For senior forward Alexis Strickland, Raleigh has always been home, but unfortunately, it wasn’t always where she played soccer. Until now.

Strickland, who previously played for UNC-Chapel Hill and Oklahoma, is now one of the newest and most valuable additions for the NC State women’s soccer team. After initially being recruited by NC State out of high school, Strickland has finally returned home via the transfer portal, and Strickland, head coach Tim Santoro and the rest of the Wolfpack couldn’t be happier.

“Out of high school, I was choosing between UNC and NC State,” Strickland said. “So when I entered the portal, Tim, the head coach, just said, ‘If you want to come home, you’re always welcome.’ I was born and raised in Raleigh, so it was just the right fit. With the style of soccer, the way that we play, the girls here, the school academics — it’s just an overall great fit for me.”

Now that she’s back home and representing the Wolfpack for her fourth year of college soccer, Strickland’s depth of experiences at other universities and with the NC Courage is just one of her many assets she brings to the table, even if Santoro thinks it took a few too many years to add her to the squad.

“I tell her all the time, I’m pissed it took this long to get her here,” Santoro said. “She had all the intangibles coming out of high school and now with these experiences, she’s that much better of a player. So it took longer than I wanted to, but I’m happy we get her for two seasons.”

Now that she’s returned to Raleigh, Strickland’s finally found where she’s meant to be. The senior’s been able to connect with the rest of the team instantly, like she’s been here the entire time.

“She just fit in from a personality perspective with our players,” Santoro said. “And being from Raleigh, she knows what NC State is and she knows a few of the kids, so it wasn’t going to be hard. It was a really, really seamless transition for the players, for the coaches and for her.”

That seamless transition has been evident from the second Strickland stepped on the pitch for the Wolfpack. In the season opener against Rhode Island, she scored the Pack’s first goal of the season and secured her first brace with NC State minutes later.

Strickland’s instant impact for the Wolfpack couldn’t have been accomplished without her teammates, however. She’s specifically been able to connect with her fellow senior forwards, Leyah Hall-Robinson and Jameese Joseph, who make up the other two-thirds of NC State’s fearsome attacking trio.

“Those two specifically, they’re my girls from the start,” Strickland said. “When I came in the spring, those two were so welcoming. I’ve just connected with them on and off the field.”

That off-the-field connection with Hall-Robinson and Joseph has paid dividends on the field. Hall-Robinson provided beautiful assists on both of the transfer’s goals versus Rhode Island, while Strickland assisted Joseph on her 86th minute game-winning goal against VCU in the second match of the season.

But she doesn’t just net goals and assist her teammates. Strickland is willing to put in the hard work it takes to control the midfield. She’s scrappy, agile and tough, making her a difficult presence for opposing teams to deal with when starting their attacks.

“She’s really fit and covers a lot of ground,” Santoro said. “Even when she makes mistakes, within five seconds, she’s finding the ball and trying to win it back and slide tackling. She’s a tough kid and that’s a big part of her game too.”

Strickland has helped NC State get off to a strong start this year, but winning in the regular season is expected for the NC State women’s soccer team. The real challenge for the Pack has been progressing past the second or third round of the NCAA tournament. But with Strickland’s wide variety of experience in college soccer, she knows what it takes to win in the postseason.

“It’s just about heart and who wants it more,” Strickland said. “So I’m going to bring all I can to the table and I know the girls will too. We have a good squad, so it’s going to be fun to watch this season.”

Strickland’s already proved that she’s bolstering the Pack’s already impressive roster, but her goal-hungry attacking skills, savvy defense and veteran leadership may mean she’s the final piece of the Pack’s championship puzzle.

Strickland has been there, she’s done that, and now the senior is finally home to help NC State continue winning in the regular season and advance further than ever in the postseason.

“I’ve been moving around so much, but I know that I’m home and know that I’m gonna help a very competitive and great environment,” Strickland said. “I’m just gonna continue to grow from the girls, learn from the girls and keep scoring and doing what we can to win as a team.”

With a squad primed for success and a roster chock-full of talent, the 2022 season for NC State women’s soccer looks brighter than ever, especially with the stars aligning for Strickland’s homecoming.

Because who says you can’t go home?