Ellie Walbruch

Ellie Louise Walbruch (born May 25, 2004) is an American college soccer player who plays as a forward for the BYU Cougars. She previously played for the UCLA Bruins and was part of the team that won the 2022 national championship.

Early life

Born in Denver, Colorado, Walbruch grew up in Highland, Utah. She began playing soccer as a four-year-old coached by her father. When she was ten, her family attended the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, leading her to want to pursue soccer as a career. She committed to UCLA during her freshman year at American Fork High School over offers from BYU, Stanford, Texas, Notre Dame, Oregon, North Carolina, and others. She was named ECNL all-conference with both La Roca and Real Colorado. She was ranked by TopDrawerSoccer as the No. 16 prospect of the 2022 class, part of UCLA's second-ranked incoming class.

College career

Walbruch enrolled early at the University of California, Los Angeles, in the spring of 2022. Under new head coach Margueritte Aozasa, she scored 1 goal in 13 appearances as a substitute during her freshman season.

Walbruch then transferred to the BYU Cougars under Jennifer Rockwood for her sophomore season in 2023. She was named second-team All-Big 12 and helped the team reach the NCAA tournament semifinals.

Walbruch suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during an exhibition game in the spring of 2024 and missed her entire junior season.

Walbruch started all 24 games and led the Cougars with 16 goals as a redshirt junior in 2025, earning first-team All-Big 12 and second-team All-American honors. BYU reached the third round in the NCAA tournament. Her parents met at the University of Denver, where her father played soccer and her mother played basketball.

Honors and awards

UCLA Bruins NCAA Division I women's soccer tournament: 2022

BYU Cougars Big 12 Conference women's soccer tournament: 2025

Utah United USL W League: 2025

Individual Second-team All-American: 2025 First-team All-Big 12: 2025 Second-team All-Big 12: 2023 Big 12 tournament Most Outstanding Offensive Player: 2025 USL W League final MVP: 2025