From Midfield to Machine Learning: Viet-Thy Tran’s Path at UC Davis

Majoring in computer science and starting as attacking midfielder for the University of California, Davis, women’s soccer team forces Viet-Thy Tran to balance coursework and the soccer ball. Known as “Thy” by teammates and other friends, Tran is critical in soccer as a playmaker and pace-setter, leading with strategy, communication, decisiveness and collaboration. 

Winning Mindset

Tran has always been active and ambitious, raised in Santa Clara in a household where holistic excellence was encouraged and expected. This meant giving her best and humbly pursuing excellence. Tran achieved academically and athletically, with soccer consuming most of her time.

“Growing up with sports has given me the confidence to be able to go after different leadership roles,” Tran said. “Being a good teammate and learning how to be a leader on a team has translated into being a leader in the classroom.” 

That leadership quality, work ethic and skill set propelled her “breakaway,” elevating her from an average player to a standout student-athlete and garnering college attention. One offer came from UC Davis women’s soccer, and Tran, in her junior year of high school, knew this was one shot she could not pass up.

“UC Davis is one of the top public universities,” said Tran, “and for me, the distance [from home] was great. The soccer option is good, and Davis academically is very strong. I liked the collaborative culture at Davis.”

Navigating Computer Science Classes

At UC Davis, Tran chose to study computer science. Despite challenging classes, Tran has grown with the support of diligent professors. In “Operating Systems and Programming,” Associate Professor of Teaching Joël Porquet-Lupine is one such faculty member, inspiring her with his passionate teaching.

“Professors who have dedicated themselves to teaching and with student-centered approaches, really inspire me,” said Tran.

Tran’s courses have helped develop her problem-solving skills and resolve, benefiting her in the long term. When taking charge on gameday or taking exams, Tran sees beyond the field. She deconstructs complex information and data into manageable solutions that fuel her excellence.

“All of my computer science classes have taught me how to critically think,” said Tran, “which is ultimately the most powerful tool.”

Impact Beyond the Field

Beyond the classroom, Tran’s extracurricular activities further inspire her and enable her to inspire others. As a member of Girls Who Code, an organization that works to increase young people's access to computer science and engineering skills, Tran helped create an inclusive environment for young women.

These empowering skills have translated into Tran’s current role as a project manager in Aggie Sports Analytics, a UC Davis student-led organization that provides services to collegiate and professional sports programs that integrate data science, machine learning and modern analytics.

Tran’s current and most notable client is UC Davis women’s soccer, where she helps the team with dual analysis and player-tracking, enhancing performance. Other groups within Aggie Sports Analytics deliver similar services to a wide range of clients, including collegiate athletic groups and professional organizations such as Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball.  

Bridging computer science and soccer is a full-circle moment that underscores the best of both worlds for Tran.

“My computer science knowledge has a lot of insight in terms of working with Aggie Sports Analytics,” said Tran. 

In her downtime, she also loves coaching youth girls' soccer. Tran’s involvements are by her own volition, as she understands the significance of representation in leadership.

“Just being able to be an example and to guide other younger women, showing that you can succeed, is really important to me,” said Tran. 

Team Player 

When balancing responsibilities, Tran is at the top of her game. Student athletes manage extensive commitments, completing tasks and collaborating with others in the classroom and on the field. Last fall’s soccer season, Tran played 17 games while taking rigorous upper-division computer science classes. “Creative" is her position and own self-characterization. 

"That creativity,” Tran said, “is something that I excel at and I enjoy.”  

As 1 of 51 Aggie Athletes to be named a Big West All-Academic Honoree, Tran maintained a GPA above the minimum 3.0 and played 50 percent of team contests during Fall 2025. Her creativity, proficiency, time management and problem-solving catalyze her holistic excellence.

“For me as a person and player, I think I grew the most last season,” said Tran.

Her decision to study computer science and play soccer has paid dividends, not only in her intellectual growth but also in her athletic and social development through her collaborative disposition. 

“I want to be able to collaborate and work with other people working towards the same goal,” said Tran. “I've found so much joy and success now that I'm in college, joining clubs and working together with my peers who want to work with me.” 

The Future Is in Play

At UC Davis, Tran has been inspired by dedicated professors and ambitious peers, and motivated by her coaches and teammates, all of whom she is grateful for. With their support, she’s become a driving force at UC Davis, in the College of Engineering, on the women’s soccer team and even beyond.

Despite the end of the soccer season, Tran remains focused on athletics as a balance to her academics. In 2024, her first year at UC Davis, Tran represented the United States and UC Davis in the first-ever U.S. Women’s Futsal National Team Camp. (Futsal is a form of soccer played indoors on a hard court.) Now, she sets her sights on the 2030 World Cup while also preparing for the Fall 2026 women’s soccer season. The opportunity to run it back with her close-knit team excites her.

“Last season we definitely had our ups and downs,” said Tran, “but I'm excited to see what next season has to bring.” 

Looking even further to the future, internship experience, Aggie Sports Analytics, computer science electives and athletics are all influencing Tran’s post-graduation plans.

“The field of sports analytics is very competitive,” said Tran. “ If I can break into it, especially with soccer, that would be awesome.”