Soccer inks nine during early signing periodSoccer inks nine during early signing period
Soccer

Soccer inks nine during early signing period

SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA soccer team welcomes nine signees to the 2019 signing class announced by head coach Derek Pittman on Wednesday.

The class is made up of Maci Bakarich, Logan DuFord, Olivia Galvan, Alex Granville, Nia Rmapersad, Sarina Russ, Deja Sandoval, Makayla Wang and Karlee Willey.

Maci Bakarich          
Position: Midfield/Forward                           
Hometown: Sacramento, Calif.                      
High School: C.K. McClatchy HS
 
Quote from coach Pittman on Bakarich: "This class is filled with talented players and Maci is no exception. She brings a different level of skill and creativity to our team that we don't have a lot of currently. Maci is a quick, silky midfielder that has great vision and awareness on the field. If she isn't slipping passes through the opponents back lines for her teammates to score, she is simply beating players off the dribble to create opportunities for herself."
 
Bio: Maci Bakarich was named to the all-league honors her sophomore year and had 22 goals in high school. For Davis Legacy, she is a three-tome Surf Cup Champion and made it to the ENCL finals. Bakarich was also a two-time State Cup champion in 2015 and 2016. 

Logan DuFord           
Position: Goalkeeper 
Hometown: Denver, Colo.                              
High School: Wheat Ridge HS
 
Quote from coach Pittman on DuFord: "Finding a quality Goalkeeper was a high priority for this class and we are happy to have Logan joining us for 2019. Like Sarina Russ, she too has been developing inside one of the top clubs in the country, Colorado Rush. Logan is a tall, imposing, talented goalkeeper that will be able to develop and compete for playing time with the graduation of Michelle Cole. Coach Cam is excited to have her be as a part of our group of keepers for next season."
 
Bio: Logan DuFord is the lone goalkeeper joining the class of 2019. She had the least goals against her in the league and was a Jeffco league champion as a freshman. 

Olivia Galvan             
Position: Defender    
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas                     
High School: Brennan HS
 
Quote from coach Pittman on Galvan: "It's always nice to recruit top talent from our own backyard and we are excited that Olivia chose to stay in San Antonio to play for UTSA. She is an extremely fast defender that is very difficult for opponents to get by one-on-one. She is tough, strong and an intense player that our local fans will enjoy watching for many years to come. The training that Kerwin Johnson and SA City has provided her will prepare her for the challenges ahead in C-USA."
 
Bio: Olivia Galvan is an outside back from San Antonio. She was named academic all-district all four years. 

Alex Granville           
Position: Defender    
Hometown: Maitland, Fla.                              
High School: Winter Park HS
 
Quote from coach Pittman on Granville: "Alex was a late addition to this class but man are we excited to have her. She is out of Orlando, Fla. and played for the Orlando Pride ECNL club where she has competed against some of the top talent in the country. Alex is an extremely fit athlete that also ran cross country for her high school. She is a smart, smooth and tenacious outside back that not only defends with good positional sense, but also attacks with a high level of effectiveness."
 
Bio: Alex Granville is a defender from Maitland, Fla. She had the privilege of training in the Player Development Program and id2 Program. 

Nia Rampersad         
Position: Forward      
Hometown: Humble, Texas                            
High School: Atascocita HS
 
Quote from coach Pittman on Rampersad: "Left sided players can be hard to find and we feel we have picked up a quality one in Nia. She is a fast and explosive player that could help us up front on attack or on defense as an outside back. She has played for one of the top clubs out of Houston and learned a ton from the coaching staff at the Challenge SC. We feel her versatility makes her an important asset to our roster for 2019 and beyond."
 
Bio: Nia Rampersad is a forward from Humble and was named Best Offensive Player in 2016. She also received the Dual Threat award. Rampersad qualified for round four of playoffs and finished second in her district. 

Sarina Russ               
Position: Midfield      
Hometown: Lafayette, Colo.                           
High School: Fairview HS
 
Quote from coach Pittman on Russ: "With the graduation of midfielders Channing and Rebekah, we knew we needed to fill those holes with talented individuals and we feel that Sarina is going to be able to help in that area. She is a tough, hard-nosed midfielder that is not only a pure ball-winner but also a very clean passer of the ball. Sarina is good in the air, a hard tackler and has tons experience playing against the best in the country in the USSF Development Academy with Colorado Rush."
 
Bio: Sarina Russ is a midfielder from Lafayette, Colorado. She was a Player Development Program invitee in 2016 and named all-region honorable mention her sophomore year. Russ was also on of the top three scorers for her high school and made it to the quarterfinals in 2016. 

Deja Sandoval           
Position: Defender    
Hometown: Albuquerque, N.M.                    
High School: La Cueva HS
 
Quote from coach Pittman on Sandoval: "Deja is a talented and versatile player that will be able to help us in the midfield or across the back line. She has experience competing for championships at a high level for both her club and high school team. She is a clean and composed player that has tremendous effort on both sides of the ball defensively and offensively. We expect her to come in compete right away for playing time and help our team next season."
 
Bio: Deja Sandoval is an outside back from Albuquerque. She was named first team all-state, first team all-district and second team all-metro. Sandoval is a three-time state champion and a national champion with US Club Soccer. 

Makayla Wang          
Position: Defender/Midfielder
Hometown: Warner Robins, Ga.                    
High School: Cinco Ranch HS (Katy, Texas)
 
Quote from coach Pittman on Wang: "Makayla is another tough, athletic defender that is going to add depth to our back line and compete right away for playing time at the center back role. She has great pace, strength, and one-on-one defending ability that will be tremendous assets for our team. She has also played in the Albion Hurricane ECNL club that has had a long history of preparing players to play at the next level and we feel she will be a great addition to our talented group of defenders."
 
Bio: Makayla Wang is a defender/midfielder from Cinco Ranch high school in Katy. She was named to the all-district first team her sophomore and junior year and the second team her freshman year. Wang was also named to the all-state tournament team in 2018. The Warner Robins, Ga., native was a two-time state semi-finalist. 

Karlee Willey            
Position: Forward      
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah                    
High School: Westlake HS
 
Quote from coach Pittman on Willey: "Karlee is a player that I have watched develop for over two years and truly believe that she will be a great asset to our team's attack for the next four years. She is a dynamic player that can stretch defenses with her pace or simply over power defenders with her strength to score goals. She has played for some of the top clubs in Salt Lake City and brings a wealth of experience to our forward line to help us become even more of a threat in front of goal."
 
Bio: Karlee Willey is a forward from Salt Lake City. She was named MVP as a freshman and coaches choice of the year as a junior. Willey was a Surf Cup finalist in 2017, a Nike Crossfire champion in 2015 and was the top scorer for Surf Cup in 2016.