MIAMI (July 27, 2018) – With the 2018 season on the horizon, FIUSports.com will interview select members of the FIU women's soccer team in an effort to know more about their lives on and off the pitch. Returning senior and defender Emily Baragar begins our series, as the Virginia Beach, Virginia native talks about the offseason, her family and Disney World.

Q: What has been your biggest focus this offseason to get better?
A: My biggest focus has been to continue to become more fit for the fall, while also having an overall focus of creating better team chemistry. 

Q: How important are academics for you?
A: Academics are one of my main priorities. Everything I do in my college career is a part of my plan in preparing for my future after college and soccer.  

Q: What are your goals coming into your senior season on the pitch and in the classroom?
A: My goals this season are to have fun and success. We have all been working so hard this past year, with 6 a.m. workouts and three practices a day some days. Making it to the C-USA Tournament would be such a great way to end my soccer career. In the classroom, I hope to have another great semester as it will help me get into medical school in the future.

Q: How important were your siblings growing up to shaping you for your soccer career?
A: They still are! I look up to all my siblings to this day! They are all so unique and successful in everything that they do and it really helped me growing up. My brother always played different sports and I wanted to play every single one, which made me a multi-sport athlete before college. My sister and I shared the same teams a few times, so I always played up to the same level of the older kids. They all helped me get to the collegiate level.

Q: What's your favorite ride or thing to do at Disney?
A: Everything at Disney is so magical and fun! I love Magic Kingdom and Space Mountain is my favorite ride.

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SOCIAL MEDIA
Get all the latest information on the team by following @FIU_WSoccer Instagram and @FIUWSoccer on Facebook and Twitter. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.