Jess Peluso

Photo by: Courtney Huck, CUBuffs.com

Position:
Defender
Height:
5-10
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
East Islip, N.Y.
High School:
East Islip High School
Major:
English

Awards

2025 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
2025 All-Big 12 Team
2025 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (Mar. 4, April 1, April 29)
2025 Preseason All-Big 12 Team
2024 USA Lacrosse All-American Honorable Mention
2024 Pac-12 Championship All-Tournament Team
2024 All-Pac-12 Second Team

Career Highs:
Goals: 2 vs Oregon (4/28/2023)
Assists: 1, 3x, last at Cal (4/23/2023)
Points: 2, 3x, vs Oregon (4/28/2023)
Ground Balls: 5 vs Oregon (4/28/2023)
Draw Controls: 12 against San Diego State (3/29/2025)
Caused Turnovers: 5, 2x, vs Kent State (4/14/2024)

Cumulative Career Statistics:
Goals: 8
Assists: 3
Points: 11
Caused Turnovers: 71
Ground Balls: 79
Draw Controls: 101
Shots: 22 (.364)
Shots on Goal: 16 (.727)

2026 (SENIOR):

Jess Peluso is a senior defender for the Buffs.

2025 (JUNIOR):

Earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
Named to the All-Big 12 Team and Preseason All-Big 12 Team
Earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (Mar. 4, April 1, April 29)
Started and played in all 16 games of the season
Reached a career-high 12 draw controls against San Diego State (3/29/2025)
Reached a season-high four ground balls against Michigan (3/8/2025)
Reached a season-high three caused turnovers against Michigan (3/8/2025), Denver (4/17/2025) and Cincinnati (4/26/2025)
Tallied 96 draw controls, 29 ground balls and 19 caused turnovers
Led the team with 96 draw controls
Had at least one draw control in all 16 games
Had at least one ground ball in 15 games
Had at least one caused turnover in 11 games

2024 (SOPHOMORE):

Started and played in all 19 games on the season
Tallied 31 groundballs, 42 caused turnovers and four draw controls
Had at least one ground ball in 15 games
Caused at least one turnover in 16 games
Had at least three caused turnovers in nine games
Reached career-high five caused turnovers against Kent State (4/14/2024)
Reached career-high two draw controls against SDSU (3/30/2024)
Had season-high four ground balls against Northwestern (2/22/2024) and California (3/23/2024)

2023 (FRESHMAN):

Played in 17 of 19 games for the Buffs, starting in 9 of them.
Had her career debut against Denver (2/18/23)
Scored her first goal, ground ball, and caused turnover at Ohio State University (3/12/23)

HIGH SCHOOL:

All County awards in field hockey, basketball and lacrosse sophomore, junior and senior year
Lettered in lacrosse, field hockey and basketball.
Scored 54 goals and had 14 assists with 210 draw controls in 2022.
Multiple All-Conference, All-League, All-County and All-State selections in all three sports. Graduated as the most decorated male or female athlete in East Islip H.S. history with 13 letters.

Graduated as the most decorated male or female athlete in East Islip High School history with 13 letters
Career Stats: 134 goals, Over 300 draw controls, 51 assists

PERSONAL:

Chose CU because it has the most beautiful campus with a great education and an amazing coach
Most thrilling sports moment is beating USC in the Pac-12 Semifinals to make it to the championship game in 2023-2024 season
Favorite hobbies include playing pickleball and going on hikes
Biggest sports hero is Kylie Ohlmiller because she was her first lacrosse trainer and the first college athlete she was inspired to be like
Wants to travel to Italy and France
Favorite foods are chicken parm and ham and cheese sandwiches
Favorite music artist is Zach Bryan
Wants to become an English teacher and coach at a high school in New York after graduation
Fun fact: Jess has two golden doodles named Jax and Milo; she also worked at Wendy’s for two years
Daughter of Holly and Nick Peluso
Has an older brother, Nicholas