Penn State brings in transfers from UNC, Tennessee and UPenn

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women’s soccer program and head coach Erica Dambach announced the addition of three transfer student-athletes to the team’s 2024 roster.

The Nittany Lions welcomed Ginger Fontenot, Jordan Fusco and Kayleigh Herr to the program with all three immediately eligible to compete at PSU this fall. Fusco and Herr have already arrived on campus and will participate in Penn State’s spring soccer activities, while Fontenot will arrive in University Park this fall ahead of the 2024 season.

“I am very excited to announce the addition of Ginger, Jordan and Kayleigh to our program this spring,” Dambach said. “Each of these players provides us with a wealth of experience and quality at practically every position. With the incredible success our program had in the NWSL Draft this year, the significance of reloading our roster with athletes and individuals of this caliber cannot be understated. I am extremely happy that these three have chosen to join us this season, and I look forward to helping develop their talents alongside our amazing group of returners.”

GINGER FONTENOT | DEFENDER | CAMARILLO, CALIF. | PENN

One of the most dominant defensive performers in the Ivy League over the past three seasons, Fontenot will transfer 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.

“I chose Penn State because there’s no better place to be an athlete at the highest level of college athletics,” Fontenot said. “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.”

Born in the fall of 2002, Fontenot hails from Camarillo, 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.

“Ginger Fontenot is one of the best defenders in the country,” Dambach said. “She has proven to be able to step up in huge moments and shut down some of the best attacking players that the college game has to offer. In addition, she is also very talented on the ball and will help set up play from the back line and start our attack. The All-Ivy League honors speak for themselves when you watch her play. Ginger’s ability to keep her teammates organized, be a hard-nosed defender and get the attack started made her the ideal addition to our back line heading into a new season.”

JORDAN FUSCO | MIDFIELDER | OLMSTED TOWNSHIP, OHIO | TENNESSEE

An impressive attacking midfielder, distributor and goal-scoring threat, Fusco arrives in Happy Valley after a trio of decorated seasons at the University of Tennessee. During her impressive career in Knoxville, Fusco totaled 38 points split between 14 total goals in addition to 10 assists, making 61 appearances and 53 starts in three years with the Lady Vols. Fusco arrives in the nation’s premier soccer conference after landing First Team All-SEC honors a season ago after booking six goals and four assists for 16 total points, highlighted by her first career hat trick against Texas A&M in league play on Oct. 22. She ranked fifth on the team in scoring in her 2022 sophomore effort after starting all 19 matches. In 2021, Fusco finished as the No. 13-ranked freshman in the nation according to TopDrawerSoccer after amassing 13 points in her rookie campaign split between four goals and five assists.

“I chose to transfer to Penn State for my final season of collegiate eligibility because this program consistently competes for championships,” Fusco expressed. “Penn State offers great academics and pairs that high standard in the classroom with an exceptional athletic program, especially when it comes to women’s soccer. I am very excited to join the Nittany Lion family and get to work with this amazing staff and my new teammates.”

A native of Olmsted Township, Ohio, Fusco is the eldest child and only daughter of Janae and Scott Fusco. She has one younger brother, named Dominic, who is four years her junior. Fusco excelled academically during her tenure at Tennessee, earning her Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology earlier this year. While at Penn State, she will pursue a graduate degree in business management from the prestigious Smeal College of Business. After expending her collegiate eligibility, Fusco plans to play professionally and ultimately pursue a career as a physician’s assistant.

“Jordan Fusco is an incredibly talented player, and a highly decorated performer coming out of one of the most competitive leagues in women’s soccer,” Dambach said. “It would be an understatement to call her one of the best midfielders in the country. Her impact on both sides of the ball is massive, and her ability to distribute the ball in the final third makes her a threat any time her team is on the attack. She’s exceptional off the dribble, and I look forward to seeing how she will complement our very talented attacking group.”

KAYLEIGH HERR | DEFENDER | CARY, N.C. | NORTH CAROLINA

A highly impactful player on the back line and one of the most impressive prospects coming out of the U.S. Women’s Youth National Team system in recent years, Herr arrives in University Park after a two-year stint at North Carolina. Herr appeared in 12 matches for the Tar Heels, making eight starts in the process while playing all 90 minutes on four occasions. Sidelined by injury at varying points in both of her collegiate seasons to date, Herr stood out in her limited opportunities. In 2023, she registered her first career goal in ACC competition at NC State and was part of a UNC defense that allowed four goals across her seven appearances, booking three shutouts in that span. During her rookie season in 2022, Herr started and played in all five of UNC’s season-opening fixtures before suffering a season-ending injury against UCLA on Sept. 4 of that year.

“I chose to transfer to Penn State for its exceptional soccer program, with an emphasis on the coaching staff and the family-like atmosphere I felt while I was visiting,” Herr stated. “I truly believe the coaches here at PSU are the best in the country. I am so excited to join a competitive and determined group of women who share the same values that I do. This school’s reputation as an excellent academic institution helped push me to make this decision, as well as the stellar Penn State alumni network. I can’t wait to get this next chapter started.”

Born in the spring of 2004 in Cary, North Carolina, Herr is the only daughter and middle child of Tammy and David Herr. She has three siblings in total, with two older brothers named Mike and Matt in addition to her little brother Joey. Her uncles, Dan and Mike, both played college football, with the former spending two varsity seasons at Chico State University and the latter spending a pair of years on the roster at San Diego State. Herr is currently studying Recreation, Park and Tourism Management in the Penn State College of Health and Human Development, expecting to graduate in December of 2026. She hopes to continue her soccer career at the professional level upon graduation, and ultimately work with animals and habitat prevention when she completes her playing career.

“Kayleigh Herr is an incredibly talented individual and an infectious personality that will bring a variety of positive attributes to our program,” Dambach expressed. “The first thing that comes to mind on the pitch is Kayleigh’s presence as a leader and organizer on the back line. Those attributes will be key as we shuffle in a trio of new starters on the defensive side of the ball. Individually, she is very good on the ball and is a dangerous player when she comes out of the back on the dribble. I look forward to seeing what Kayleigh will bring to our group this season.”