IRVINE, Calif.-- Completing the fifth-year trio for the 2024 season is the high-energy scorer up top in Desiree Mendoza.
 
Mendoza has taken the same journey as fellow fifth-year Kiera Smeenge starting with a canceled 2020 season due to the pandemic. Like Smeenge, she was in the Starting XI for the season opener of her freshman campaign playing 21 matches and starting 15 times in 2021 in the middle of the attack and becoming a key contributor. She knocked home three goals in her freshman season that all went for game-winners resulting in three Big West Freshman of the Week honors.

"Des has been at the heart of everything we have done in the last few seasons. She makes us better every day and I'm thrilled she has opted to play one more year." head coach Scott Juniper exuded of the team's spark in the offensive third.

The Costa Mesa native's play continued to show up year-after-year with four goals in 2022 and three more in 2023 to go with four assists while picking up three more game-winning goals in those two seasons. Her explosiveness was on display this year in a 5-1 win at Cal State Bakersfield when she scored twice in the span of 32 seconds to charged the team's four goals in 3:20.

The education major started and played in every match in 2023 giving her 63 career matches and 56 starts backed by a hearty 10 career goals, 28 points, and six game-winners. She's received accolades in the classroom as well with at least one Big West Fall All-Academic, Commissioner's Honor Roll, and Dean's List recognition each as an Anteaters, and has only known success on the field with three Big West titles and three deep NCAA Champoinship runs in her three seasons as she looks to lead the program for another of each now in 2024.