2021 – SOPHOMORE SEASON
Awards: Tabbed Second Team All-American by Inside Lacrosse and USA Lacrosse Magazine...Selected First Team All-Region West/Midwest by IWLCA...Named Big Ten Midfielder of the Year…Selected All-Big Ten First Team…Tabbed a Tewaaraton Award Nominee…Garnered Inside Lacrosse Midseason All-America Third Team honors…Named IWLCA Offensive Player of the Week (2/23)…Selected Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (2/23)…Tabbed Big Ten Midfielder of the Week (3/16, 4/20).
Season: Started 13 games…Collected 31 goals, 12 assists, 25 ground balls, 78 draw controls and 18 caused turnovers…Led the Nittany Lions in draws and caused turnovers…Had 10 multi-point games and four games with 10 or more draw controls.
Rankings: Led Big Ten and ranked 19th in the country averaging 6.0 draw controls per game…Held fifth in the Big Ten with 1.38 caused turnovers per game…Ranked ninth in the Big Ten with 0.62 free-position goals per game…Sat ninth in the conference averaging 2.38 goals per game.
Game-By-Game: Rutgers (2/14): Scored two goals…Won 12 draw controls…Had two caused turnovers. Maryland (2/21): Recorded six points, including five goals and one assist…Had three ground balls, a draw control and four caused turnovers. at Northwestern (3/11): Registered one assist…Won 10 draws…Added one caused turnover and one ground ball. at Northwestern (3/13): Found the net once…Won a career-high 14 draw controls…Caused one turnover. Michigan (3/19): Won nine draw controls…Scooped up one ground ball. Michigan (3/21): Posted four goals and two assists.…Recorded two ground balls, two draw controls and one caused turnover. at Ohio State (3/26): Scored three goals…Added three ground balls and three draw controls…Caused two turnovers. at Ohio State (3/28): Notched two goals…Collected a career-high six ground balls…Added one draw control and two caused turnovers. at Johns Hopkins (4/7): Found the net twice…Picked up a ground ball and won four draws. Maryland (4/11): Posted two goals and three assists…Added three ground balls, two draws and a caused turnover. at Rutgers (4/15): Registered a career-high nine points…Collected a career-best five goals and a career-high four assists…Won 10 draws…Added two ground balls and a caused turnover. Johns Hopkins (4/18): Scored two goals…Contributed three draws and a ground ball. vs. Johns Hopkins (4/29): Recorded four points, including three goals and an assist…Notched seven draw controls, two ground balls and a caused turnover.
2020 – FRESHMAN SEASON
Season: Played in seven games, including one start…Tallied three goals, 10 groundballs, 32 draw controls and seven caused turnovers…The 2020 season was canceled on March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rankings: Ranked third in the Big Ten averaging 4.57 draw controls per game.
Game-By-Game: at Towson (2/8): Captured four draw controls. Lehigh (2/15): Won six draws…Added a ground ball and a caused turnover. Duquesne (2/19): Scored first career goal in the first half…Scooped up a ground ball and won three draw controls. Cornell (2/23): Tallied a goal, scoring on a free-position opportunity…Picked up a ground ball. Loyola (2/29): Won nine draw controls…Recorded two ground balls and a caused turnover. at James Madison (3/4): Registered a goal in the first half on a free-position attempt…Won three draw controls. at Vanderbilt (3/8): Secured five ground balls and a career-best five caused turnovers…Won seven draw controls.
HIGH SCHOOL
Played at The Episcopal Academy for head coach Josie Ferri…Led The Episcopal Academy to a 19-1 record as a senior, winning the Inter-AC title and finishing the season ranked No. 9 in the nation by US Lacrosse...Helped The Episcopal Academy to an 18-7 record in 2018…As a sophomore, led The Episcopal Academy to a 21-5 record...Tallied 82 goals, 18 assists, 187 draw controls, 19 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers as a senior...Collected 60 goals, 26 assists and a school-record 212 draw controls as a junior...Had 80 goals and 13 assists as a sophomore...Totaled 237 goals, 59 assists, 535 draw controls, 94 ground balls and 46 caused turnovers in high school career...Selected as the No. 3 incoming freshman on Inside Lacrosse’s Power 100 List...Was a member of the U.S. Lacrosse U-19 National Team...Selected as a two-time U.S. Lacrosse All-American and a four-time Under Armour All-American...Named MVP of the Inter-AC League as a junior and senior...Was a first-team all-conference selection as a junior and senior...Tabbed Philly Lacrosse Player of the Year as a senior and Delaware County Player of the Year and Athlete of the Year...Named to the 2019 USA Today Preseason Women’s High School Lacrosse Team and the 2018 Inside Lacrosse All-High School Team...Rated as a five-star prospect and the No. 5 overall prospect in the 2019 class by Inside Lacrosse...Also played soccer, earning All-American, All-State and All-Mid Atlantic Region honors...Selected for the 2018 High School All-American game in Orlando.
PERSONAL
Full name is Olivia Eva Dirks...Daughter of Donna and Eric Dirks...Has a brother, Alec, and a sister, Kirsten...Father, Eric, played basketball and baseball at Penn State, graduating in 1986...Sister, Kirsten, currently attends Penn State...Hobbies include art, travel and music, including the french horn...Would like to pursue a career in the medical field...Born on January 12, 2001 in Paoli, Pennsylvania.
Why Penn State?
“I chose Penn State for its balance between strong academics and athletics. The family atmosphere and sense of school spirit is like no other.”
Doherty on Dirks:
“Olivia is an outstanding midfielder who has the ability to contribute all over the field. Her hustle and speed are amazing, and we are looking forward to her making an impact in the midfield.”
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