2024 • GRADUATE SEASON
Awards: Garnered national recognition as a TopDrawerSoccer National Team of the Week member in the organization’s November 25 release.
Season: Arrived in Happy Valley and made an instant impact in her final season of college soccer, ranking first on the Nittany Lion roster in terms of minutes played with 2,130… Was one of just five Nittany Lion student-athletes to appear and start in all 25 matches this season… Racked up 90 minutes played or more in 19 of the Nittany Lions’ 25 fixtures… Helped drive the Nittany Lion defense to 11 shutouts over the course of the season… Tallied one point in the Blue & White, an assist against Vanderbilt in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
Texas Tech (8/15): Was a driving force behind Penn State’s success on both ends of the pitch against the Red Raiders, helping limit Texas Tech to a shutout while providing assistance in the build that saw PSU finish with a 4-0 victory on opening night. at Princeton (9/5): Lifted Penn State on the back line against the Tigers, holding one of the most volatile offenses in Division I without a goal in 90 minutes played at the center back spot. B1G Tournament First Round at Minnesota (11/1): Was a key contributor to PSU’s opening-round B1G Tournament triumph in hostile conditions against the Golden Gophers, anchoring the Nittany Lion back line in the postseason shutout. NCAA Tournament Second Round vs. TCU (11/22): Mustered her individual highlight of the season against the Horned Frogs with a herculean second-half block that helped keep TCU off the scoreboard, adding 90 minutes and a shutout to her final line. NCAA Tournament Third Round vs. Vanderbilt (11/24): Helped center the PSU back line while providing her first point as a Nittany Lion in the form of an assist in Penn State’s 3-1 triumph over the Commodores.
BEFORE PENN STATE
One of the most dominant defensive performers in the Ivy League over the prior three seasons, Fontenot transferred to Happy Valley after earning her degree from the University of Pennsylvania… A two-time All-Ivy League selection while at Penn, Fontenot appeared and started in all 44 of her matches played in Philadelphia… Tasked as Penn’s primary lockdown defender, Fontenot was a First Team All-Ivy choice in the 2023 campaign after playing the sixth-most minutes on the roster while leading a defense that limited opponents to one-or-fewer goals in 14-of-16 matches… Fontenot was a Second Team All-Ivy choice in 2022, playing the fourth-most minutes on the squad, and was one of just four players to start and play all 16 matches during the 2021 season, booking three points via a goal and assist that year… Arriving on the Penn campus in the fall of 2020, Fontenot picked up an extra year of eligibility due to the Ivy League canceling all athletic events in the 2020-21 academic year.
HIGH SCHOOL & CLUB
Three-time letter winner in soccer, captain as a senior… Helped team to CIF state championship in 2016-17… Coastal Canyon League MVP and First Team All-County… Also ran track & field, winning the Ventura County long jump title in 2019 and earning the team’s Most Valuable Sprinter twice… Three-time Principal’s Award recipient… Scholar Athlete recipient… Wrote for her school paper.
PERSONAL
Born in the fall of 2002, Fontenot hails from Ventura, California and is the daughter of Angela and Patrick Fontenot… She has two sisters, named Azelina and Teresa, with the latter also playing collegiate soccer at the University of South Dakota from 2018 to 2022… Fontenot plans to study Cinema and Media Studies at Penn State University in addition to picking up her Business Management Certificate from the prestigious PSU Smeal College of Business… She hopes to further her career in professional soccer, and ultimately begin a career in the film industry when her playing days come to a close.
WHY PENN STATE
“I chose Penn State because there’s no better place to be an athlete at the highest level of college athletics. I love this coaching staff. Each of them brings a wealth of experience, and they have welcomed me with such open arms that it wasn’t difficult to see how Penn State could be my new family and home. They care about their players’ well-being and dedicate themselves to bringing out the best in everyone each day. I was drawn in by the competitive nature of the school, where excellence is the standard, not the exception. I can’t wait to push my limits at Penn State and let it mold me into a player and person beyond my expectations.”