Alexandra Kimball

Alexandra (Alex) Kimball Suarez (born September 21, 1995) is an American soccer forward of Peruvian descent. Alex played collegiate soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer team and was then drafted by the Utah Royals FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Alex currently plays internationally for the Peruvian Football Federation and is the Director for Team Development for the North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer team.
Alex played in the NCAA Division I 2018 ACC Women's Soccer Tournament Championship match and the 2018 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament College Cup Championship matches representing the University of North Carolina as the starting forward in the #9 position. After her final collegiate season, Alex was part of the 2019 NWSL College Draft and was drafted by the Utah Royals FC in the 4th round as the 32nd pick. The Utah Royals signed Alex in May of 2019. Shortly after Alex suffered a plantar fascia injury. Once healthy from her injury, Alex made the Racing Louisville FC pre-season roster only to suffer an ACL injury right before signing with the team. After her recovery, Alex debuted for the Peru women's national football team in a friendly match against Mexico women's national football team, and then went on to play in the 2022 Copa América Femenina.
==Heritage==
Alex was born to Melissa Suarez and Steven Kimball in Salt Lake City, Utah, and was raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina along with her brother Conner Kimball who will plays soccer and runs track for Earlham College. Alex's paternal great-grandfather J. Leroy Kimball led the restoration of Nauvoo, Illinois and is a descendant of Heber C. Kimball. Alex's mother is a first generation Peruvian American born in Salt Lake City. Her maternal grandfather is from Arequipa Peru, and her maternal grandmother is from Trujillo, Peru.
==Early years==
Alex began her soccer career at the age of 3 playing for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America of the Greater Salt Lake Area. At the age of 6 Alex moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina were she played Rainbow Soccer and then Chapel Hill United. Subsequently she started playing competitive club soccer for Triangle United where she played under the tutelage of Cindy Parlow Cone. Cindy is a former North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer player and is currently the President of the United States Soccer Federation. The Triangle United '95 team won the 2013 NCYSA State Cup Championship for the first time in Triangle United's club history and qualified for Nationals. Alex also played for Triangle Futbol Club where she received instruction from Rich Flaim, and Dario Brose. Ultimately it was CASL (Capital Area Soccer League), also known as North Carolina FC Youth, that promoted Alex to a higher platform of soccer development under the guidance of Paul Forster. In tandem, Alex was also participated in the Olympic Development Program training sessions and competitions for the North Carolina and Regional III teams.
==High School==
Alex's freshman High School year was the first time Chapel Hill High School (Chapel Hill, North Carolina) had ever beaten their rival East Chapel Hill High School. By the time Alex was a Senior Chapel Hill H.S. won their first ever girls High School State Championship. In the championship match Alex had played forward, midfield, and defense during different points in the game, and assisted the tying goal. This earned her the MVP title for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association State Championship match. That same year Alex was voted The News & Observer High School player of the year with 23 goals and 18 assists.
==College career==
Alex "University of North Carolina Athletics 2019"</ref> was the first ever North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer player recruited out of Chapel Hill High School (Chapel Hill, North Carolina). Chapel Hill is the home of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Anson Dorrance's Women's Soccer program. Alex started off her college career by scoring some key goals her freshman year. The physical demands of collegiate soccer caused Alex hip pain. By the end of her sophomore year Alex needed hip labrum surgery. Alex recovered quickly and came back to play her junior year prematurely, and because of this she had hip complications early her junior season. Still she managed to play and help her team get to the final four in 2016. After all the medical complications Alex was forced to redshirted her Senior year in order to properly recover. Once Alex was fully recovered the team made it to the 2018 ACC Women's Soccer Tournament her redshirt senior year where Alex was part of the All-ACC Tournament team. Alex scored a crucial goal against Florida State in the ACC Final. The team made it to the 2018 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament College Cup Championship final match, where they fell to FSU, but played an amazing match. In total Alex recorded 9 goals and 13 assists for the Tar Heels during her career.
While still in college Alex trained/played with the following programs:
* Portland Thorns FC under Cindy Parlow Cone the summer of 2015
* FC Austin Elite the summer of 2016
* Utah Royals FC the summer of 2018 while executing an internship for the Real Salt Lake and playing for Real Salt Lake Women
===UNC Statistics===
As of June 3, 2023
Rank	UNC Records
#2 	All-time Vertical
#1 	All-time Agility (formerly; now #2)
#10 	All-time Beep Test
#2 	2018 Overall Athletic
==Professional career==
===Utah Royals, 2019–2020===
Alex was drafted by the Utah Royals FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in the fourth round as the 32rd overall pick in the 2019 NWSL College Draft. Alex saw the pitch for the Utah Royals FC during pre-season where she scored a header goal against University of Southern California. She was signed by the Royals on May 2, 2019, and then later suffered a plantar fascia injury.
==International career==
Alex participated in the Federación Peruana de Fútbol National team combine back in December of 2018. Alex missed representing Peru in the 2019 Pan American Games due to injury. Alex's debute for Federación Peruana de Fútbol was during the 2022 Copa América Femenina https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYLco0TGypA
==Career statistics==
As of June 3, 2023
League 	Club 	Season 	League	League	League 	League
League 	Club 	Season 	Apps 	Goals 	Assists	Min
NCAA 	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	2014 	20 	1 	1 	511
NCAA 	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	2015 	20 	3 	2 	709
NCAA 	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	2016 	25 	1 	2 	621
NCAA 	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	2018 	27 	4 	2 	994
NCAA 	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Total 	92 	9 	7 	2835
NWSL 	Utah Royals FC Pre-season 	2019-2019 	1 	1 	0 	35
NWSL 	Utah Royals FC Pre-season 	Total 	1 	1 	0 	35
NWSL 	Utah Royals FC 	2019–2020 	0 	0 	0 	0
NWSL 	Utah Royals FC 	Total 	0 	0 	0 	0
CONMEBOL 	Peru Friendlies 	2022-2022 	2 	0 	0 	113
CONMEBOL 	Peru Friendlies 	Total 	4 	0 	0 	113
CONMEBOL 	Peru 	2019–2020 	4 	0 	0 	197
CONMEBOL 	Peru 	Total 	4 	0 	0 	197
Career Totals	Career Totals 	Career Totals	99 	10 	7 	3180
==Coaching career==
Alex was one of the assistant coaches for Bonneville High School (Washington Terrace, Utah). Alex has done supplemental coaching for Utah Avalanche and also for North Carolina FC Youth. Currently Alex is the Director for Team Development for the North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer team. Alex is currently in the process of obtaining her United States Soccer Federation Coaching B-license.
Category:1995 births
Category:People from Salt Lake City
Category:American people
Category:American soccer players