Mustang Women's Soccer Adds 5 Talented Mid-Year Transfers
1/3/2026 8:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The Cal Poly women’s soccer team recently added five talented and experienced mid-year transfers to its roster as the program looks to defend its Big West Championship in 2026.
All five transfers are California natives and the group is made up of two forwards (Sam Liaty and Kate Zimmerman), two defenders (Mya Clarke and Maddy Cole) and one midfielder (Koko Harris). The mid-year transfers all come from Division I universities and boast plenty of experience, combining for 9,616 minutes played, 161 appearances, 90 starts, 14 goals and 11 assists across their collegiate careers.
We’re super excited to welcome these five amazing young women to Cal Poly 2.0. With the graduation of a large senior class, we knew we needed to utilize the transfer portal to add quality and depth to our roster, and we did just that. We targeted players who we felt would positively contribute toward the sisterhood culture we have in our locker room as well fit our program identity. All five of these student-athletes fill a specific positional need that needed to be filled, as well as a skillset that will make us better in some way, shape or form. These women have won at every level they’ve played at and throughout the recruitment process demonstrated a desire to now chase excellence with Cal Poly 2.0. We cannot wait to start building with them and our returners in January!Bernardo Silva, Cal Poly Women's Soccer Head Coach
Harris, Liaty, Zimmerman and Clarke will all join the Mustangs this winter, while Cole will enroll at Cal Poly in the spring and join the team then.
The five mid-year transfers join six freshmen that will join the Mustangs in the fall ahead of the 2026 season — forward Madison Lujan (Davis, Calif.), midfielder Delaney Franklin (North Fork, Calif.), defenders Kate Nunes (Salinas, Calif.), Suna Roberts (Torrance, Calif.) and Nina Souto (Rocklin, Calif.), and goalkeeper Alyssa Lopez (Windsor, Calif.).
Koko Harris (MF)
Junior / Loomis, CA / Eastern Washington
Harris was an integral part of the Eastern Washington midfield over the past two seasons, racking up 2,259 minutes on the pitch, 36 appearances, 22 starts, four goals and two assists.
The 2024 Del Oro High (Loomis, CA) grad had a stellar sophomore campaign with the Eagles this fall, starting in all 17 matches she appeared in and registering four goals and two-game winners across over 1,480 minutes to earn All-Big Sky Honorable Mention recognition. A 2024 Big Sky All-Academic Team selection, Harris appeared in all 19 matches for EWU as a freshman, and the team posted a 17-12-9 overall record during her two years with them.
A three-time Sierra Foothill League First Team selection while at Del Oro High, Harris played club for San Juan FC and will major in Kinesiology at Cal Poly.
Sam Liaty (F)
Junior / El Dorado Hills, CA / Tarleton State
Liaty appeared in all 40 matches for Tarleton State over the past two seasons, racking up 2,315 minutes, 20 starts, four goals and five assists while playing at seven different positions on the pitch. Liaty made 11 starts for the Texans this past season and dished out three assists, and as a true freshman in 2024 recorded three goals and one assist across nine starts.
The WAC All-Academic Team selection was a star during her time at Oak Ridge High (El Dorado Hills, CA), earning All-League First Team honors twice and helping the Trojans capture a pair of Sierra Foothill League titles, the Sac-Joaquin Section title and a NorCal State Championship. During her time there, Liaty tallied 23 goals and 12 assists, securing All-State First Team honors as a team captain.
The former team captain and First Team All-Conference for Placer United will major in business administration at Cal Poly.
Kate Zimmerman (F)
Junior / Sacramento, CA / San Francisco
A 2025 WCC All-Academic selection, Zimmerman appeared in 32 matches for the University of San Francisco the past two seasons, tallying 1,108 minutes, three goals and two assists. The Sacramento, Calif. native recorded a goal and an assist across 16 appearances this past season and in her first start as a Don in 2024 buried her first two collegiate goals in a 2-1 comeback win over San Jose State to earn West Coast Conference Player of the Week honors.
A 2024 C.K. McClatchy High grad (Sacramento, CA), Zimmerman played club for San Juan SC and will major in Kinesiology at Cal Poly with hopes of becoming a physical therapist in the future.
Mya Clarke (D)
Junior / Manhattan Beach, CA / Cal State Bakersfield
Clarke was a key member on the Cal State Bakersfield backline the past two years, helping the Roadrunners reach their first Big West Championship match in 2024 as a true freshman while playing under Silva, who was the head coach at CSUB at the time.
The 2025 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree racked up 2,685 minutes, 37 appearances, 25 starts, three goals and one assist during her time as a Roadrunner. While playing in 18 matches and starting in 16 of them this past season at CSUB, she found the back of the net twice in a pair of victories. She played all 90 minutes in 22 matches as a Roadrunner.
A 2024 Mira Costa High grad, Clarke was a three-time All-Bay League honoree in soccer for the Mustangs and also ran on their track team for three years. She is majoring in Kinesiology at Cal Poly.
Maddy Cole (D)
Sophomore / Bakersfield, CA / Cal State Bakersfield
During her freshman season at Cal State Bakersfield this fall, Cole appeared in 16 matches and made 13 starts, playing 1,249 total minutes and never stepping off the pitch in 10 matches. She recorded her first collegiate point in a 2-1 victory over Hawai’i on Oct. 26, assisting on a goal by Clarke in the 23rd minute.
The Roadrunners’ Newcomer of the Year, Cole graduated from Liberty High in Bakersfield and was a three-time Central Section First Team honoree for the Patriots and a two-time Central Section Defender of the Year. She was a part of a pair of Central Section Valley championships teams at Liberty and as a senior helped the Patriots allow no goals in conference play and just eight all season. Cole, who also ran track at Liberty, was originally recruited to CSUB by Silva during his time there.
