Tisha Venturini (1995) - Patterson Medal Winners - University of North Carolina Athletics

Tisha Venturini

Induction:
1995
Class:
1995

1995— Tisha Venturini: Women's Soccer (Modesto, Calif.)
Dynamic attacking center midfielder who was the 1994 National Player of the Year and led UNC to NCAA championships in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994. Carolina went 97-1-1 in her career.

One of five UNC women’s soccer players to earn first-team All-America honors in all four seasons.

National and ACC Freshman of the Year in 1991, four-time All-ACC, 1994 National and ACC Player of the Year, 1994-95 ACC Female Athlete of the Year and was the ACC Tournament MVP three times (1991, 1993 and 1994).

Member of the All-NCAA Tournament team four times. Was the Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the 1991 NCAA Tournament and the Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the 1994 NCAA Tournament. In 14 NCAA Tournament games, she scored seven goals and added nine assists. She scored two goals against Notre Dame in her last game as a Tar Heel in the 1994 NCAA Championship.

She led the Tar Heels to the ’91 NCAA title as a freshman when UNC played without stars Kristine Lilly and Mia Hamm, who were playing in China with the U.S. Women’s National Team in the World Cup.

She scored 69 goals and had 51 assists for 189 points as a Tar Heel.

Started at center midfield for the USWNT in the 1995 Women’s World Cup and helped the U.S. win the gold medal in Atlanta in the 1996 Olympics. She also won a World Cup in 1999.