American Might

Two former Waves and one current Pepperdine University student athlete will participate in one of the world’s biggest multisport events next month in Asia. 

Women’s soccer players and 2017 Pepperdine graduates Rylee Baisden and Hannah Seabert and Waves men’s water polo player Marko Asic, a junior, will compete at the Aug. 18-30 World University Games in Taipei. 

Baisden and Seabert are members of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team at the event, and Asic will hit the water with the U.S. Men’s Water Polo Team. 

The Waves trio will be among current or recently graduated college athletes from 120 countries looking to claim victory at the biennial sporting event in Taiwan’s capital city. The World University Games, to be held for the 29th time this summer, are organized every other year by the International Sports Federation. Twenty-two sports will be played at the games by men and women athletes ages 17 to 24. 

Baisden, a midfielder/forward, and Seabert, a goalkeeper, are two of 16 players on the red, white and blue’s women’s soccer team. 

Baisden heads to the games after spending time this summer playing for Skovde KIK in Sweden. In 2016, Baisden was named to the All-WCC first team and the NSCAA All-Region third team. She led the Waves in goals and assists during her senior year and finished her college career with 12 goals and 10 assists in 78 games. 

Seabert, one of the top goalkeepers in Pepperdine’s history, has been training as a goalkeeper with the National Women’s Soccer League’s Orlando Pride. 

While at Pepperdine, Seabert was a NSCAA All-Region honoree twice, and last season she was the WCC Goalkeeper of the Year and an All-WCC first teamer. The former Wave is tops in Pepperdine history with 331 career saves, second in career wins as a goalkeeper with 46, and third with a 0.90 goals against average and 28 career solo shutouts. Seabert is fourth, with a career .813 save percentage and fifth with 4.03 saves per game.

The former Waves and their teammates will begin competition for the American delegation with a kickoff against South Korea at New Taipei City Xinzhuang Stadium on Aug. 18. The American women’s soccer team will play Chinese Taipei on Aug. 20 and play Argentina on Aug. 22.

Asic, a star in the pool for the Waves, is one of 13 players on America’s men’s water polo team. The attacker was one of three Waves to train with the U.S. Senior National Team at its camp in June. 

Last season, Asic led Pepperdine to the Gold Coast Conference Tournament title, and was the league’s Player of the Year and a second team All-American. He scored 69 goals, a Waves high, and had 13 assists during his sophomore year. 

Asic and the U.S. squad face Japan on Aug. 18 at Hsinchu County Natatorium, then Russia two days later and Romania on Aug. 21. 

Rylee Baisden, recent Pepperdine graduate, on the soccer field for the Waves.

Hannah Seabert, now a recent graduate, tends the goal for the Pepperdine Waves women’s soccer team.