DAVIS, Calif.  — With the 2026 signing day coming to a close, UC Davis softball has added four new high school players to its roster for the 2028 season, with Ava Giamie, Samantha Jaimes, Abigail Sova, and Marilyn McCaverty joining the Aggies.

Ava Giamie (San Diego, Calif., Del Norte High School)

A 2025 Palomar League champion for Del Norte High School in San Diego, Giamie comes to the Aggies as a pitcher, earning individual honors for both her high school team and with her summer ball team PowerSurge Walling Gold 18U.

After earning CIF San Diego Section Rookie of the Year and All-League Honorable Mention in 2024, she powered her game up even further after being named Second Team All-League in back to back years in 2025 and 2026. Playing with PowerSurge Walling Gold 18U this past summer, she traveled all around the country earning high finishes in multiple tournaments, including a top 10 finish at the Colorado Sparkler National Power Pool, a top five finish in the Top Gun Texas National Tournament, a top three finish at the New Jersey National Tournament in Arizona, and an Alliance Nationals Tier one finish.

In the classroom, she's also been a high achiever, earning the Scholar Athlete Award three times, getting a math department academic recognition, and she's been selected as one of 20 students in her graduating class to represent the Ambassadors Program and visit local elementary schools.

Giamie also has a number of athletically gifted members of her family, her dad and uncle played college football, her dad at San Diego and her uncle at Northern Arizona, and her aunt also played softball at Kansas. She currently has two cousins currently playing collegiate softball as well, one at San Diego and one at Fresno State.

She was recruited by schools such as Harvard, Brown, Stonehill College, Fordham, and Holy Cross, but ultimately chose UC Davis because "of how well-rounded the school is, with prestigious academics, competitive athletics, and a close sense of community that felt like family when I stepped on campus."

Hobbies include hiking, going to the beach, cooking, spending time with friends and family, and playing the piano.

Samantha Jaimes (La Habra, Calif., Sonora High School)

Playing middle infield for Sonora High School in La Mirada, the Fullerton native has been named MVP and All-Conference throughout her playing career, recently elected captain of her team in 2025 and 2026.

A true two-way player, Jaimes was awarded Offensive Player of the Year in 2025 and Defensive Player of the Year in 2026, also becoming a Second Team All-League selection both years. Additionally, her freshman fall ball team competed and won the Triple Crown Classic in 2024, a regional youth softball tournament hosted by the USABL.

Not to be outdone, she's also excelled in the classroom, being named an academic scholar for her school twice, in 2024 and 2026. In her freetime, she's also volunteered at church camps and loves to draw and spend time with her family, particularly loving to go to Disneyland.

She was recruited by other schools such as Pacific, Fresno, Utah Valley, UTEP, Biola, and UT Tyler, but decided on Davis because "as soon as I stepped foot on campus I immediately fell in love with the campus and the environment. I loved the softball girls and how welcoming they were as well as the coaches. I loved the small town vibes!"

Abigail Sova (Vacaville, Calif., Will C Wood High School)

Growing up less than a half hour from the UC Davis campus, Sova, nicknamed "Doodle", has had an accomplished career in Vacaville, named MEL First Team All-League in 2024 and 2026 for her play in the outfield.

With her offensive play, Sova has also gained significant national recognition in the softball world. In 2025, she was named the 23rd best ranked outfielder in the West Region by Extra Inning Softball, a scouting organization dedicated to finding and highlighting the best high school players in the nation. In addition to a First Team selection last year, her play led Sova to being named the 2026 Offensive Player of the Year by the MEL.

With her summer ball team, LTG, she's also gained high recognition. Just this past summer, her team became HS Division IV SJS Section finalists and the PGF Organization Challenge winners. At Will C Wood High School, she also played varsity flag football for two seasons and became a 2026 All League Academic Team member along with a spot on the school's Honor Society and to the principals honor roll in 2024.

She got recruiting attention from Santa Clara, but chose UC Davis because "Davis just feels like home, since I live so close, Davis resembled Vacaville to me and gave a home feeling. The players, Coaches, and advisors all made me feel super welcomed and valued. I have also heard so many great things from people who are going there or have graduated from there."

Outside of competition, she loves coloring and diamond painting and has done over 40 hours of community service and will have over 10 hours of student athletic training before her graduation in the spring.

Marilyn McCaverty (El Segundo, Calif., El Segundo High School)

Rounding out the group, McCaverty brings a high level of talent to the Aggies with a number of awards and accomplishments already under her belt going back to back to back USA Softball 12U All-American awards in 2020 and 2021.

On the diamond, her play has shined as both an outfielder and catcher, earning All League selections in 2025 and 2026 for the Bay League while also being named Offensive Player of the Year for her squad in '25. She was also elected team captain last season and will continue to serve in that role as a senior. Her presence has allowed El Segundo High School to playoff appearances in all of her seasons with the team, including a Bay League Championship in 2025.

Summer ball has also been good to McCaverty, playing every year going back to 2022. Her most recent team, the BSC Bengal Briggs, had a successful summer this year after being runner ups in the 18U PGF Shootout tournament.

Also playing indoor volleyball at El Segundo, McCaverty has served on the school's associated student body for the last four years, including leadership roles in the last three. She looks forward to serving as the school's Spirit Commissioner this year. What's most impressive about this is that she's been able to do all of this while also maintaining a GPA of above 4.0 every semester since she entered high school.

Schools such as Brown, Lehigh, Lafayette, Virginia Tech, Oregon, Purdue, and UNC Chapel Hill all expressed interest in McCaverty, but she ultimately decided on the Aggies because "I wanted to attend college somewhere that was highly academic but also had strong athletics. I knew I wanted to go to college in a true college town with a beautiful campus. UC Davis checked all the boxes. Growing up in Southern California, I knew I wanted different weather. I wanted to experience all four seasons. UC Davis gives me the perfect amount of seasonal changes without the extremes. Most importantly, UC Davis felt like home from the moment I stepped on campus. I truly felt welcomed by the coaching staff and all of the players. I love how much the coaches care about who you are as not just an athlete, but as a person."

Hobbies include playing the flute and clarinet, reading, wakeboarding, and babysitting for local families. She's also been a Red Cross life guard for the city of El Segundo and has been a member of the California Scholastic Federation over the past four years.

These future Aggies will enter the program for their second Mountain West campaign in 2028.

ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS: 

UC Davis Athletics represents one of the nation's premier public universities on the NCAA Division I stage, with more than 650 student-athletes competing across 25 sports, including 16 programs in the Mountain West Conference. Located in California's quintessential college town, UC Davis combines championship-level athletics with the academic excellence of the nation's #8 public research university and is home to the nation's No. 1 programs in agriculture, veterinary medicine and sustainability. With a growing national media presence, bold investments in facilities and the student-athlete experience, and a tradition of developing champions in competition, in the classroom and beyond, the Aggies are elevating UC Davis on a national stage.