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<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><u><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Aug. 14, 2024</span></u></b><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Baylor Soccer Prepares for Season Opener<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Bears to face Mississippi State on the road, return home to host St. Bonaventure</span></b><b><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">For more information contact: </span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Katy
Gilmore; 254-252-2182, </span><a href="mailto:katy_gilmore@baylor.edu" title="mailto:katy_gilmore@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0078D7;mso-ligatures:none">katy_gilmore@baylor.edu</span></a><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 4.0pt 0in">
<p class="BasicParagraph" style="border:none;padding:0in"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph" style="border:none;padding:0in"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif">BAYLOR</span></b><span style="font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"> (0-0) at No. 18
<b>MISSISSIPPI STATE </b>(0-0)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="BasicParagraph"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif;letter-spacing:-.2pt">Aug. 15, 2024 • 6:30 p.m. CT • Watch: SEC Network + •</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif">
<span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt">Starkville, Miss. • MSU Soccer Field </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 4.0pt 0in">
<p class="BasicParagraph" style="border:none;padding:0in"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph" style="border:none;padding:0in"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif">BAYLOR</span></b><span style="font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"> (0-0) vs
<b>ST BONAVENTURE </b>(0-0)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="BasicParagraph"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif;letter-spacing:-.2pt">Aug. 18, 2024 • 7 p.m. CT • Watch: ESPN+ •</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif">
<span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt">Waco, Texas • Batty Lou Mays Field </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif;text-transform:uppercase"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif;text-transform:uppercase">Story lines</span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="BasicParagraph" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif;letter-spacing:-.1pt">Baylor opens its 2024 season on the road with a match against Mississippi State on Thursday
before returning home to face St. Bonaventure in its home opener on Sunday. The Bears are starting their season on the road for only the 10th time in program history and are 4-4-1 in those contests.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="BasicParagraph" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif">The 2024 season marks the 28th season of the Baylor Soccer program. During that time, BU has won four Big 12
titles, advanced to two Elite Eights and had four All-Americans to go with countless All-Big 12 and Academic All-Big 12 honorees.<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"><o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li class="BasicParagraph" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif">This season also marks the third year of the Michelle Lenard coaching era, as she was selected as the Bears
sixth head coach in program history in December of 2021. <span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt">
<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li class="BasicParagraph" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif">With the new Big 12 teams joining the conference this season, the Bears will only play 11 of the 15 other opponents
this season. The Bears will face all four of the new schools, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah. BU will not face Cincinnati, UCF, Kansas or Kansas State in regular season play.<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"><o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li class="BasicParagraph" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif">The Bears are coming off a 2023 campaign that featured a 9-7-3 record and finished eighth in the conference.<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"><o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li class="BasicParagraph" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif">Baylor has a 33 person roster this season and features 25 returners and eight newcomers.
<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"><o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li class="BasicParagraph" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif">BU has nine starters returning, Hallie Augustyn, Hannah Augustyn, Ava Colberg, Skye Leach, Ashley Merrill,
Blythe Obar, Tyler Isgrig, Skylar Zinnecker and Ashlee Zirkel. <span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt">
<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li class="BasicParagraph" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif">Baylor lost just two starters from the 2023 squad.
<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"><o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li class="BasicParagraph" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif">Joining the 2023 squad are two transfers, goalkeeper Azul Alvarez (TCU) and midfielder Kai Hayes (UNC).
<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"><o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li class="BasicParagraph" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif">The six incoming freshmen are, Alysiah Lockette, Paisley Mabra, Caelan DeBolt, Jade Martinez, Madison Encinas
and Hilary Washington.<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"><o:p></o:p></span></span></li><li class="BasicParagraph" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif;letter-spacing:-.1pt">Returning to the squad for the first time since the 2022 season in fifth-year Marissa
Gray. After working for the past year and applying to PT school, Gray re-joined the Bears to use her fifth year of eligibility. She hasn’t seen playing time since the 2019 season due to injury but returns to the pitch as a veteran on the backline.
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="BasicParagraph" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif;letter-spacing:-.1pt">This season the Bears roster features two international student-athletes for the first
time since the 2017 season. Salma Simonin returns to Baylor from Manchester, United Kingdom and Hilary Washington joins the Bears from Wellesley, Ontario, Canada.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="BasicParagraph" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif;letter-spacing:-.1pt">BU faced UTSA in a preseason exhibition match and shutout the Roadrunners 3-0. In the
three 30-minute period format, Ashley Merrill picked up where she left off last season, scoring two of the Bears goals in the preseason contest. Also finding the back of the net against UTSA was sophomore, Theresa McCullough.
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="BasicParagraph" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif;letter-spacing:-.1pt">Merrill was the team’s leading point scorer last season with 25 points from 12 goals and
one assist. With her 12 goals, Merrill scored the most goals from an individual player in a single season since Dana Larsen in 2012.
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="BasicParagraph" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif;letter-spacing:-.1pt">The Bears are 1-0 all-time against Mississippi State, with the only meeting between the
two squads coming on Sept. 1, 2022, when BU won 2-1.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="BasicParagraph" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif;letter-spacing:-.1pt">BU’s and the St. Bonaventure Bonnies will be facing off for the first time in the program’s
history on Sunday at Betty Lou Mays Field.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif;letter-spacing:-.1pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">- BaylorBears.com -</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">-- <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">__________________________________</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:6.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"> </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#154734;mso-ligatures:none">Katy Gilmore</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"> | Associate Director
of Athletic Communications</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">O: 254-710-2743 | C: 254-252-2182</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://baylorbears.com/" title="http://baylorbears.com/"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="160" height="44" style="width:1.6666in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01DAEE79.DD4F82C0" alt="cidimage002.png@01D79F3C.9D2300D0"></span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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