in] high school and he didn’t know if I had the mental strength to be able to play that position. I was in second grade and I was like, “I had enough. I want to play goalie.” My coach wouldn’t let me, so I had to switch teams. [So] I switched teams and since then I’ve been a goalie. I’ve been very happy there.
TBC: Is there someone that you grew up watching?
PW: Manuel Neuer. Always been a huge fan of him. I’ve always admired the way he’s used his feet and the way he’s worked outside of the box. I tried to copy him earlier this season with a header outside the box in my very first collegiate game.
TBC: You had a lot of academic awards in high school. Did that put more pressure on you, or did it help you transition to college easier?
PW: The transition [to] college for me has been pretty easy. Especially coming to a smaller school, it hasn’t been too intimidating [like] walking into a huge lecture hall. My hard work in high school has definitely over-prepared me for college and I’m hoping that I’ll be able to maintain my academic achievements going through college.
TBC: Would you rather live somewhere where it’s always hot or cold and why?
PW: Cold. I grew up half living in the mountains and half living down by the beach. I’ve always loved skiing; I used to be an alpine ski racer. I love the snow. I love the cold. I would rather be cold than hot, for sure.
TBC: If you could be Snoopy or Charlie Brown, who would you pick?
PW: Snoopy. Charlie just seems sad all the time. [Snoopy] just kind of seems like a cute little guy that you want to have around, and I want to be someone you guys want to have around.
