SOC’s Azul Alvarez Featured on Hermann Trophy Mid-Season Watch List
9/30/2026 12:00:00 PM | Soccer
Fifth-year keeper boasts 1.00 GAA with 35 saves in 2026
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Baylor soccer's Azul Alvarez has been named to the 2026 Hermann Trophy Midseason Watch List, as announced Wednesday afternoon by the Intercollegiate Women's Soccer Organization for Coaches (IWSOC) in partnership with United Soccer Coaches.
Alvarez, in her fifth season of collegiate soccer, has started and played every minute of Baylor's 11 matches in goal, recording 35 saves and a .761 save percentage while allowing a 1.00 goals-against average. The Austin native owns all nine of Baylor's wins this season and has 33 career victories, including 31 in the green and gold.
Baylor's keeper is one of three goalkeepers on the midseason list, joining Wake Forest's Valentina Amaral and Virginia's Victoria Safradin. She is also one of four representatives from the Big 12 Conference, alongside Colorado twins Faith and Hope Leyba and Texas Tech's Taylor Zdrojewski.
The Hermann Trophy, presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club, is the nation's highest individual honor in collegiate soccer and recognizes the National Player of the Year as voted on by Division I head coaches who are members of United Soccer Coaches. The award is named in honor of the late Robert Hermann, a St. Louis businessman and soccer executive who founded the National Professional Soccer League, the first professional soccer league in the United States, which later became the North American Soccer League. Hermann was inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2012.
The 2026 midseason watch list was compiled by members of the Division I Women's All-America Committee, chaired by Jennifer Rockwood, from a pool of the top-performing players from the first half of the 2026 season. The list was narrowed from 62 players on the preseason watch list to 30. It includes 24 players from the preseason list and six newcomers who were not included on the original list.
A total of 15 players will be named 2026 Hermann Trophy semifinalists on Dec. 4 at the conclusion of NCAA Division I All-America voting. From that group, head coaches will cast votes and three players will be named finalists. The 2026 recipient will be announced Jan. 8, 2027, during a ceremony at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in downtown St. Louis.
The Bears continue Big 12 play as the conference's highest-ranked team, rising to No. 9, when they host Kansas on Friday night at Betty Lou Mays Field. The match will feature the annual Gold Rush and Vamos Osos Hispanic Heritage Celebration promotions, with free admission and free gold T-shirts available while supplies last.
To stay up to date, follow the team on its official Facebook, X and Instagram accounts: @BaylorFutbol.
Alvarez, in her fifth season of collegiate soccer, has started and played every minute of Baylor's 11 matches in goal, recording 35 saves and a .761 save percentage while allowing a 1.00 goals-against average. The Austin native owns all nine of Baylor's wins this season and has 33 career victories, including 31 in the green and gold.
Baylor's keeper is one of three goalkeepers on the midseason list, joining Wake Forest's Valentina Amaral and Virginia's Victoria Safradin. She is also one of four representatives from the Big 12 Conference, alongside Colorado twins Faith and Hope Leyba and Texas Tech's Taylor Zdrojewski.
The Hermann Trophy, presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club, is the nation's highest individual honor in collegiate soccer and recognizes the National Player of the Year as voted on by Division I head coaches who are members of United Soccer Coaches. The award is named in honor of the late Robert Hermann, a St. Louis businessman and soccer executive who founded the National Professional Soccer League, the first professional soccer league in the United States, which later became the North American Soccer League. Hermann was inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2012.
The 2026 midseason watch list was compiled by members of the Division I Women's All-America Committee, chaired by Jennifer Rockwood, from a pool of the top-performing players from the first half of the 2026 season. The list was narrowed from 62 players on the preseason watch list to 30. It includes 24 players from the preseason list and six newcomers who were not included on the original list.
A total of 15 players will be named 2026 Hermann Trophy semifinalists on Dec. 4 at the conclusion of NCAA Division I All-America voting. From that group, head coaches will cast votes and three players will be named finalists. The 2026 recipient will be announced Jan. 8, 2027, during a ceremony at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in downtown St. Louis.
The Bears continue Big 12 play as the conference's highest-ranked team, rising to No. 9, when they host Kansas on Friday night at Betty Lou Mays Field. The match will feature the annual Gold Rush and Vamos Osos Hispanic Heritage Celebration promotions, with free admission and free gold T-shirts available while supplies last.
To stay up to date, follow the team on its official Facebook, X and Instagram accounts: @BaylorFutbol.
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Players Mentioned
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