2015: Started 37 games: 28 times in the outfield, nine times as the designated player and two times in the circle ... Had four additional pinch hitting appearances, two defensive replacement assignments and pitched in relief five times ... Academic All-Big Ten ... Finished 1-for-2 with a walk, an RBI and a run in Northwestern’s season-opening win against North Carolina (2/6) ... Was 1-for-2 with a walk at UNLV (2/14) ... Had a huge game in a run-rule win over Southern Utah (2/27), hitting a two-run single and a game-ending, three-run home run for a five RBI day ... Drove in a run with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly in a win at Louisville (3/8) ... Had the weekend of a lifetime in a three-game sweep at Penn State, earning Big Ten Player of the Week honors after clubbing four home runs including an extra-inning game-winner to slug 1.700 and bat .500 on the weekend (3/21-3/22) ... Began the series with a two-run homer in the front end of a doubleheader before going 2-for-3 with two more home runs, two walks, four RBIs and three runs scored in the nightcap (3/21) ... Then, in the series finale the next day, finished 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the top of the eighth of an eventual 5-4 (8) NU victory ... Continued her torrid start to the Big Ten season by batting a perfect 1.000 (3-for-3) with three walks, four RBIs, four runs, a double and a home run in a doubleheader sweep of Wisconsin (3/28) ... Made her collegiate pitching debut, throwing pitches in two games in a series at No. 15 Minnesota ... Tossed a scoreless inning of relief in Game Three of the series against the Gophers (4/12) ... Made the first start of her college career in the circle at Nebraska, and held the Huskers scoreless in five of the six innings she threw during a complete-game effort (4/18) ... Was 2-for-2 with an RBI and a walk in the first game of a doubleheader against Illinois (4/22) before starting game two in the circle ... Went 2-for-5 with three RBIs, a double and the third Roof Shot home run of her career during a game with Ohio State (4/26), becoming the first person in the almost 35-year history of Sharon J. Drysdale Field history to park three balls onto the roof of McGaw Hall ... Picked up the first victory of her career in the circle, throwing a complete game at Iowa (5/2) ... Tossed a pair of scoreless innings in relief in the regular-season finale at Iowa (5/3).
2014: Appeared in 27 games with nine starts in right field, 11 pinch-hit appearances and seven pinch-running assignments ... After missing a month following an injury on March 7, returned to action with a pair of pinch hit appearances at Iowa (4/5) ... Did not record a hit at the four-game season-opening Kajikawa Classic, but reached base twice in five plate appearances, stealing a base, scoring once and driving in a run with a sacrifice fly ... Whalloped two home runs in a 12-11 win over George Washington (2/14), driving in four and scoring three times ... The second of those blasts put NU on top, 12-10, in the sixth inning of the game ... Walked twice and scored against No. 18 Oklahoma (2/21) ... Finished 1-for-2 with a run, an RBI and a walk against UC Santa Barbara (3/1) ... Walked and scored as a pinch hitter at Iowa (4/5) .... Walked and scored as a pinch hitter in the first game of a doubleheader at Illinois before starting game two, doubling and scoring twice more (4/22) ... Entered a game at DePaul (4/30) as a pinch hitter, was hit by a pitch and remained the in the game as the DP, later drawing a walk and scoring ... Drew a walk as a pinch hitter against Iona in the NCAA Tournament (5/16).
