Get ready for kickoff with the ever-so-creative format of 3 things we want to see, 2 key stats and 1 best bet. THE DAY IS ALMOST HERE FOLKS, CAN'T WAIT.

EAST LANSING, Mich. - No. 4 Michigan State women's soccer continues its six-game homestand on Thursday, Aug. 29 against Ole Miss (2-1) at 7 p.m. and against No. 15 Xavier (4-0) on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 1 p.m at DeMartin Stadium.

Both games will stream on B1G+.

FIRST TOUCH
The Spartans (2-0-1) are coming off a 1-0-1 showing last week, earning a 2-2 draw at DeMartin Stadium with then-No. 8 Arkansas on Aug. 22 before a 3-0 shutout over Ohio on Aug. 25. Graduate forward Mackenzie Anthony and sophomore midfielder Bella Najera notched goals against the Razorbacks, while Meg Hughes had a brace against Ohio and Anthony scored her second goal of the weekend in the final 40 seconds against the Bobcats. Junior midfielder Emerson Sargeant assisted on three of MSU's five goals last week, earning a spot on the TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week on Aug. 27.

MSU's No. 4 ranking by the United Soccer Coaches is its best ranking in program history, topping its previous best of No. 6 from 2022.

SCOUTING OLE MISS
Ole Miss is led by second-year head coach Molly Rouse, who holds a 9-8-3 record with the Rebels. The Rebels are 2-1-0 this season, most recently falling to then-No. 10 Memphis, 2-1, on Aug. 25. Freshman Kayla Keefer leads the Rebels in scoring with seven points from a trio of goals and an assist in 2024.

Ole Miss is the second of two SEC opponents MSU will play this season. The Spartans have not won a match against an SEC opponent since a 5-1 win over Kentucky in East Lansing on Sep. 5, 2004.

Thursday's match will be the first all-time between the Spartans and Rebels.

SCOUTING XAVIER
Xavier is led by first-year head coach Dean Ward. The Musketeers sit at a perfect 4-0-0 through the first two weeks of the season, most recently earning a 3-0 win over Dayton on the road on Aug. 25. Emma Flick and Olivia Lawson lead the Xavier in scoring with seven points each.

The Musketeers will be the third ranked opponent in the first five games of 2024 for the Spartans.

Despite playing each other for the first seven varsity seasons of MSU soccer, the Spartans and Musketeers have not met since Sept. 10, 1992, which was a 2-1 win for MSU on the road. The series, which dates back to 1986, is tied at 3-3-1. MSU is 2-1-0 in East Lansing against Xavier.

UP NEXT
MSU hosts Queens on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. and Loyola Chicago on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. in its final non-conference contests. Both games will stream on B1G+.

Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.

QUICK STRIKES FOR THE WEEK AHEAD ...

• Michigan State kicks off the 2024 season on the road in California, taking on UC Davis and Cal in the opening weekend of play for all collegiate programs.

• Live statistics links can be found for both games on the field hockey schedule page at MSUSpartans.com. Friday's contest at UC Davis will have a live video webstream.

• The Spartans are looking to improve on a 4-12 regular season in 2023. MSU returns 15 letterwinners from a year ago, including two of its top four scorers in Ellie Rutherford (4-1-9) and Emma O'Neill (3-1-7).

• UC-Davis was 2-14 a year ago and went 1-7 in America East play. The Aggies boast seven seniors, and head coach Austin Pile is starting his third season on the sideline after a lengthy tenure as an assistant at Cal.

• Shellie Onstead is in her 29th season at the helm of the Cal program and has led the Golden Bears to 11 conference titles. Cal was 12-8 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament a year ago after posting a 5-3 mark in America East. Cal is one of the newest members of the Atlantic Coast Conference and will compete for that league's championship this fall.

• MSU will be led on the field by five returning seniors or grad students - Ellie Wheatley (grad), and seniors Jillian Bonczewski, Maddie Lawlor, Emma O'Neill, and Ellie Rutherford. Grad transfer Tatum Johnson (LaSalle) will miss the season with injury. Lawlor returns to the active roster after losing her 2023 campaign to an injury.

• Eight freshmen join the Spartans in 2024, from three different countries and three different states.

• The Spartans serving as captains are Emma O'Neill, Ellie Rutherford, and Ellie Wheatley.

• On Wednesday, the Big Ten announced its annual "Players to Watch" list - seniors Ellie Rutherford and Maddie Lawlor made the list, along with freshman Carmen Pucheta.

• Helen Knull begins her 14th season as the head coach at Michigan State and 18th season on the Spartan staff overall. She is the longest-tenured coach in program history and owns the second-most wins of any mentor since the start of the program in the 1972 season. She owns a 96-148 mark entering the 2024 campaign. She returns her entire staff, which includes Associate Head Coach Tamara Durante and assistant coaches Erin Shanahan and Matt Michie.

• MSU played a pair of exhibitions last week against in-state rivals Central Michigan and Michigan.

