DAVIS, Calif. — Jaycee DeFazio, an El Dorado Hills native and former standout at St. Francis High School in Sacramento, is returning closer to home after transferring from California Polytechnic State University to University of California, Davis for the upcoming 2026 women’s soccer season.
The announcement was made Thursday by the UC Davis Aggies women’s soccer program, which is preparing for its first season competing in the Mountain West Conference.
DeFazio, a 5-foot-4 forward, joins UC Davis as a redshirt sophomore after spending two seasons with Cal Poly. During the 2024 season, she appeared in 13 matches for the Mustangs and recorded five shots. As a freshman in 2023, she played in eight matches, scoring her first collegiate goal and assist in a 4-0 victory over Cal State Northridge — a performance that earned her Big West Freshman of the Week honors.
Before entering the college ranks, DeFazio built a strong local résumé at St. Francis High School and with Davis Legacy SC, one of Northern California’s premier youth soccer clubs. She was a three-time All-Delta League First Team selection and helped St. Francis capture back-to-back Delta League championships in 2021 and 2022.
UC Davis head coach Kat Mertz praised DeFazio’s early impact with the program.
“Jaycee has made an immediate impact on the field in the short time she has been with our team,” Mertz said in a university statement. “We are excited for her experience and are looking forward to watching her develop this fall.”
DeFazio also brings international experience to the Aggies. Last year, she earned call-ups to both the Philippines Women’s National Team and the Philippines Women’s National Futsal Team. She competed internationally in Vietnam and Thailand and trained abroad in Barcelona as part of the futsal program’s preparation for international competition.
“One of the most memorable moments of the tournament was having the chance to share the field with my sister, Janae,”
DeFazio said in the UC Davis release.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities this journey has given me.”
Her addition continues an active offseason for UC Davis, which has added multiple transfers as the Aggies reshape their roster ahead of conference realignment. DeFazio becomes the fourth transfer addition announced by the program for the 2026 campaign.
For local soccer followers in El Dorado County and the Sacramento region, DeFazio’s move represents another example of area talent continuing to compete at the NCAA Division I level while maintaining ties to the region’s growing soccer pipeline.
Sources:
UC Davis Athletics; Cal Poly Athletics
