SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Glens Soccer Club announced today that defender Amaya Bautista has signed on for the 2023 USL W League season, pending league approval.

An Academic All-Region team honoree by College Sports Communicators, she was an important presence on the back line in all 17 games last season for the Beavers.

“I’m super thankful to have this opportunity to play for the SF Glens in this upcoming inaugural season in the W League,” said Bautista. “I’m also looking forward to sharing the field with some of my old teammates, so see you soon. Up the Glens!”

A native of Hayward, California and graduate of James Logan High School, she will return home to the region, where she shone at club level for the San Jose Earthquakes, and later, Bay Area Surf. Bautista was part of the Under-19 Surf team that won the Girls Academy national championship in 2021. So far three other members of that team — Elise Evans, Elle Piper and Jennie Immethun — have already signed with the Glens.

“Amaya comes to the Glens with a wealth of Pac-12 experience, playing for Oregon State University,” said head coach Mike Sharabi. “Happy to see her reunited with so many of her former club teammates."

“It is going to be a joy working with Amaya again who has such an elite level aerial presence," said Glens assistant coach Jovan Yamagishi. "There are not many players that can read danger as well as she does on the defensive end of the field. Her selfless approach in her game will provide us the ability to come into this season with a team-first mentality that will spread across the locker room.”

The San Francisco Glens are entering their first USL W League season in the NorCal Division. Open tryouts will take place February 18 and March 12 at Skyline College. Register now at sfglens.com/tryouts.

ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO GLENS SC

With over 90 total teams and 1,100 youth and adult players, the San Francisco Glens are the largest and most diverse soccer club in The City. Founded in 1961, the Glens have established minor-league men’s team in USL League Two, a women’s team in the USL W League, and a comprehensive youth academy that includes a full pathway in MLS NEXT, the top youth league in America, right down to local micro soccer programs serving kids as young as Pre-K. Last year, the club announced the construction of a soccer-specific facility at Treasure Island with a targeted completion date by end of 2023.

As a community-focused 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Glens are proud to have never turned away a single player or family due to financial hardship thanks to internal fundraising efforts and a scholarship program that distributed over $200,000 last year alone. Visit us at sfglens.com and sfglensacademy.com.

ABOUT THE USL W LEAGUE

The USL W League is the nation’s premier pre-professional league developing the next generation of women’s soccer talent both on and off the field, enhancing the pipeline between college and professional soccer. Since the conclusion of the inaugural 2022 season, 25 W League alums have gone to sign a professional contract. In addition, seven players were drafted in the 2023 NWSL draft, and nine players have been invited to professional preseason training camps home and aboard. The USL W League strives to use women’s soccer as a force for societal good by creating a national platform to increase opportunity, gender equity, and career development. Visit uslwleague.com to learn more.