It is Kelly\u2019s first professional contract, having had a decorated college career at the New Hampshire Wildcats before joining the NC State Wolfpack this year.
She started all 60 matches for the Wildcats over her four years at the University of New Hampshire, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in neuroscience and behaviour, before doing her post-graduate studies at North Carolina State University and playing in the prestigious Atlantic Coast Conference.
Phoenix head coach Paul Temple is delighted to have secured a player of Kelly\u2019s calibre.
\u201cAs soon as it became evident we needed to bring in a new visa centre back we went through a pretty comprehensive list of available players, and Alivia really shone out on a number of levels.
\u201cI think she is a player who will do very well in the A-League.
\u201cShe has good athletic and physical qualities to handle the nature of the league but has also got good ability on the ball to help the team in its style of play.\u00a0
\u201cWe did our research into her and without fail everyone we spoke to talks of her in glowing terms as a player and a person, so it feels like this is a really good fit for us right now and we\u2019re excited to have her join the team next week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/11\/Alivia-Kelly-3-NC-State.jpg?w=1200\")
Alivia Kelly was caught off guard by the interest from the Wellington Phoenix as she completes her studies at NC State, but believes it is a \u201cno brainer\u201d to make the move to New Zealand. Kelly got the \u201cinside scoop\u201d about the club from former Phoenix forward Isabel Cox and also spoke to Paul Temple before committing to the move.
\u201cIt\u2019s definitely not something I had on my bingo card for this month,\u201d Kelly said. \u201cBut I\u2019m very excited and I can\u2019t wait to meet everyone and get started.
\u201cIt\u2019s a clich\u00e9 but one door is closing for another one to open.
\u201cI\u2019m very excited about stepping into the pro ranks, developing as a player and a person and getting new life experiences abroad.\u201d
The Boston native has \u201calways been a defender\u201d and hopes to bring defensive grit to the Phoenix.
\u201cI love being a defender. You don\u2019t get anything shiny or special, and you have to have some intrinsic motivation to keep going because defending is hard and not everyone likes to do it.
\u201cAs a player I\u2019m very competitive. I like to give it everything that I\u2019ve got and that usually shines through in my performances.
\u201cI also like to be a playmaker and be involved on the ball even though I\u2019m a defender.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/11\/Alivia-Kelly-5-New-Hampshire.jpg?w=1200\")
\u201cSpeaking with Paul was great. I can tell that he cares about us as people and that was important to me because I\u2019m very family oriented.
\u201cI talk to my parents all the time even though we weren\u2019t in the same state for this past year. That was the first thing that struck me.
\u201cAnd I\u2019ve also talked to a bunch of people from around the A-League and about Wellington Phoenix specifically and everyone has had such great things to say about the environment and the culture, and that was really appealing.\u201d
Alivia Kelly will join up with the Wellington Phoenix squad during the Ninja A-League\u2019s international break and ahead of their fifth round match against Brisbane Roar at Porirua Park on Sunday, December 8.<\/p>\n\n\n