Friday, September 18
Morgantown, W.Va.
7 p.m.
West Virginia University
vs
No. 12 Baylor
Top-15 Matchup Set for No. 9 WVU’s Big 12 Opener Friday
September 17, 2026 01:59 PM | Women's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 9-ranked West Virginia University women's soccer team opens its Big 12 Conference campaign against No. 12 Baylor on Friday, Sept. 18. Kickoff at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET.
Friday's contest is West Virginia's first-ever Coal Rush match, as the Mountaineers will wear their new Coal Rush jerseys for the first time and all fans are encouraged to wear black. It's also the first Friday Night Happy Hour of the season, with half-priced beverages available at the concessions stand from gates open until kickoff.
Single-game tickets are available to purchase in advance by visiting WVUGAME.com or calling 1-800-WVU GAME. When purchasing online, tickets are $12 each. Any remaining tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for youth and seniors at the stadium ticket window on match day.
New for the 2026 season, all student tickets for WVU's Olympic sports will transition to mobile delivery. Students will now be required to log in to their WVUGAME.com account to reserve a student ticket for each home athletics event. For Olympic sports, there is no request process. Students will simply log in to their account using the single sign-on functionality, navigate to the sport of the event they would like to attend and reserve a ticket.
Andrew Caridi and Adam Zundell have the call of Friday's contest on ESPN+. The game also can be heard on 91.7 FM (WWVU) in Morgantown, and live stats are available at WVUsports.com.
Entering its 15th Big 12 Conference season on Friday, WVU boasts a record of 10-1-3 in Big 12 openers. The Mountaineers own a total record of 88-18-18 all-time in regular season, Big 12 Conference play since joining the league in 2012. WVU also boasts a winning record over 13 of its conference opponents, while the series record with the other two opponents is tied.
West Virginia enters the match with an unbeaten 5-0-1 record. The Mountaineers have outscored their opponents 10-3 so far this season, while the WVU defense has held all five of six opponents to three shots on goal or fewer in each match. Of note, the Mountaineers are 17-0-4 in their last 21 regular-season matches, dating back to Aug. 28, 2025.
Last time out, West Virginia played to a 1-1 draw with UConn on Sept. 13. Senior forward Abbey Olexa put West Virginia on the board early, scoring her second goal of the season in the third minute. Midfielders Ava Arnold and Anna Hauer were credited with assists on the goal. In the final box score, WVU narrowly edged UConn in shots, 10-9, while the Huskies claimed a 6-5 advantage in shots on goal and a 6-3 lead in corner kicks. Redshirt senior goalkeeper Bailey Herfurth corralled a season-best five saves.
Friday's matchup marks the 15th all-time meeting between West Virginia and Baylor, as the Mountaineers hold a 10-2-2 advantage in the series. The two teams have not met since Oct 13. 2024, with the Mountaineers coming out on top with a 2-0 win. Of note, West Virginia secured its 400th program win in the last matchup with the Bears. WVU holds a three-game winning streak at home and a 4-1-1 record against Baylor all-time at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
After a 14-5-4 season in 2025, No. 12 Baylor enters Friday's contest with a 7-1 record. The Bears are on five-game win streak after a 2-1 win over Oral Roberts on Sept.13. Senior midfielder Aryanna Jimison leads the offense so far this season with three goals and two assists. In goal, Azul Alvarez records 22 saves on the year.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUWomensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Friday's contest is West Virginia's first-ever Coal Rush match, as the Mountaineers will wear their new Coal Rush jerseys for the first time and all fans are encouraged to wear black. It's also the first Friday Night Happy Hour of the season, with half-priced beverages available at the concessions stand from gates open until kickoff.
New for the 2026 season, all student tickets for WVU's Olympic sports will transition to mobile delivery. Students will now be required to log in to their WVUGAME.com account to reserve a student ticket for each home athletics event. For Olympic sports, there is no request process. Students will simply log in to their account using the single sign-on functionality, navigate to the sport of the event they would like to attend and reserve a ticket.
Andrew Caridi and Adam Zundell have the call of Friday's contest on ESPN+. The game also can be heard on 91.7 FM (WWVU) in Morgantown, and live stats are available at WVUsports.com.
Entering its 15th Big 12 Conference season on Friday, WVU boasts a record of 10-1-3 in Big 12 openers. The Mountaineers own a total record of 88-18-18 all-time in regular season, Big 12 Conference play since joining the league in 2012. WVU also boasts a winning record over 13 of its conference opponents, while the series record with the other two opponents is tied.
West Virginia enters the match with an unbeaten 5-0-1 record. The Mountaineers have outscored their opponents 10-3 so far this season, while the WVU defense has held all five of six opponents to three shots on goal or fewer in each match. Of note, the Mountaineers are 17-0-4 in their last 21 regular-season matches, dating back to Aug. 28, 2025.
Last time out, West Virginia played to a 1-1 draw with UConn on Sept. 13. Senior forward Abbey Olexa put West Virginia on the board early, scoring her second goal of the season in the third minute. Midfielders Ava Arnold and Anna Hauer were credited with assists on the goal. In the final box score, WVU narrowly edged UConn in shots, 10-9, while the Huskies claimed a 6-5 advantage in shots on goal and a 6-3 lead in corner kicks. Redshirt senior goalkeeper Bailey Herfurth corralled a season-best five saves.
Friday's matchup marks the 15th all-time meeting between West Virginia and Baylor, as the Mountaineers hold a 10-2-2 advantage in the series. The two teams have not met since Oct 13. 2024, with the Mountaineers coming out on top with a 2-0 win. Of note, West Virginia secured its 400th program win in the last matchup with the Bears. WVU holds a three-game winning streak at home and a 4-1-1 record against Baylor all-time at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
After a 14-5-4 season in 2025, No. 12 Baylor enters Friday's contest with a 7-1 record. The Bears are on five-game win streak after a 2-1 win over Oral Roberts on Sept.13. Senior midfielder Aryanna Jimison leads the offense so far this season with three goals and two assists. In goal, Azul Alvarez records 22 saves on the year.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUWomensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
MF
/ Women's Soccer
MF
/ Women's Soccer
GK
/ Women's Soccer
F
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