Daviana Vaka
Tongan footballer (born 2001)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Daviana Cheyenne Vaka (born August 11, 2001) is a Tongan-American professional soccer player who plays as a defender. Born in the United States, she plays for the Tonga national team. Vaka played college soccer for the BYU Cougars and Florida Gators.[2]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Daviana Cheyenne Vaka[1] | ||
| Date of birth | August 11, 2001 | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2019 | Utah Avalanche | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019–2022 | BYU Cougars | 47 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | Florida Gators | 33 | (0) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2025 | Fort Lauderdale United | 0 | (0) |
| 2025–2026 | Sporting JAX | 8 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2018– | Tonga | 6 | (1) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of December 1, 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of July 2025 | |||
Early life
Vaka was raised in Sandy, Utah, and is the youngest of eight children. She attended Juan Diego Catholic High School, where she led her team to a Utah 3A state championship in 2016 and was named State Player of the Year. She also played club soccer with Utah Avalanche in the ECNL.[3]
College career
BYU Cougars
Vaka began her collegiate career at Brigham Young University, initially playing as a forward before transitioning into a defender.[4] She made 47 appearances over four seasons, starting consistently from her sophomore year onward. She was named West Coast Conference (WCC) Defensive Player of the Week in October 2022.[5]
Florida Gators
In 2023, Vaka transferred to the University of Florida as a graduate student, joining the Florida Gators.[6] She started all 33 matches across two seasons and logged 2,766 total minutes. Her performance in 2023 earned her All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) First Team honors, SEC Defensive Player of the Week, United Soccer Coaches (USC) All-Southeast Region Second Team, and Florida's Defensive Player of the Year award. She completed a master’s degree in Sport Management in December 2024.
Club career
Vaka signed her first professional contract with Fort Lauderdale United FC of the USL Super League in May 2025. She became the second Tongan woman to sign a professional contract, following her twin sister, Laveni.[7][8]
On July 1, 2025, Vaka signed with Sporting JAX, commonly known as Sporting JAX, an expansion franchise in the USL Super League.[9]
International career
Vaka represents Tonga internationally and made her debut during the 2018 OFC Women's Nations Cup qualifiers in New Caledonia. She returned to the team in 2022 for the OFC Women's Nations Cup in Fiji, where she scored a goal and helped Tonga reach the quarter-finals.
During the Oceania Football Confederation 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifiers, Vaka was named captain for Tonga.[10] The team lost 3–0 to American Samoa, but won 4–1 over Tahiti.[11]
Personal life
Daviana’s twin sister, Laveni Vaka, is also a professional footballer who plays for Fort Lauderdale United FC. The sisters are of Tongan descent and have been recognized for their contributions to the development of women’s football in Tonga. She is engaged to Utah State Aggies quarterback Jacob Conover.[12]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played May 24, 2026
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Playoffs | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Fort Lauderdale United | 2024–25 | USL Super League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sporting JAX | 2025–26 | 8 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||
Honors
- SEC Defensive Player of the Week: 2023
- All-SEC First Team: 2023
- United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region Second Team: 2023
- WCC Defensive Player of the Week: 2022
- Florida Gators Defensive Player of the Year: 2023