2013: Started 47 games in right field while appearing in three other games as a defensive replacement ... Finished the year with a .388 on-base percentage that was .174 point higher than her batting average ... Led NU with 28 walks ... Went 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI against San Diego State (2/8) ... Recorded a .750 on-base percentage in four games at the Georgia Softball Classic with three hits, five walks and a hit by pitch ... Best game came in a 3-for-3 performance with a triple, two runs and an RBI in a win over Middle Tennessee State (2/16) ... Doubled and scored as part of a three-run seventh-inning rally for an eventual 3-2 victory over Georgia Tech (2/22) ... Went 1-for-2 with a run, an RBI and a sacrifice against Loyola Marymount (2/23) ... Batted .556 with a 1.556 slugging percentage at the Easton Invitational (3/1-3/3), clubbing home runs in each of NU's last three games at the tournament ... First crushed a two-run shot against No. 16 Stanford (3/2) ... Then had a 3-for-4 day with a homer and two runs scored versus Cal Poly (3/2) ... Broke open a 5-0 win against Cal State Bakersfield with a late three-run home run (3/3) ... Finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs in a win over Minnesota (3/29) ... Cleared the bases with a three-run double in a run-rule win over Illinois (4/5) ... Finished 1-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs in a run-rule win against Notre Dame (4/9) ... In that game, became the second two-time member of the Sharon J. Drysdale Field "Roof Club" when she crushed a towering home run that landed two paces onto the roof of McGaw Hall beyond left field, the seventh home run to ever reach the roof of the building ... Walked twice and scored twice against Iowa (4/13) ... Smashed a solo home run as part of back-to-back jacks with Paige Tonz in the opening game of a sweep at Penn State (4/19) ... Matched the NU single-game record with a career-high four runs scored during a 2-for-3 day with a double and two walks at Penn State (4/20) ... Broke a 1-1 tie against regional rival DePaul with a two-run double in an eventual 4-2 win (4/30) ... Doubled, walked and scored a run in NU's opening round win over Indiana at the Big Ten Tournament (5/9).
2012: Entered the first game of the season as an injury substitution and started 55 games after that point, appearing in all 58 total ... Entered her first-career game as an injury sub against Texas Tech (2/10), finishing 2-for-3 with five RBIs, two runs and a run-rule inducing three-run walk-off home run ... Doubled home a run against New Mexico (2/11) ... Finished 3-for-4 with a three-run home run and four RBIs in a win over Colorado State (2/25) ... Later that day, smashed a grand slam against No. 19 Oregon ... Earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors after her performance at the Cathedral City Classic (2/27) ... Had a huge game in a run-rule win over Massachusetts (3/20) ... Broke a 4-4 tie with a fourth-inning grand slam, then hit a game-ending, two-run home run in the fifth for a career-best six RBI performance ... Singled, walked, drove in a run and scored once in a win over UIC (3/28) ... Finished Northwestern's three-game series at Wisconsin a combined 4-for-9 with two RBIs, two runs, two steals and a double (3/31-4/1) ... Became the fifth member of the exclusive Sharon J. Drysdale Field Roof Club when she crushed a three-run home run onto the roof of McGaw Hall beyond left field in a 7-6 win over Iowa (4/7) ... Finished the series finale against the Hawkeyes 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI (4/8) ... Legged out her first-career triple in a win over Minnesota (4/14) ... Finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a home run in a win over Ohio State (4/29) ... Went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI in a win over Illinois (5/11) ... Finished a perfect 2-for-2 with two walks and a run in an NCAA Regional winner's bracket victory over Houston (5/19).
High School: All-State selection by the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and the Illinois Coaches Association as a sophomore and junior ... Named Lake County Player of the Year as a sophomore by the Daily Herald, Waukegan News Sun and Pioneer Press after earning All-Area accolades from those publications as a sophomore ... Member of the 2010 Chicago Sun-Times Top 100 Players to Watch ... Participated in the 2010 Chicago Tribune all-star game ... High school finished third in the 2010 3A Illinois state playoffs, setting an IHSA record with 51 home runs (including a state-record seven grand slams) and a school record with 32 wins ... Coached by Jeff Tylka ... Has a .424 average with 17 home runs and 81 RBIs during her high school career ... In the circle, is 39-8 with a 1.04 ERA and 442 strikeouts in 324 innings ... Played club softball with the Illinois Chill Gold coached by Gerry Quinn ... Team finished 17th at the inaugural Premier Fastpitch Nationals in 2010 ... Holds Chill Gold single-season (12) and career (33) records for home runs ... Recorded a hit in nine-consecutive at-bats with four home runs at the 2009 ASA Gold Regional ... North Suburban Conference All-Academic Team member in 2010 ... 2010 Freshmen Advisory member.
Personal: Born Olivia Ann Duehr ... Daughter of Kurt and Sandy Duehr ... Has a younger sister, Alexis ... Chose Northwestern over Wisconsin, Nebraska, Illinois State and UIC ... Major is secondary teaching.
