Baylor soccer ends 2025 with Sweet 16 finish

An incredible Baylor soccer season came to an end Sunday in the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16, as the Bears fell to Ohio State, 2-1 in double overtime.

In her fourth year leading the Bears, head coach Michelle Lenard’s squad finished the year 14-5-4 overall, 7-3-1 in Big 12 play, and back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since back-to-back runs in 2017-18.

“I’m proud of the fight in this team,” Lenard said afterwards. “I’m proud of the resilience. I’m most proud of what this group of seniors has built, because we’re a completely different program than we were four years ago. They completely changed the style for play for this program and the image on the outside. And then, to get back to this point and be in it right up until the very end is something that were all very proud of them for.”

Baylor’s regular season included wins over then-No. 14 Kansas, No. 15 Texas Tech, and No. 17 Mississippi State, plus a 1-0 victory against No. 15 Wisconsin in the NCAA’s second round. The Bears’ defense was especially stingy, shutting out opponents 12 times in Baylor’s 23 games.

Only six Baylor teams in the program’s 30 years have ever finished with more wins, and only two (2017-18, when BU reached the Elite Eight) have ever advanced farther than this year’s squad.

Sic ’em, Baylor soccer!