By Marissa Essenburg | Sports Writer
American football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant famously said, “Offense sells tickets. Defense wins championships.” While goals and highlight plays grab the attention, it’s the grit in the trenches that often makes the difference.
It’s that same principle that has taken root on the pitch in Waco, where Baylor soccer’s back line has become the foundation of the Bears’ success. At 7-1-2 halfway through the regular season, the defense has set the tone — cutting off passing lanes, disrupting possessions, winning challenges and sparking counterattacks.
From their first shutout against Montana to their most recent against Kansas State, the Bears’ veteran unit has turned consistency into confidence, anchoring one of the program’s most promising starts in years.
Ten games into the 2025 season, Baylor sits at No. 20 in the nation with an RPI of 9 — the highest ranking of head coach Michelle Lenard’s tenure.
The difference isn’t just talent, but trust. After years of playing side-by-side, this back line moves with a swagger that reflects the cohesion they’ve built growing up in this system together.
It’s the most experienced unit the program has fielded, made up of junior right back Natalie Vatter, graduate center back Blythe Obar and seniors Hallie and Hannah Augustyn on the left flank, all backstopped by senior goalkeeper Azul Alvarez.
That familiarity has shaped their confidence, something Vatter said comes from years of growing together.
“For the back line, we’ve all been together for a couple years now — Blythe in her sixth year, Hallie and Hannah in their fourth, and me in my third — and with Azul behind us, I know she’s got our back no matter what,” Vatter said. “With all of us having played together a lot, it’s experience that gives us confidence.”
Together, they’ve formed a defense molded by years of chemistry, tested under pressure and proven to be one of the most unified and formidable groups in the conference. The Bears’ back line has allowed fewer goals than any other team in Big 12 play.
Their dominance has been carved into the stat sheet, with only two goals conceded on set pieces and one from the penalty spot. The team’s seven shutouts reflect the hallmark of its success and what Lenard sees as the steadiness of her veteran core.
“Hallie and Blythe are two of the best shot blockers in this league,” Lenard said. “They’re great 1v1 defenders, they’re super disciplined, really hardworking and they don’t concede a lot of chances. That [has] everything to do with our back line.”
The back line plays with the kind of poise that settles a match before it unravels — calm on the ball, sharp in its positioning and relentless in closing down space. And it’s not just the eye test. Opponents are averaging only 0.3 goals per game against the Bears, a staggering drop from 1.19 in 2024, 1.37 in 2023 and 1.87 in 2022.
“The twins [Hannah and Hallie], Blythe and Nat all have a ton of experience, and then there’s Azul, who is really strong and also good with her feet,” senior midfielder Tyler Isgrig said. “Their comfort on the ball, their ability to build and stay calm under pressure, and to put out the first fire when needed — it’s really good having that kind of experience in the back.”
The unit delivered under pressure on its trip to the Sunflower State last week, coming up with seven saves while holding Kansas and Kansas State scoreless.
Those saves came from two-time Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week Alvarez, who has allowed just two goals in 900 minutes this season and racked up 147 saves across her Baylor career. Her teammates don’t hide how much she means to the team.
“Having Azul back there is always the most comforting feeling as a center back,” Hallie Augustyn said.
Isgrig took it even further.
“We have a generational talent in Azul,” Isgrig said. “She is the best goalkeeper in this conference.”
But it’s not just the starters who have shone in the back for the Bears. The depth has been just as important, giving Baylor options and energy when the game demands it.
“Knowing that we can put in multiple players like Emerson [Garcia], a freshman, and Nyela [Calnek], who’s a transfer, and having them be able to come in and still perform just as well gives us that boost of energy that we sometimes need in the middle of the game when we’re all just a little bit tired,” Augustyn said.
Guided by veterans and supported by depth, the Bears’ defense has become the backbone of their success. As Big 12 play continues, Baylor will continue to lean on that unit, a group that has turned experience into consistency and consistency into results.
The Bears return to Betty Lou Mays Field on Thursday, opening a three-game home stand against Iowa State (4-2-2, 1-1-0 Big 12) at 7 p.m.