GET TO KNOW DUEHR
Q. Describe briefly your recruiting process/how you ended playing here at Northwestern: When I was in the 8th grade my dad signed me up for a Northwestern Softball camp. When I left, I had a new dream of playing softball at Northwestern University. I had a long way to go in order to reach my dream and I knew it was going to take a lot of work. I joined a high-level travel ball team, the Illinois Chill Gold and I began to practice every night with my dad. I also began to write Kate letters explaining how badly I wanted to play on her team. Needless to say, when I was offered the opportunity to play on the team, my dreams had come true.
Q: What advice will you give to kids wanting to play your sport in college? There are two pieces of advice I want to give to kids playing softball. My first piece of advice is to have fun. If you cannot have fun playing the sport you love, then you cannot reach your highest potential. My second piece of advice is to work as hard as you possibly can. There is somewhere for everyone with a hardworking mindset. If you work hard good things will always come.
Q: What is the greatest lesson in life that you have learned so far? The greatest life lesson I have learned so far is from my dad. When I was growing up he told me that as long as I worked hard, I could do whatever I wanted with my life. I truly believe this. I live each day working as hard as I can and when I go to sleep at night I love knowing that I have no regrets.
Q: What do you consider to be your greatest achievement so far? I really do consider getting the opportunity to play for Kate and Caryl and to attend this world class University my greatest achievement so far.
Q: Favorite class at Northwestern and why: My favorite class at Northwestern so far has been my student teaching experience. I loved getting the opportunity to spend an entire quarter working in a classroom and learning the ins and outs of becoming a teacher. I miss my students dearly and I cannot wait until I have a classroom of my own.
Q: What's your dream job? My dream job is to become a superintendent. I have always dreamt of running my own school one day.
Q: The person/s that inspire/s you the most: My parents inspire me the most day in and day out. Without them I would not be where I am today. It is incredible to realize how much they have given me and I am only 21 years old!! My dad has always been my rock, even when he has been brutally honest. I love how hard he works, how kind he is, and how loyal he is to everyone around him. My mom is a saint. She is one of the nicest people I know and she would help anyone in need. I hope I can be half of the people these two are one day.
Q: If you were given a chance to dine with anyone from any period in history, who will you choose and why? If I could dine with anyone from any period in history I would choose my grandpa. My grandpa passed away in 2009, and I would really enjoy sharing the experiences I have had with him.
Q: Who/what did you pretend to be when playing as a kid/growing up? When I was growing up I would pretend to be a teacher. I would try and force my sister to play with me, but sometimes she would not participate, so I would result to setting up some stuffed animals in my room and pretending to teach them.
Q: What is/are your favorite song/s or best concert ever attended? The best concert I have ever attended was the Carrie Underwood Concert. I actually got the chance to meet her backstage and it was AWESOME! She really knows how to get a crowd rockin'!
Q: Best book you have ever read? The best book I have ever read is Dark Places by Gillian Flynn. I love a good mystery and this author always keeps me on my toes.
Q: What is/are your favorite place/s to visit? My favorite place to visit is my Aunt's lake house in Wisconsin. It is always relaxing to just spend time with my family and in the sun!
Q: What is/are your favorite food? I love all potatoes in every form.
Q: Hobbies or favorite activities during your spare time: In my spare time I like to bake. I really like to find new recipes and try them out.
Q: Describe your pregame ritual: I actually do not really have a pregame ritual. I am pretty goofy, so just trying to stay calm and have fun is what I like to do.
Q: How do you want people to remember you as a person? I want people to remember me as the person who could always put a smile on their face. I love to have fun and be goofy, and I have a pretty easy time laughing at myself. I also want people to remember me as a person who was always there for them and would do anything to help.Q: What is/are your favorite sports team/s growing up? I love the Chicago Cubs!
Q: Who is/are your favorite athlete/s growing up? My favorite athlete will always be Kerry Wood. I love how he played the game and I like who he is as a person off the field. One of my favorite memories of watching him play was at game 7 of the NLCS. Everyone in the stadium stood on their seats for the entire game. Kerry Wood hit a grand slam, and as the pitcher in baseball this is a big deal. The crowd was crazy and it was an experience that I will never forget.