Wednesday, August 12
Fayetteville, Ark.
7 p.m.
Baylor
at
Arkansas
SOC Debuts at No. 10 Arkansas on Wednesday Night
8/11/2026 12:00:00 PM | Soccer
Bears open 2026-27 athletics season with top 10 road bout
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Baylor soccer opens its season at No. 10 Arkansas on Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT, live from Razorback Field on SEC Network+.
The Bears return 18 players from a historic 14-5-4 campaign in 2025 that included a trip to the NCAA Tournament's Round of 16, the program's deepest postseason run under coach Michelle Lenard and its first Round of 16 appearance since 2018. The 2026 season marks Lenard's fifth at the helm of the program.
Of the team's 39 goals last season, 15 belong to a returning player, while half of its 40 assists are back for 2026. In goal, Azul Alvarez, who played all but 22 minutes in 2025, returns after posting 12 shutouts as Baylor's netminder.
Joining the roster from high school are goalkeeper Hailey Smith, midfielder Brynnlee Bohannon and forwards Grace White and Kendall Mason. Out of the transfer portal come Sydney Miller and Kate Runyon from Tennessee, Noelle Sather from South Florida, Taylor Evans from Duke, Kiera Martin from Santa Clara, Bella James from Texas A&M and Ava Slay from Vanderbilt.
The Big 12's coaches selected Alvarez, Callie Conrad and Olivia Hess to the league's Preseason All-Conference Team, the first trio of Bears selected to the preseason squad.
Alvarez, recently named to the United Soccer Coaches Goalkeepers to Watch list, enters her third season with the Bears in 2026. The 2025 All-Region selection posted 12 shutouts and 97 saves, the ninth-most in program history, across 2,082 minutes played, the fourth-most by a Baylor goalkeeper in a season. Her .820 goals-against average ranks No. 10 among the program's single-season marks.
Conrad, an All-Big 12 Freshman Team selection in 2023 who earned second-team all-conference honors last season, returns for her fourth year of collegiate soccer. The Mansfield native recorded four goals and two assists in 2025 while starting every match. She fired 31 shots, including 15 on goal, and scored the game-winning goal against Iowa State, the last of three straight 3-0 victories during Big 12 play.
Hess continues to build on a breakout freshman season with her selection to the preseason squad as a sophomore. The former Big 12 Freshman of the Week started all 23 matches in 2025 and scored three goals, including game-winners against Mississippi State in the home opener and at Kansas State. She put 21 of her 38 shots on goal and added two assists.
Arkansas enters the season ranked 10th in the United Soccer Coaches poll and was picked second in the SEC Preseason poll after winning its fifth regular-season title in seven years in 2025. The Razorbacks split a pair of preseason exhibitions, defeating UMKC 3-0 before falling 2-0 at Memphis.
Baylor is receiving votes in the USC preseason poll and gets an early test out of the gate with Wednesday's top 10 matchup. The Bears aren't scheduled to face another ranked opponent until Sept. 3, when they take on No. 16 LSU. In Big 12 play, five of Baylor's opponents land in the top 25: TCU at No. 6, Colorado at No. 13, Kansas at No. 15, West Virginia at No. 20 and Texas Tech at No. 23. BYU is also receiving votes.
The Bears return home Sunday to host Texas A&M at 7:30 p.m. CT for a green out.
To stay up to date, follow the team on its official Facebook, X and Instagram accounts: @BaylorFutbol.
The Bears return 18 players from a historic 14-5-4 campaign in 2025 that included a trip to the NCAA Tournament's Round of 16, the program's deepest postseason run under coach Michelle Lenard and its first Round of 16 appearance since 2018. The 2026 season marks Lenard's fifth at the helm of the program.
Of the team's 39 goals last season, 15 belong to a returning player, while half of its 40 assists are back for 2026. In goal, Azul Alvarez, who played all but 22 minutes in 2025, returns after posting 12 shutouts as Baylor's netminder.
Joining the roster from high school are goalkeeper Hailey Smith, midfielder Brynnlee Bohannon and forwards Grace White and Kendall Mason. Out of the transfer portal come Sydney Miller and Kate Runyon from Tennessee, Noelle Sather from South Florida, Taylor Evans from Duke, Kiera Martin from Santa Clara, Bella James from Texas A&M and Ava Slay from Vanderbilt.
The Big 12's coaches selected Alvarez, Callie Conrad and Olivia Hess to the league's Preseason All-Conference Team, the first trio of Bears selected to the preseason squad.
Alvarez, recently named to the United Soccer Coaches Goalkeepers to Watch list, enters her third season with the Bears in 2026. The 2025 All-Region selection posted 12 shutouts and 97 saves, the ninth-most in program history, across 2,082 minutes played, the fourth-most by a Baylor goalkeeper in a season. Her .820 goals-against average ranks No. 10 among the program's single-season marks.
Conrad, an All-Big 12 Freshman Team selection in 2023 who earned second-team all-conference honors last season, returns for her fourth year of collegiate soccer. The Mansfield native recorded four goals and two assists in 2025 while starting every match. She fired 31 shots, including 15 on goal, and scored the game-winning goal against Iowa State, the last of three straight 3-0 victories during Big 12 play.
Hess continues to build on a breakout freshman season with her selection to the preseason squad as a sophomore. The former Big 12 Freshman of the Week started all 23 matches in 2025 and scored three goals, including game-winners against Mississippi State in the home opener and at Kansas State. She put 21 of her 38 shots on goal and added two assists.
Arkansas enters the season ranked 10th in the United Soccer Coaches poll and was picked second in the SEC Preseason poll after winning its fifth regular-season title in seven years in 2025. The Razorbacks split a pair of preseason exhibitions, defeating UMKC 3-0 before falling 2-0 at Memphis.
Baylor is receiving votes in the USC preseason poll and gets an early test out of the gate with Wednesday's top 10 matchup. The Bears aren't scheduled to face another ranked opponent until Sept. 3, when they take on No. 16 LSU. In Big 12 play, five of Baylor's opponents land in the top 25: TCU at No. 6, Colorado at No. 13, Kansas at No. 15, West Virginia at No. 20 and Texas Tech at No. 23. BYU is also receiving votes.
The Bears return home Sunday to host Texas A&M at 7:30 p.m. CT for a green out.
To stay up to date, follow the team on its official Facebook, X and Instagram accounts: @BaylorFutbol.
- BaylorBears.com -
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