Monterey Bay Football Clubs W Welcomes the Club’s First Three Players in Franchise History
SEASIDE, California (Wednesday, March 18, 2026) – Monterey Bay Football Club W (Monterey Bay FC W) announced today the welcoming of Izabella Tejeda, Monserrat Hernandez Marquez and Vanessa Aguilar as the clubs first-ever players to join Monterey Bay FC W.
These three inaugural acquisitions reflect Monterey Bay FC’s commitment to building a team rooted in the community as they prevail from within the Monterey community.
Izabella Tejeda, who was born in Monterey and grew up in Royal Oaks, had a successful tenure at Palma School that earned her an opportunity to currently play collegiately for the University of Oregon. At Palma, she led her school in scoring, averaging 1.7 goals per game. In 2025, Tejeda won the 2025 Golden Boot Award for being the PCAL Cypress Division Offensive Player of the Year. The defender received three-time all-league selections and helped Palma advance to the CIF Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs each of her four playing years for the Chieftains. Tejada has also gained valuable international experience from playing with Club Santos Laguna in Mexico for two years.
From Watsonville, Monserrat Hernandez Marquez joins the club after playing four seasons at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (2018-2022). The midfielder appeared in 54 matches (28 starts) scoring three goals and two assists in 2,473 played for the Mustangs. Prior to playing for Cal Poly, Marquez attended Aptos High School where she scored 37 goals and 17 assists between her senior and junior seasons. She helped lead program to four successive Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League titles and four straight CIF Central Coast Section Tournament appearances while being named the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League Most Valuable Player in back-to-back seasons (2017-18) during her high school career playing for the Mariners.
Rounding out the trio, Vanessa Aguilar, a native of Soledad, California is a midfielder who currently plays for the University of Washington, where she made her collegiate debut in 2025 appearing in four matches. Aguilar has played internationally for Mexico at the U-15 and U-17 levels. She helped Mexico to a runner up finish at the 2024 CONCACAF Championships, scoring the winning goal in the semifinal to secure a spot in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. She has also competed in the Montaigu Tournament in France for the Mexican Women’s National Team in 2023. At high school level she played for both Soledad and Presentation High School and earned the Most Valuable Player award during her tenure playing for the Warriors.
“Launching into our first USL W League season is a proud moment for our club and our community,” said Laura VanWart, head coach for Monterey Bay FC W. “Bringing in three local talented players like this is just the beginning—we’re building something special, and they’ll play a key role in shaping our culture and success.”
Together, these players form the foundation of a new era for Monterey Bay FC, one that celebrates local pride while striving for excellence on the pitch.
The current roster heading into the 2026 season as of March 18 is listed alphabetically as follows:
Goalkeepers: –
Defenders: Izabella Tejada
Midfielders: Vanessa Aguilar, Monserrat Hernandez Marquez
Forwards: –
PRESS CONTACT:
Marco Peralta, Monterey Bay FC
E: marco@montereybayfc.com