• Michigan State opens the home portion of its schedule next weekend with Friday and Sunday games against Vermont and Ohio, both starting at 1 pm. Vermont and Ohio will play a neutral-site contest at Ralph Young Field.

Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.

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East Lansing, Mich. -- The Big Ten announced its Players to Watch for the upcoming field hockey season, in advance of the 2024 campaign kicking off this weekend for all nine teams.

Spartan seniors Maddie Lawlor (Shamong, NJ) and Ellie Rutherford (Edinburgh, Scotland) are joined by freshman Carmen Pucheta (Cordoba, Argentina) on the list of 27 standout players in the league. MSU begins its 2024 season this weekend in California with games at UC-Davis (Friday) and Cal (Sunday).

Rutherford is MSU's top returning scorer – she had four goals and nine points a year ago. She earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors and was the team's Offensive Player of the Year as a junior, and is a two-time academic All-Big Ten selection. She has appeared in 52 career games for MSU, with a 13-5-31 scoring line.

Lawlor is a two-time academic All-Big Ten honoree, and missed the entirety of 2023 season with an injury. She has appeared in 28 career games over two seasons (starting 17 of 22 as a sophomore), and with her return to the lineup, provides MSU leadership and experience.

Pucheta comes to MSU (and the United States) after a standout prep career in Argentina, where she participated in youth training camps for the Olympics in both 2020 and 2022. She is the only freshman among the list of 27 players on the Watch list.

Release courtesy of MSU Athletics.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – At long last, the 2024 Michigan State volleyball season has arrived. MSU gets its season started quickly with a trio of formidable opponents this weekend, facing Northern Colorado, Colorado State (receiving votes) and No. 11-ranked Florida on the road.

Action kicks off on Friday, August 30 with an 8:00 p.m. ET first serve against Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo. The weekend continues in Fort Collins, Colo. on Saturday, August 31 when MSU meets Colorado State at 8:00 p.m., before concluding the trip with a neutral site match in Fort Collins against No. 11-ranked Florida at 5:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 1.

The Spartans haven't traveled to Colorado since 1994 when they played in the Colorado Invitational. MSU defeated No. 13 Notre Dame that weekend before falling to No. 15 Colorado in four.

An online video stream will be provided for Friday's match against Northern Colorado (ESPN+) and Saturday's match at Colorado State (Mountain West Network). All three games will have a live radio broadcast on MSUSpartans.com with John Kreger calling the action in his 20th season.

ABOUT NORTHERN COLORADO​

Northern Colorado finished the 2023 season with an overall record of 18-12, which included a 12-4 mark in Big Sky matches. The Bears fell to Eastern Washington in the conference quarterfinals before reaching the Round of 16 of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) tournament. Northern Colorado finished last year ranked No. 110 in the RPI, with a season-best victory over Colorado State (3-2), who finished No. 64. The Bears faced just one B1G opponent in 2023, falling 3-0 to Northwestern on September 8.

Makenzie Harris took on the brunt of Northern Colorado's offensive load as a fifth year last season, leading the team with 401 kills on .236 hitting, also contributing a team-best 36 service aces, 249 digs and 41 blocks. Fifth year Cece Huhn was the team-leader in blocks (105.0) and blocks per set (1.02), and fifth year Michaela Boon led the team with 338 digs (2.99 digs/set). The Bears have a lot of production and experience to replace in 2024.

Syd Cole returns at setter after leading the team with 1,121 assists in 2023. Cole was second on the team in aces (34). Gabi Placide (243) and Brynn Reines (234) return over 200 kills each for the Bears offense. Bella LePore is the top returning defensive specialist coming off a 225 dig freshman season. Isabel Bennett posted 66 total blocks last year and returns in the middle.

ABOUT COLORADO STATE (RV)​

Tabbed as the conference favorite in 2024, Colorado State finished 2023 with an overall record of 19-12 along with a 12-6 mark in the Mountain West. The Rams fell to Fresno State in the Mountain West championship match, going to five sets (25-20, 25-23, 24-26, 26-28, 12-15) in a tightly contested final. Colorado State finished the 2023 campaign ranked No. 64 in the RPI, earning a signature victory early with a 3-1 result over Kentucky (RPI No. 8) on August 25, 2023. CSU took down one B1G opponent last season in a 3-2 victory over Michigan on September 2. Colorado State is receiving votes in the first AVCA poll of the season.

The Rams return all four of their All-Mountain West performers from a season ago in Emery Herman, Kennedy Stanford, Naeemah Weathers and Malaya Jones. Jones set the single-season kills record at CSU last season with 466, Herman posted 10.39 assists per set en route to being named the 2023 Mountain West Newcomer of the Year and Stanford was third on the team with 307 kills, averaging 2.42 kills/set. Weathers hit .426 in the middle for CSU which ranked second in program history and seventh in the country last season.

Also returning for Colorado State are libero Kate Yoshimoto who posted 421 digs (3.31 digs/set) and middle blocker Karina Leber (102.0 total blocks). The Rams will however need to replace the 368.0 point production of outside Annie Sullivan who was second on the team with 344 kills a season ago.

