NC State women’s soccer sophomore midfielder Ricci Walkling has been a force for the upstart Wolfpack since coming to NC State from Germany.

Walkling has been a mainstay in head coach Tim Santoro’s lineup, starting every single match for the Wolfpack dating back to her freshman season. She has recorded 10 points this year on four goals and two assists, the second-highest point total on the team to only sophomore Tziarra King. In 2017, the Wolfpack owns a solid 10-4-1 record overall and a 3-3-1 ACC record, with Walkling being a key cog to the Pack’s success over the past two seasons.

“Arguably she’s been our best player this year,” Santoro said. “She just understands the game, her touches are very good, her vision, her decision making, there are so many little nuances of the game that you don’t coach that she has.”

Hailing from Obergriesbach, Germany, Walkling has played for several German soccer clubs including Bayern Munich, which she joined in 2010, eventually making the first team in 2013. Two of her current Wolfpack teammates, sophomore Krissi Schuster and freshman Lulu Guttenberger, joined Bayern as well and played alongside Walkling before coming over to the US to play for NC State.

“It was really good for Krissi and me to have each other last year,” Walkling said. “It was good, especially in the beginning to have someone to talk in German to.”

Coming to the United States from Germany was an adjustment for Walkling, even from a soccer standpoint.

“Here the game is faster, and the girls individually are super athletic, that’s what makes the game in general really fast,” Walkling said. “In Germany it’s more technical.”

Santoro found out about Walkling from Franziska Jaser, another German who played for State during the 2014 season, which was Santoro’s second year with the program. Jaser left the Pack to play professionally in Germany and recommended Walkling to Santoro.

Santoro also has other connections with Bayern Munich that helped him land Walkling. He coached Katie Stengel, current NC State redshirt senior forward Jackie Stengel’s sister, at Wake Forest. Katie Stengel went on to play for Bayern Munich for a season, and was involved in State rebuilding through German talent by recommending players to Santoro to help her sister.

“Her deciding to come here exceeded my expectations,” Santoro said. “While she expressed an interest, I thought it was going to be tough to get her away from Bayern Munich.”

For Walkling, the prospect of coming to America presented not only an opportunity, but a tough decision as well.

“At first I couldn’t decide.” Walkling said. “It wasn’t always my plan, but when it came up I got more and more focused on it.”

It’s no coincidence that State’s success began when Walkling and the rest of the current sophomore class arrived. Prior to last season, women’s soccer had not experienced success in quite a while. Santoro’s first three seasons resulted in just two conference wins as he rebuilt the team. Despite the struggles, Walkling saw it as an opportunity to change the program’s fortunes and be a key to the change.

“I joined the program at a time where it wasn’t really developed,” Walkling said. “The best part for me is I’m not going to a team that is already formed and is the the top team in the country. I’m going to a team that is on its way to becoming a really good team and I can help influence it in a positive way.”

Santoro has lots of praise for not only Walkling’s play, but her work ethic as well. Coming from Germany where she played for one of the world’s best clubs, her professional approach has rubbed off on her team.

“When you get kids that have grown up living the game from such a young age in other countries, they do so many things that they don’t teach, but other kids can learn from them when they see them,” Santoro said. “It filters down into the team, it’s a big influence.”

In the midst of another strong season, the Pack will depend on Walkling to keep up her strong performance. The Wolfpack currently sits in sixth place in the ACC and will need a strong finish to the season to qualify for the conference tournament and NCAA Tournament.

As for the future, Walkling is unsure. She is looking to earn her degree, but also has her sights set on a professional career.

“I think I definitely want to try and play professionally,” Walkling said. “But it’s also important for me to get my education to make sure I have a backup because I won’t play soccer forever.”

Whichever path Walkling decides, she has already cemented herself as one of the main factors in the Wolfpack’s resurgence.