Former Asheville City SC midfielder Yuliia Khrystiuk has earned another opportunity to represent her home country, receiving a call-up to the Ukraine Women’s National Team for its upcoming two-legged FIFA Women’s World Cup playoff against Slovakia.
Ukraine and Slovakia will meet October 9 and October 13 in a first-round UEFA playoff tie as both nations continue their pursuit of a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
For Khrystiuk, the call-up represents another milestone in a journey that has taken her from Asheville City to the professional level with Scottish Women’s Premier League side Hibernian FC and now back onto the international stage with Ukraine.
The stakes are particularly meaningful for Ukraine, which has never qualified for a FIFA Women’s World Cup. The winner of the Ukraine-Slovakia series will advance to the second round of the UEFA playoffs, where it will face the winner of Greece and England.
“It means the world,” Khrystiuk said. “Playing at the World Cup is something Ukrainian Women’s National Team hasn’t achieved yet, so just getting a chance to get as close to it as possible is massive.”
For Khrystiuk, however, the opportunity extends beyond the field.
“Being able to represent Ukraine on an international stage is super special on its own, but nowadays it’s a lot bigger than playing soccer,” she said. “With war still happening, every little victory is a chance to bring a bit of happiness to people back home, and to remind the world about us.”
A Blue Through and Through
Khrystiuk first joined Asheville City in 2022 during the club’s inaugural USL W League season. She returned in 2024 and again in 2025, becoming an important part of some of the most successful seasons in club history.
Across her three seasons with the Blues, Khrystiuk was part of Asheville City’s first USL W League playoff appearance, its first South Central Division title and Southern Conference Championship, and its run to the 2025 National Semifinals.
Her impact was particularly significant in the 2025 playoff run. Khrystiuk assisted on both the game-tying and game-winning goals in Asheville City’s Southern Conference Championship victory, setting up the equalizer in the 89th minute before providing the assist on the winning goal in the 121st minute.
Those moments helped establish Khrystiuk as a player the Blues could count on when the stakes were highest.
“Yuliia was a key player for us during my first season with Asheville City SC,” Asheville City Women’s Head Coach Maxi Viera said. “She brought quality, competitiveness, and professionalism to our group, and she was someone we could rely on in important moments.”
Khrystiuk credits her time in Asheville as an important part of her development, both during her college career and as she transitioned into the professional game. “Being able to play for Asheville during college off seasons has definitely prepared me for a professional career and to being able to play for Ukraine,” she said. “The USL W system is quite similar to professional soccer, so I think that helped me to transition to Scottish football a bit.”
After completing her college career at Old Dominion, where she made 83 appearances and 49 starts while recording eight goals and 16 assists, Khrystiuk signed with Hibernian FC.
Her professional experience in Scotland has continued that development. “Now playing for Hibernian is a bit of a change of pace from college soccer,” she said. “I think I’ve become a lot better in these past few months.”
“Once a Blue, Always a Blue”
While Khrystiuk’s time in Asheville helped prepare her for the next stages of her career, she says the relationships she built with the club and the Asheville community remain just as important.
“I think I could talk for hours about how special Asheville City is,” Khrystiuk said. “There’s so much I’m grateful for.”
She specifically pointed to the Asheville City community, coaches, teammates and staff who helped shape her experience with the club. “I think Stacey (Enos) is one of the most crucial people in my Asheville experience,” Khrystiuk said. “I can’t express how grateful I am to her for taking care and believing in me every season I’ve played for the Blues.”
Khrystiuk also formed a lasting connection with the Oldenburg family, who served as her host family during her first season in Asheville. “They’re my ‘American family’ and I’m super grateful to have met them,” she said.
During her three seasons with the Blues, Khrystiuk also worked with coaches Mena (Jimena Rojas Cordero), Kate (Hammes), Brooke (Bingham) and Viera, each of whom she credits with helping her grow as a player. “Those girls and staff are a massive part of who I am now as a player and a teammate,” Khrystiuk said of her 2025 Asheville City team. “This was probably the time I enjoyed soccer the most in my whole life. That’s how special that year was.”
Viera has watched that growth continue from Asheville. “One of our goals at Asheville City is to provide players with an environment where they can showcase their potential, continue developing, and create opportunities to play professionally,” Viera said. “We work very hard toward that, so it’s always special to see a player who spent multiple seasons with our club achieve her dream of becoming a professional player.”
“Seeing Yuliia continue to progress in her professional career while representing her country makes us extremely proud,” Viera continued. “She is a great example of what we hope our players can accomplish after their time in Asheville.”
Another Step Toward the World Cup
Now, Khrystiuk has the opportunity to help Ukraine take another step toward a historic first appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Ukraine will face Slovakia on October 9 before the second leg on October 13. The winner will advance to the second round of the UEFA playoffs, scheduled for November 26 through December 5.
For Khrystiuk, the focus is simple. “Slovakia is a good team, it won’t be an easy matchup,” she said. “But I look forward the most to putting on a Ukraine jersey again, singing the national anthem, and then leaving it all out on the pitch for our country and getting a step closer to our dream.”
And while she prepares to represent Ukraine on one of the biggest stages of her career, she knows there will be people back in Asheville watching and cheering her on. “Thank you guys, being where I am now wouldn’t be possible without all of you,” Khrystiuk said. “Once a Blue, always a Blue.”
