Zephyr FC Add Hisey, Viggiano to Roster as Season Opener Approaches

August 14, 2024 – USL Super League (USLSL)
Spokane Zephyr FC News Release

With the home opener of its inaugural season in a brand-new league speeding into view, Spokane Zephyr FC continues to take shape, adding two experienced pros to the club’s increasingly deep roster.

Pending league and federation approval, Zephyr have signed goalkeeper Hope Hisey and forward Natalie Viggiano to the inaugural club roster.

Hisey is a veteran of the Pac-12 Conference, having spent four seasons playing for the University of Arizona in her hometown of Tucson. During her years as a Wildcat, she worked along Zephyr assistant coach Brian Periman, who was the goalkeepers coach for Arizona.

She played 87 games for the Wildcats, racking up a 1.36 goals against average and logging 366 saves. She also was named Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week four times.

She was selected in the fourth round of the NWSL draft by the KC Current earlier this year. After a season in Kansas City, she is coming to the new USL Super League.

“This brand new league will help shape women’s professional sports in this country,” Hisey said, “so I’m extremely humbled to be part of its inaugural season.”

Viggiano, originally from Macomb, Michigan, had a standout career at the University of Wisconsin, where she capped her graduate season with a spot on the Big 10 All-Conference first team. That year saw her start all 19 matches, leading the team in shots with 37 and shots on goal with 18. She tied for second on the roster with six goals on the year. In her senior season, she started 22 matches, including first and second round matches in the 2021 NCAA tournament. Viggiano scored eight goals and five assists that year.

She came West in 2023 thanks to the NWSL draft, which saw her picked by the Seattle Reign in the fourth round. After a season on contract in Seattle, she moved to Iceland, where she made a couple appearances for IBV Vestmannaeyjar W of the top-tier Úrvalsdeild kvenna.

“I am so excited to be joining Spokane Zephyr FC in the inaugural season,” she said. “It is amazing to see the game continue to grow within the U.S., and I am so grateful for the opportunity to represent this club and city.”

Viggiano is the second member of her family to play professional soccer. Her sister, Marisa DiGrande, has been playing in the NWSL since 2019 and is currently with Racing Louisville.

Zephyr will begin play Aug. 17 as a member of the USL Super League, a new league sanctioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation as Division One -…