Zara Siassi
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | January 31, 2002 | ||
| Place of birth | Lake Worth, Florida, U.S. | ||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Sporting JAX | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2015–2018 | Boca United ECNL | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2024 | North Florida Ospreys | 82 | (2) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2025– | Sporting JAX | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of date=June 2025 | |||
Zara Siassi (/ˈzɛərəsiˈɑːsi/ ZAIR-uh si-AHS-ee; born January 31, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Sporting Club Jacksonville of the USL Super League. She played college soccer for the North Florida Ospreys, where she became the program's all-time leader in appearances and starts.
Early life
Siassi was born in Lake Worth, Florida, and attended Park Vista Community High School. She played club soccer with Boca United ECNL and Weston FC Development Academy and was involved in U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program's state and regional camps.[1]
College career
Siassi played college soccer at the University of North Florida (UNF) from 2020 to 2024, making 82 appearances and starts — the most in program history. In her senior season in 2024, she led the team in assists (3) and helped the defense achieve six clean sheets. She also scored her second collegiate goal on Senior Day via penalty kick. Following her graduate season, Siassi was named the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in UNF history to receive the honor.[2]
Her standout performances also earned her recognition as a United Soccer Coaches (USC) All-American, appearing on the prestigious NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer All-American list for the 2024 season.[3]
She played over 7,000 minutes across five seasons, including the COVID-19-impacted 2020 campaign.[4]
Club career
Sporting JAX
On June 3, 2025, Siassi signed her first professional contract with Sporting JAX, an expansion team in the newly launched USL Super League. She was one of the first signings announced by the club ahead of their inaugural season. Sporting JAX is set to play its home matches at Hodges Stadium, on the campus of the University of North Florida.[5][6]
Siassi joined preseason training on July 8, 2025, ahead of the club’s friendly against Scottish side Hibernian W.F.C. on August 2 and its league debut against DC Power FC on August 23.[6]
Having played extensively at Hodges Stadium during her college career, Siassi described the chance to begin her professional journey on the same field as "a little surreal" and said she hoped to represent the Jacksonville community with pride.[6]
She acknowledged the challenge of adapting to the professional level, citing the faster speed of play and tactical demands. "The speed of play always increases... it's just a natural progression," she said.[6]
Personal life
Siassi majored in biomedical sciences at UNF. She comes from an athletic family, including an uncle who competed in track and field and a cousin who ran cross country at the collegiate level. Her parents are Tony Siassi and Susan Bierster.
Career statistics
College
| Season | Games | Scoring | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | G | A | PTS | SH | SOG | |||
| North Florida Ospreys | |||||||||
| 2020 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2021 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2022 | 16 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 4 | ||
| 2023 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 8 | ||
| 2024 | 20 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 5 | ||
| Career | |||||||||
| Career Total | 82 | 82 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 46 | 19 | ||
Honors
- ASUN Defensive Player of the Year (2024)
- United Soccer Coaches (USC) All-American (Fourth Team, 2024)
- USC Scholar All-American First Team (2024)
- USC All-South Region First Team (2024)
- All-ASUN First Team (2021 [spring], 2024)
- All-ASUN Second Team (2023)
- College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America Third Team (2023, 2024)
- ASUN Academic All-Conference Team (2022, 2024)
- ASUN Academic Honor Roll (2020–2024)
References
- ^ "22 Zara Siassi". UNFOspreys.com. University of North Florida. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
- ^ "2024 Women's Soccer Postseason Honors Announced". ASUNSports.org. Atlantic Sun Conference. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "NCAA Division I Women's Soccer All-Americans honored for 2024 season". SoccerWire.com. Soccer Wire. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
- ^ Freeman, Clayton. "Zara Siassi: UNF defender starts Sporting Jax pro soccer career". Jacksonville.com. The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
- ^ Bunker, Chase. "Sporting JAX signs three more players to debut roster". YahooSports.com. Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d Howick, Ethan. "New team, same stadium: Former UNF soccer player Zara Siassi on going pro". Spinnaker. UNF Spinnaker. Retrieved 10 July 2025.