By Michael Haag | Sports Editor
Baylor football may have had a dark cloud over its hopes of getting a home win Saturday, but the annual homecoming festivities remained in full force. There were Bears on the turf, the volleyball court or strolling through Waco as part of the homecoming parade.
With all that was going on over the busy weekend, here’s everything you may have missed with Baylor Athletics:
No. 20 Baylor volleyball swept by No. 5 Texas in Austin
After nearly getting its first-ever win in Austin on Thursday, No. 20 Baylor volleyball dropped the second match in three sets to No. 5 Texas on Friday night in Gregory Gym.
The Bears (12-9, 6-5 Big 12) are now 16-2 on the second day of back-to-back matches against the same opponent, with both losses coming against the Longhorns (16-3, 11-0 Big 12).
Baylor awaits a midweek tilt with Oklahoma, which is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Ferrell Center.
Baylor stumbles in Big 12 Cross Country Championships
Baylor cross-country opened the postseason at the Big 12 Cross Country Championships Saturday morning at the Iowa State Cross Country Course in Ames, Iowa.
With multiple newcomers added to the conference, including cross-country powerhouse BYU, the field of competition grew in depth. The Baylor men’s and women’s teams each finished in last, as the men placed 12th and the women placed 14th.
Baylor is scheduled to run at the NCAA South Central Regional Meet in Fayetteville, Ark., on Nov. 11, with a spot in the NCAA Cross Country Championships on the line.
No. 8 seed Baylor soccer runs out of gas, falls in first round of Big 12 Tournament
No. 8 seed Baylor soccer suffered an early exit in the 2023 Sprouts Farmers Market Big 12 Soccer Championship. The Bears fell to No. 9 seed Cincinnati 3-2 on Saturday afternoon at the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex in Round Rock.
Head coach Michelle Lenard and the Bears’ season is likely over with the loss, as they needed to win the tournament to get an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Baylor will come back to Waco empty-handed. The Bears ended their season with a 9-7-4 overall record, their most wins in a single season since 2018. By comparison, they totaled four wins in 2022.
Cyclones spoil homecoming 30-18 after another slow start for Bears
Baylor football’s hopes to snap its six-game home losing streak to FBS foes washed away in the rain and in the 400 yards piled up by Iowa State.
The Cyclones spoiled the Bears’ homecoming with a 30-18 victory Saturday evening at McLane Stadium.
“Coming home and not executing is definitely frustrating,” seventh-year senior safety Bryson Jackson said. “And it hurts because we want to show our fans, we want to show Baylor University what we’re about because we represent them. It’s just important that we get this fixed.”
The Bears now have to win three of their final four games to reach bowl eligibility for the third-straight season. They will meet Houston for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff next Saturday at McLane Stadium. The contest will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
Baylor women’s tennis closes TCU Invitational, secures seven victories
Baylor women’s tennis’ graduate student Isabella Harvison, sophomore Daniella Dimitrov, freshman Zuzanna Frankowska and sophomore Lauren Littell all took part in the TCU Invitational over the weekend.
The event wrapped up on Sunday, and the Bears came away with seven victories.
Baylor has a quick turnaround, as it will hit the road and compete in the Texas A&M Fall Invitational. The event starts on Friday and runs through Sunday in Bryan-College Station.