ABOUT #11 FLORIDA​

Ranked No. 11 in the first AVCA poll of the season, Florida was picked to finish second in the preseason SEC poll (one first place vote), behind defending national champion Texas. The Gators went 19-10 overall and 10-8 in SEC play last season despite losing preseason All-SEC and 2022 All-American setter Alexis Stucky to a knee injury on September 17. Florida reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament before being ousted by Georgia Tech, 3-0, to finish No. 20 in the RPI. Prior to Stucky's departure, the Gators had an early season signature sweep over then No. 2-ranked Stanford, also defeating then No. 8-ranked Penn State and No. 5-ranked Minnesota in the month of August.

In addition to Stucky, Florida returns preseason All-SEC selection Kennedy Martin who led the Gators with 492 kills (4.35 kills/set) on .298 hitting. AC Fitzpatrick also returns on offense after finishing her fourth season with 298 kills, good for second on the team. On the defensive, libero Elli McKissock is back after recording 444 digs (3.93 digs/set) and Gabrielle Essix returns after finishing third on the team in blocks last season (101.0, 1.23 blocks/set).

Departing 2023 stat leaders include middle blocker Nnedi Okammor (120.0 blocks, 1.29 blocks/set) and setter Kennedy Muff (851 assists, 10.25 assists/set).

SERIES HISTORY​

Northern Colorado
- This is the first meeting between MSU and Northern Colorado.
Colorado State
- This is the first meeting between MSU and Colorado State.
Florida
- Michigan State is 0-2 all-time against Florida dating back to 1996. MSU and the Gators have never played at a neutral site, playing once on the road and once at home each.
- MSU first faced Florida on Dec. 13, 1996 in the NCAA Elite Eight, falling to the Gators, 3-1. No. 7-ranked Florida played in East Lansing at the 2016 Auto-Owners Insurance Spartan Invitational, defeating the Spartans, 3-0.

IOSIA AND BISHOP NAMED CO-CAPTAINS​

• For the third consecutive season, senior setter Julia Bishop and fifth year libero Nalani Iosia have been named team captains for the Spartans.
• Bishop and Iosia are the fourth and fifth players in the program history to be named three-time captains joining Nikki Colson (01-03), Katie Johnson (05-07) and Kori Moster (12-14).

HOLDEM A RETURNING ALL-B1G SELECTION​

• Sophomore outside hitter Taylah Holdem is Michigan State's lone returning All-B1G selection from 2023, aiming to improve upon her second-team designation from a year ago.
• Holdem also earned All-Freshman honors from the conference, the first MSU rookie to earn that honor since 2014 and one of nine all-time.
• Holdem finished last season ranked No. 9 in the B1G in kills/set (3.44) and No. 8 in kills (399). Holdem was No. 9 in points per set at 3.88.
• The leading scorer among all freshmen in B1G play, Holdem posted 4.03 points per set in 20 conference matches.
• Holdem's 25 kills on Sept. 29, 2023 were the most in a match by an MSU freshman since Erin Hartley (28, 1998).

SPARTANS GAIN INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE​

• Sophomore outside hitter Karolina Staniszewska (Poland) and freshman middle blocker Carmen Waye (Canada) each had the opportunity to represent their home countries over the summer playing with their age level national team programs.
• Staniszewska played with the U22 Polish National Team at the U22 European Championships, falling in the bronze medal match to Turkiye.
• Waye played with the U19 Canadian National team at the U19 NORCECA (North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation) Continental Championship, falling to the United States in the gold medal match.
• Waye led Team Canada with 16 points (12 kills, match-high four blocks) in the championship match despite the loss.

IOSIA AIMING TO MAKE MOST OF FIFTH YEAR​

• Fifth-year libero Nalani Iosia enters the season ranked second in the B1G in career digs among active players with 1,504. Only Maryland's Lilly Gutner (1,611) has more career digs.
• Iosia ranked fifth in the B1G last season in digs/set at 4.16.
• Iosia was an AVCA All-North Region honorable mention following the conclusion of the 2023 season, the first Spartan to earn a regional honor since 2017 and the first libero since 2014.
• Iosia's 483 digs last season ranked No. 8 all-time for a single season at MSU. She will start the season with 950 digs as a Spartan, 50 away from 1,000.
• Iosia twice matched a career-best 27 digs in a match in 2023.

DOEZEMA DOES IT ALL​

• Entering her third year with the program, junior middle blocker Evie Doezema has played every front row position for the Spartans.
• Doezema started her career as a six-rotation outside as a freshman, before playing middle and settling in on right side during her sophomore campaign. Now a junior, Doezema will move back inside and play middle for the Spartans in 2024.
• Head Coach Leah Johnson has lauded Doezema's willingness to do whatever it takes to help the team, and her drive to be the best at whatever position she is playing.
• Doezema's sophomore season saw her make drastic improvements as a player, hitting .257 with 143 kills. Doezema's 57 blocks ranked second on the team, good for .56 blocks per set in 102 sets played.

Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.


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