Oct. 30, 2009

By Brian Davis, Assistant Media Relations Director

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee junior goalkeeper Molly Baird has become the seventh Lady Vol soccer player all-time to receive a selection to the annual ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District IV squad this time as a second team choice. The All-District IV nod is the first of Baird's career and the 12th overall for the Orange & White in program history.

A double major in finance and logistics with a concentration in international business that maintains a stellar 3.77 GPA, Baird adds the ESPN the Magazine honor to previous selections as both Academic All-Southeastern Conference (2007, 2008) and Freshman Academic All-SEC (2007).

The Raleigh, N.C., native has proven her outstanding abilities not only in the classroom, but also on the pitch by starting every match between the pipes for Tennessee during the 2009 campaign. Baird has helped guide UT to an 8-7-3 overall record, while posting a 1.11 goals-against-average, 83 saves and seven solo shutouts, four of them in league action. The 5-8 redshirt junior also reaped her initial SEC Defensive Player of the Week honor back on September 8th, after recording consecutive shutouts at No. 19 Minnesota (0-0, 2 OT) and versus Wisconsin (1-0). Baird registered a career-high 10 saves during a 1-0 loss at No. 25 West Virginia and posted a shutout streak of 323:36 over a four-match string from the second half against Pepperdine (Aug. 30) until finally allowing a goal to Memphis at 59:24 (Sept. 11).

Tennessee plays on Friday night on the road at #22 Georgia at 7 p.m. ET before heading into the postseason next Wed., Nov. 4, in Orange Beach, Ala., in the annual SEC Tournament.