Before Racing

Blackburn is the all-time assist leader in Texas Tech history with 46 — 19 more than any other player in program history. Her 13 assists in 2025 are the program’s single-season record.

Blackburn was a three-time All-American and twice named the Big 12 Defender of the Year, in 2024 and 2025. She is the second player in program history with such accolades, joining Janine Sonis. She is the fourth player in Big 12 history to win the conference Defender of the Year Award in back-to-back seasons.

TopDrawerSoccer named her as the No. 3 collegiate player in the country this season.

Before Racing

At UCLA, McMahon won a national championship in 2022. Over her four-year career, she tallied 26 assists, eighth most in UCLA history. She led the Bruins in assists in both her junior and senior seasons.

McMahon played in 86 games with the Bruins in total, including 78 starts, and scored eight goals.

A decorated collegian, McMahon earned the Big Ten Tournament MVP as a senior in 2024 and earned selections to the All-Region second team (2023, 2024), All-Big Ten second team (2024), All-Pac-12 first team (2022, 2023), and Pac-12 All-Freshman Team (2021).

At the high school level, McMahon was Indiana’s Gatorade Player of the Year as senior at Guerin Catholic in 2020-21. She was a United Soccer Coaches All-American and was selected to play in the 2020-21 High School All-American game.

She played at the youth level with Indiana Fire Juniors. She also spent her summers in the pre-professional USL W League with Indy Eleven.

McMahon’s father, Tom, is a football coach. From 2007 to 2025, he was served as special teams coordinator for six different NFL teams. In 2006, he was on staff at the University of Louisville as the outside linebackers and special teams coach under head coach Bobby Petrino.

International

Internationally, McMahon has played with the U.S. Youth National Team at the U-18, U-19, U-20 and U-23 levels. In October, McMahon joined the U.S. U-23 team for a camp where she was teammates with Racing players Ella Hase and Katie O’Kane.

Before Racing

She appeared in 83 games for Ohio State, including 81 starts. She played every minute of each of the last 41 matches of her career, including every match of the 2025 season. She tallied five assists over her four seasons.

In 2025, she led an Ohio State defense that set the program record for most consecutive shutouts (7). The Buckeyes advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight, where they fell to the eventual national champion, Florida State.

In all, Gacioch appeared in four NCAA Tournaments with the Buckeyes, also advancing to the Sweet 16 in 2024.

Following her senior year, Gacioch was named a Fourth Team All-American by the United Soccer Coaches, which also named her All-North Region First Team, and she earned First Team All-Big Ten honors. She was a member of the Big Ten All-Freshmen Team in 2022.

Gacioch was an Ohio State teammate of current Racing Louisville players Kayla Fischer and Emma Sears.

As a youth player, Gacioch developed in the Western New York Flash Academy. She spent 11 seasons with the Buffalo, N.Y. club, serving as team captain. She led them to three-consecutive appearances appearances in ECNL National Championships, including a top-eight finish in 2018.

Gacioch also played varsity soccer for the Nichols School, leading the Vikings to the Monsignor Martin Athletic Association championship game four-straight seasons. She earned All-American, All-State, All-Catholic and sectional honors in her high school career.

In addition to soccer, Gacioch was a two-year starter on the Nichols varsity basketball team and a member of the track team, where she was team point leader and MVP.

2026

Ciorbu, formerly, Kalitta, signed a new contract for the 2026 season.

2025

After initially signing as an injury replacement player, the rookie midfielder signed full time in May. She made her Racing debut in the club’s friendly with Lexington SC. 

Before Racing

Kalitta played 78 career games at Michigan, starting 63 times — including each of the final 60 games of her career. The Saline, Michigan native scored one career goal and registered three assists during her time in maize and blue. Kalitta was named All-Big Ten third team in 2023 and the All-Big Ten freshman team in 2021.

2025

Petersen made 24 appearances, including 23 starts at both center and left back. She provided three assists in the regular season and also set up Kayla Fischer’s playoff goal against the Washington Spirit on November 8. The defender was named to the NWSL’s Best XI of the Month in June. Petersen signed a new contract in June to keep the defender in Louisville through 2027. 

2024

Having joined the club in September following a trade with the Houston Dash in August, Petersen made seven appearances, six of them starts, at left back. 

Before Racing

In her fourth season in the National Women’s Soccer League, Petersen has one goal and six assists in 70 appearances, including 48 starts. She spent two years with the Orlando Pride before moving to Houston ahead of the 2023 campaign, starting 12 games this year for the Dash. She was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2020 NWSL Draft.

Primarily a left-sided fullback who can also play center back, Petersen was a fixture in the U.S. Youth National Team system, featuring for teams from the under-14s up to the under-20s. She played for the U-20 national team alongside new Racing teammates Savannah DeMelo and Ellie Jean at the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. 

At the University of Virginia, Petersen was a two-time All-ACC selection and named to the 2015 ACC All-Freshman team. She made 78 appearances over five years in Charlottesville, helping the Cavaliers reach a national quarterfinal and two Sweet 16s.

2025

Wearing the captain’s armband, Wright appeared in 22 matches. The defender scored her first goal in lavender in the club’s 2-0 victory over the Orlando Pride in June. She also provided a pair of assists. 

2024

In her first season with Racing, the Kentucky native appeared in 22 matches, starting 21 of them at either center and outside back. Wright ranked highly across the world’s top nine women’s soccer competitions in successful take-ons and interceptions.

Before Racing

Wright, née Gilliland, comes to Louisville after an eventful eight years with the Chicago Red Stars, where she twice earned first or second Best XI honors and was a 2016 Defender of the Year finalist. She was part of seven Chicago playoff teams, making two trips to the NWSL Championship, including starting in the 2021 final at Lynn Family Stadium.

In all, Wright tallied three goals and 13 assists in 164 appearances across all competitions, leaving Chicago as the club’s all-time leader in games started, with 143.

Wright played for her hometown school, becoming one of the most decorated players in University of Kentucky women’s soccer history. She’s third all-time in both career assists and games played at UK and fourth in goals – and the program’s leader in game-winning scores. While there, Wright led Kentucky to its first Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

In four years with the Cats, Wright was a four-time All-SEC selection, two-time MAC Hermann Trophy finalist and a two-time All-American, ultimately becoming the first Kentucky player to ever be selected in a professional women’s soccer draft.

2025

In her second year with Racing, Jean made 23 appearances, all starts. The defender scored her first NWSL goal in the club’s June 6 victory over the Utah Royals. Jean signed a new contract with Racing through the 2027 season. 

2024

Jean made eight appearances, including six starts, in her first season with Racing Louisville. 

Before Racing

Jean comes to Louisville after two seasons at Gotham, where she appeared in 32 games, starting 15. Capable of playing multiple positions, Jean helped Gotham win its first NWSL championship a month ago in San Diego.

Prior to her return to the United States, Jean spent two years with Dutch club PSV Eindhoven, winning the KNVB Cup in the Netherlands and twice playing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. She’d previously signed out of college with Danish club FC Nordsjælland, but the 2020 season was canceled because of the COVID-19 outbreak and she never appeared in a game.

At Penn State, Jean won a national championship as a freshman, making 26 appearances and earning national all-freshman team and Big Ten all-freshman team honors. Over five years, Jean played in 100 games and won three Big Ten titles