No rest for Pitt-bound Lola Abraham as she preps for senior year at Riverview

By: Michael Love
Thursday, July 13, 2023 | 5:44 PM

When Riverview’s Lola Abraham committed to play soccer at Pitt last November, she said the decision was only the beginning and she couldn’t rest on past accomplishments.

This summer has been crucial, Abraham said, as she not only works to stay sharp for her future with the Panthers but also what is expected to be a busy senior year with the Raiders soccer, basketball and track and field teams.

“There is never a time to slow down because I have to be at my best and be ready to compete when I get to Pitt next year,” Abraham said.

“I have to keep focused with all parts of my training to keep up my speed and strength and (on-field) skills. The competitive environment I am in, especially this summer, helps me to remain focused on being a better player.”

Abraham remains closely connected with the Riverhounds developmental program.

That includes strength, speed, agility and injury prevention training as well as keeping her on-field abilities sharp with a group of girls — college and high school standouts — on the Riverhounds USL Academy team with training sessions and a series of games.

The team settled in with a scrimmage against Hotspurs before kicking off a series of four games with a dominating 8-0 victory over Lexington on Sunday.

Abraham, future Pitt teammates Ellie Coffield and Sarah Shupansky (two goals), Upper St. Clair rising sophomore Sierra Dupree (two goals), North Catholic rising sophomore Simone Sharpless and homeschooled rising senior Ava Kovscek scored in the win.

“We have some college girls who came back, all the way to some girls in (younger) high school grades,” Abraham said.

“It is a nice mix of talent and ages from U18 and U19 down to U16. It is such a competitive environment for everyone because players who are the best from their age group are pushing each other because they want to get better and make everyone better. It is such a good training environment throughout the week.”

The Riverhounds USL Academy has a home-and-home series with a team from Cleveland and one other matchup against Indy 11 from Indianapolis.

Abraham said she can see the benefits of the Riverhounds off-field training sessions with strength and conditioning coach Mike Whiteman, both with the overall team and also smaller, more concentrated sessions.

“I’ve trained with him for several years now since I’ve been with the Riverhounds,” Abraham said.

“He gives us drills that help with getting faster, and it also helps with our conditioning. It has its benefits soccer-wise but in also helping you be the best athlete you can be. Working with him has been tremendously helpful, and I am always seeing a difference on the field.”

Abraham said she is excited to see what two teams — the Pitt women and her Riverview girls team — can accomplish this fall.

With Coffield and Shupansky in the mix, the Panthers hope to build on last year’s 14-5-3 overall record, their 5-3-2 mark in ACC play, and a trip to the NCAA Tournament, where they made it to the Sweet 16 before falling to No. 5 Florida State.

“I am excited to go out and watch them play,” Abraham said. “Their ACC games, especially the ones at home, are going to be pretty exciting. There is so much talent that is carrying over from last year’s successful season to this year. There are also some really strong incoming freshmen. It will be exciting to watch them play and develop.”

Abraham will lead an experienced Riverview team this fall, and she hopes the Raiders can secure a third straight trip to the WPIAL playoffs.

She was denied the opportunity to play her freshman year as low roster numbers forced school officials to cancel the season. The team came back the next year, and Abraham said it’s been easy to see the strides the program has made since returning.

The 2022 All-WPIAL selection tallied 56 goals, including 14 over two games in one day, and helped Riverview finish 8-8 overall.

Abraham’s first goal of her senior season will be her 100th.

“I am super excited for this season,” Abraham said.

“Last year’s team was young, so we have a lot of the same girls coming back who are talented, who know the game, and who are ready to play and make a difference. We have a nice group of incoming freshmen who have played before and have played on club teams. I think we can do really well and get back to the playoffs and win in the playoffs.”

Sean Abraham, Lola’s father and Riverview’s girls coach, said he is excited to see what she can do in her final high school season.

“Lola is ready to make the most of her final year before heading off to Pitt,” Sean Abraham said. “She’s always willing to put in the time to be at her best mentally and physically. She wants to continue to be that leader for her teammates. She’s always busy, but she appreciates the opportunities she has.”

Abraham celebrated her junior track season this past spring with four events at the WPIAL championships: the long jump, triple jump, 100-meter dash and 1,600 relay.

She missed a medal in the triple jump by 2 inches, taking ninth overall (33 feet, 11¾ inches).

But the relay — with junior Jonisha Carlino and sophomores Katerina Tsambis and Cailey Trosch — placed fifth and qualified for states.

“We were so excited to make states,” Abraham said. “That was a big goal once we ran it at the one meet and did well. We had states on our minds, but we didn’t want to think too far ahead. We focused on each step, and that included first making WPIALs. We knew we had to push each other and run our best that day. It was just a great moment for all of us.

“At states, it was just a cool environment with everyone cheering. Next year, I hope to make it to states in one of my individual events.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Riverview