Pitt Women’s Soccer Lands Mississippi State Transfer Forward Bailey Wagenknecht

Photo courtesy Pitt Athletics

Pitt women’s soccer continues to add to its 2024 roster, as they announced the addition of a Mississippi State transfer forward on Monday.

The program revealed their signing of Bailey Wagenknect on Twitter, but the player themselves announced their transfer on their Instagram back on Feb. 6, writing, “Blue has always been more my color anyways” 💙💛 #H2P

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A post shared by Bailey Wagenknecht (@bailey_wags)

Wagenknecht hails from both Wilmington, N.C. and Peachtree City, Ga., south of Atlanta. She played for McIntosh High School in Peachtree, where she scored 28 goals and created 10 assists in 2018, earned her All-Region honors and the All-County High School Freshman of the Year award. She also played for Gwinnett Soccer Academy winning an Elite Club National League (ECNL) National Title in 2019 and making the 2019 Top Drawer Soccer ECNL National Finals Best XI team.

She redshirted in 2022, making no appearances, and only played in four games for a total of 40 minutes in 2023, with all four games coming in August. Mississippi State made the NCAA Tournament both of the seasons she was there, with a Second Round appearance in 2022 and a Sweet 16 appearance last season.

Wagenknect is the second transfer in for Pitt this offseason, with forward/Pine-Richland alum Ava Boyd coming back from Michigan State after one season. The program has lost two players from last season in midfielder Fleming Dean, who transferred to Samford, and defender Lainie Fuchs, who went back to her native Austria to play professionally.

Pitt women’s soccer had the best season ever in 2023, making it to the ACC Tournament Semifinalsand the Elite Eight for the first time. Great players like forward Amanda West, midfielders Landy Mertz, Chloe Minas and Anna Bout, as well as defender Ashton Gordon all played vital roles, but graduated at the end of the season, leading to opportunities for newer players to make an impact for the constantly improving program under head coach Randy Waldrum.

Pitt Women’s Soccer Roster 2024

Senior (One Year of Eligibility)
Forward Samiah Phiri
Forward Sarah Schupansky
Midfielder Ellie Coffield
Midfielder Keera Melenhorst
Defender Mackenzie Evers
Defender Ashley Moon

Junior (Two Years of Eligibility)
Forward Emily Cooper
Forward Margaret Wilde
Midfielder Briana Rodriguez
Defender Haylee Mersereau
Defender Katie Zailski
Goalkeeper Ellie Breech

Redshirt Sophomore (Three Years of Eligibility)

Forward Bailey Wagenknecht (Mississippi State)

Sophomore (Three Years of Eligibility)
Forward Ava Boyd (Michigan State)
Forward Evie Craven
Forward Sofia Doheny
Forward Paige Dziedzic
Forward Delaney Evers
Forward Aliya Gomes
Forward Kaitlyn Killinger
Forward Lucia Wells
Midfielder Deborah Abiodun
Midfielder Olivia Duray
Midfielder Emma Rhoades
Defender Olivia Lee
Defender Sage Seltzer
Defender Kaley Simqu
Goalkeeper Emily Edwards
Goalkeeper Emma Van Meter

Freshman (Four Years of Eligibility)
Forward Lola Abraham
Midfielder/Forward Rylee Keeley
Defender Coco Dorfman
Defender Emily Graeca
Defender Bella Haynes
Defender Erica Schneider
Defender Dakota Watterson

Outgoings
Midfielder Fleming Dean/transfer to Samford
Defended Lainie Fuchs/returned to Austria to play professionally