Rachel Givan

Position:
Defender
Height:
5-5
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Ridgeland, Miss.
High School:
Ridgeland

General Information
A three-year returning starter for the Tar Heels • started the past two seasons at the left back position and did a remarkable job in UNC's national cham-pionship runs in both 2008 and '09 • had never been a starter on defense in her soccer career prior to making the switch in spring practice in 2008 • started in the midfield for Carolina as a freshman in 2007.
Junior Season (2009)
Started all 27 games for the Tar Heels last year • led the team in minutes played with 2,449 • played the entirety of every game except three contests • played every minute of every game for the final 16 games of the season, a total of 1,472 minutes • led a UNC defense which allowed only 12 goals on the season and compiled 19 shutouts • had two assists, one against Clemson and one of the game-winning goal in the regular-season win over Mary-land • named to All-Tournament Team at the 2009 NCAA Women's College Cup • was named twice to the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week • made the team on both September 7, 2009 and November 16, 2009 • earned membership on the fall semester 2009 Dean's List.
Sophomore Season (2008)
Tied the school record for games played in a season with 28 • started 22 games, including the season opener against Charlotte and then the last 21 of the season in succession • made a brilliant transition from playing forward in high school to playing in the midfield at Carolina her freshman year to then taking over the starting left back spot in UNC's flat back three defensive scheme as a sophomore • took over the position vacated by Ariel Harris after she graduated in 2007 • Givan played 2,322 minutes which was the third highest total on the team • she played the final 1,121 minutes of the season without taking a break.
Freshman season (2007)
Finished the season with one goal and two assists • appeared in 21 games, generally in the midfield, starting 11 games • picked up her first career assist against No. 14 Boston College on the game-winning golden goal by Meghan Klingenberg • scored her first career goal against High Point in the opening round of the NCAA tournament • also assisted on a goal against Clemson in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.
ODP, National Teams & Club Soccer
Garnered tremendous experience on U.S. youth national teams...in 2007 she was promoted to the pool for the U20 national team, playing in England with the team in May 2007 • was a member of the U17 national team in 2005 and the U16 national team in 2004 • named to the U19 Region III team in 2005, `06 and `07 • in the Mississippi `88 ODP program she was elevated to the state team four years in a row• named to the Region 3 ODP team four years • beginning in 2001 she played for the Mississippi United and Mississippi Fire 88 club teams • was a member of the 2005 U.S. adidas Cup title-winning team • captain of her club team • led Mississippi Fire to the USYSA Region III finals in 2005 • he team also won five state championships and two Premier league crowns.
Prep
As a prepster, she was a brilliant striker who was Mississippi's three-time selection as the Gatorade Player of the Year • a two-time Parade Magazine All-America selection and NSCAA high school All-America in 2005 and 2006 • NSCAA Youth soccer All-America 2004-06 • the Mississippi House of Representatives honored her with a resolution commending her play in 2007 • graduated from Ridgeland High School on May 21, 2007 • scored 165 goals in her RHS career • was elected to Ridgeland High School's athletic Hall of Fame • played on high school soccer team beginning in the eighth grade • Ridgeland's first year as a high school was 2003 and it won the state soccer championship that year, going on to win four more when she was a student there • also ran track in 2004 on a state championship team was first high school student ever named the Jackson Clarion Ledger's Co-Sports Person of the Year when she was so honored in 2006, joining past winners Walter Payton and Jerry Rice • the Jackson Clarion Ledger's two-time state player of the year • was named first-team All-State five successive years 2003-07 • three-time 4A state player of the year • squad's captain as junior and senior.
Personal
Full name is Rachel Renee Givan • daughter of Dr. Donald "Keith" Givan and Teresa Givan born June 29, 1988 in Flowood, Miss. has two sisters, Ginny, age 23, and Kelsey, age 19 • communications major.

20 Questions With Rachel Givan
Section #1: Soccer
• The best thing about being a Tar Heel soccer player is playing with the best soccer players in the country who I can also call my best friends.
• My favorite thing about competing for Coach Dorrance is his honesty. He always has my best interest in mind.
• Since my last competitive season, the aspects of my training I've worked on the most are my dribbling and free kicks.
• My best friends on other college soccer teams are Mallory Coleman from Ole Miss and Courtney Alexander from Miami.
• My greatest strength as a soccer player is my God given athletic ability.
Section #2: Interests
• Away from the pitch and academic pursuits, I like to spend time with my roommates!
• On a long bus trip, I'd like to watch...Sweet Home Alabama.
• If I could compete in another sport at UNC it would be tennis because I have always enjoyed playing it and I love the tennis outfits.
• If I received free concert tickets via a radio/Internet promotion I would love to be greedy and say I would love to receive tickets to the CMA (Country Music Awards) awards in Nashville, Tenn. so I could see all of the country music artists.
• The one interest I have that people would be surprised to know is that I love the outdoors. I enjoy hunting and fishing. Most of my teammates know this about me but when people come in our house in Chapel Hill and see the deer head hanging on the wall that I killed people always seem surprised.
Section #3: Food
• After a game at Fetzer I'd love to see a buffet spread at McCaskilll that included fried rice, deviled eggs, mashed potatoes and my mom's yum yum brownies.
• My favorite beverage is Diet Coke (Me and Dino bond over this!).
• I'm allowed to enter a room with unlimited snacks, one room has the salty stuff, the other sweet stuff? I enter the Sweet Stuff Room. It usually depends on my mood but I would say sweet stuff. I love my dessert.
• My favorite food made by a relative is my grandmother's breakfast casserole.
Section #4: Personality
• If I possessed the gift of time travel I would go to Bora Bora when they were filming `Couples Retreat' because it looked absolutely beautiful.
• My most prized personal possessions are my family and friends.
• My iTunes library includes...it's more like my iTunes library doesn't exist. I am not good with technology and don't really listen to music that much on my iPod. I listen to the radio the most but currently I have been enjoying Chase Rice's new country CD (UNC grad, who played football for the Tar Heels). I also have been listening to Luke Bryan, another country singer.
• In a perfect world where making money was not a consideration my dream job would be working in a wedding dress store or as a wedding planning. I am like most girls growing up dreaming about their wedding so I think it would be neat to help others make their dreams come true!
• The most interesting person I've met in my time at UNC is Meghan Klingenberg because she is a most entertaining and unique person.