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Alva signs with NAIA Championship qualifier UC Merced
Alexia Alva signing
Manteca High senior Alexia Alva shares a laugh with her family while signing her letter of intent to play soccer for UC Merced. Also pictured, from left: father Agustin, brother Brandon, mother Adriana and brother Zane. - photo by JONAMAR JACINTO/The Bulletin

 UC Merced women’s soccer team is coming off its best season in program history.

The Bobcats hope Manteca High senior Alexia Alva can help them continue their ascent. She made her commitment official Wednesday, signing a letter of intent with her family, friends, teammates coaches at hand at the MHS tutoring center.

“Makes me feel good about my game and gives me a little bit of confidence,” Alva said. “I definitely want to play to their expectations.”

UC Merced’s historic campaign was overseen by second-year under head coach Roman DuChateau. The Bobcats set a single-season record with 16 wins, finishing 16-3 while winning their first California Pacific Conference Tournament title and making their first National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Championship appearance.

They upset No. 14 Embry-Riddle 2-1 in the Cal-Pac title match, marking the first time the program has beaten a top-25 ranked opponent. UC Merced went on to down Midland 1-0 in the NAIA Championship opener but lost to No. 4 Central Methodist 4-1 in the second round.

Alva said she was first approached by UC Merced coaches after one of Manteca’s Valley Oak League games this past season, a 2-1 win over rival East Union. Alva so happened to score both goals for the Buffaloes, and she remained in contact with UC Merced since.

A small-but-skillful center forward, Alva can play anywhere on the attacking line.

“They liked that I’m aggressive and how I move to get open for the ball,” Alva said. “I make runs and take players on, and I can score.”

Limited by injuries during her first two years at Manteca, she went on to score 56 goals and 21 assists. As a junior, Alva played more in support of Cami Silva, now at Alabama. This past season, she was the target striker and led the Buffaloes (23-3-3) with 37 goals and nine assists.

Alva hopes she can be an immediate contributor to a UC Merced attack that relied heavily on third-team All-American forward Trinidad Quiroz, who scored 23 of the team’s 47 goals.

Also at UC Merced is midfielder Preeya Singh, a 2022 Sierra graduate.

“I practiced with them, and all the girls are very welcoming and super nice,” Alva said. “They put in a lot of work in practice.”