Maci Teater and Melina Descary join sturdy Sporting JAX midfield ahead of 2026 season
Sporting Club Jacksonville announced today the signing of midfielders Maci Teater and Melina Descary, pending league and federation approval.
These additional signings come as Sporting JAX approaches its second season in the Gainbridge Super League, looking to improve upon a successful inaugural 2025/26 season.
Teater, 22, hails from St. Louis, Missouri and played collegiately at the University of North Carolina and Vanderbilt University. During two seasons at Vanderbilt, she saw nearly 3,000 minutes of action while recording four goals and 11 assists. The midfielder is also a proven leader, serving as team captain during her senior season.
Teater’s time in Nashville also coincided with Sporting JAX Head Coach Stacey Balaam’s tenure, who served as associate head coach of the Commodores during Teater’s junior season in 2024.
“Getting to reunite with Coach Balaam at the professional level is an incredible opportunity,” Teater said. “I look forward to learning and growing as I contribute to my new team.”
“I had the pleasure of working with Maci during my time at Vanderbilt and saw immediately how many key qualities and characteristics she has, not only as a player but also as a leader on and off the field,” Balaam said. “She has a winning mentality and her personality is shown more during the biggest occasions.”
Following her collegiate career, Teater partook in the 2025 edition of The Soccer Tournament, also playing semi-professionally in Iceland with Grindavik/Njardvik W, recording a goal and an assist in seven appearances.
Descary, 22, becomes the first Canadian-born player in Sporting JAX women’s team history. The Montréal native comes from the University of South Alabama, having also spent time at Florida State University as a freshman. During her final collegiate season, she appeared in 18 matches and started in 17, scoring a game-winning goal in a match against Tennessee Tech University.
“Sporting JAX has quickly shown that they’re a team that can compete,” Descary said. “I’m excited to join and contribute as the team continues to contend.”
“Melina is a pure footballer both in her brain and at her feet. You can tell the pitch is her happy place,” said Balaam. “She will add technical quality, intelligence and control to our midfield and will no doubt take her game to the next level within this environment.”
Fans can find more details and season ticket information at sportingjax.com, and can stay connected with the latest news, matchday updates, and behind-the-scenes stories by following @SportingClubJacksonville across all social platforms.
