SAN JOSE — Former Santa Clara star Danielle Slaton is returning to the Bay Area as the sideline reporter for the Earthquakes, the team and Comcast Sports announced Tuesday.

Slaton, a U.S. national team defender in the 2000 Olympics and ’03 World Cup, recently had worked for the Big Ten Network and as an analyst for Fox Sports during last summer’s Women’s World Cup in Canada.

The three-time All-American helped the Broncos win the College Cup in 2001 after she and Santa Clara teammate Aly Wagner led San Jose-Presentation High to three Central Coast Section titles.

Slaton replaces Kate Scott, who served as a popular sideline reporter for the past three years. Scott posted on Instagram that her growing responsibilities with the Pac-12 Networks didn’t allow her to continue with the Quakes’ crew that includes play-by-play announcer Anthony Passarelli and color commentator Chris Dangerfield.

Comcast Sports has scheduled to broadcast all 17 Quakes’ home games, starting with the season opener Sunday at Avaya Stadium against the Colorado Rapids.

Contact Elliott Almond at 408-920-5865. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/elliottalmond.