Illig, Sargeant Earn United Soccer Coaches Academic Kudos
12/18/2025 1:04:00 PM | Women's Soccer
East Lansing, Mich. -- Michigan State soccer standouts Maggie Illig (Troy, Mo.) and Emerson Sargeant (Hartland, Mich.) have earned 2025 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American honors.  Illig was named to the First Team, while Sargeant solidified a spot on the Third Team.Â
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Selected players must meet the following criteria: athletes must be a junior or above in athletic standing and be in their second year (if a transfer student) at their institution. Nominees must have at least a 3.40 cumulative GPA and play a minimum of 75 percent of games during the season of nomination and be an elite player as supported by playing honors (i.e., All-American, All-Region, minimum all-conference).
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The pair were leaders for Michigan State both on the field and in the classroom. The duo, who entered MSU in the same recruiting class in the fall of 2022, have been a part of two Big Ten championship squads (2022, 2023) as well the first-ever MSU women's soccer class to make four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. The Spartans won at least one NCAA Tournament in each of the last four years, including advancing to the Elite Eight in 2025 after back-to-back Sweet 16's in 2023 and 2024. Both earned their undergraduate degrees this month – Illig in Kinesiology, Sargeant in Marketing. Sargeant will return to the Spartans in 2026 after an injury prematurely ended her 2024 campaign.Â
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Illig is a 3.963 student and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and twice was selected for the CSC Academic All-District squad and earned Third Team CSC Academic All-America honors this week. She was a First Team All-North/Central Region selection a year ago as well. On the field, she was the anchor of MSU's defense that recorded 10 shutouts in 2025 and allowed one goal or fewer in 21 of 25 games, a Spartan defense that helped deliver a 1.15 GAA in front of a pair of first-year keepers.  She also compiled a career best offensive portfolio with three goals (which matched her career total from her first three years) and seven points.Â
As a senior, Illig was named to preseason watch lists in the Big Ten, United Soccer Coaches Defenders to Watch, as well as the Hermann Trophy Watch List as the best player in collegiate soccer. At the conclusion of the season, she earned All-America honors (third team) after earning both All-Big Ten and United Soccer Coaches All-North region honors twice.Â
 Sargeant returned to the field this fall with great success, helping the Spartans to one of their finest offensive seasons on record. She was a Second Team United Soccer Coaches All-Region Pick and First Team All-Big Ten selection, as well as earning a spot on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team. Sargeant started all 25 games for MSU and recorded a career-best eight goals (eighth, B1G) and 19 points (ninth, B1G). Four of her eight goals were game-winners, good for sixth in the Big Ten and 11th all-time in the MSU single-season record book.  Sargeant was a Second Team All-Big Ten selection in 2023.
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In the classroom, Sargeant was a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District pick as well as earned her third-straight Academic All-Big Ten honor.  She will begin work on her master's degree in January.
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The Spartans concluded the 2025 season at 15-4-6 and fell to top-ranked (and tournament overall No. 1 seed) Stanford in the NCAA quarterfinals. MSU finished second in the Big Ten regular season standings and played to a 1-1 draw with league champ Washington in the Big Ten Tournament championship game, falling in penalty kicks. In the final poll of 2025, MSU was ranked seventh, its highest-ever end-of-season ranking. Sargeant will lead the list of returning players (18)  and nine starters in 2026, and MSU will add the No. 8 recruiting class to its roster.
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Selected players must meet the following criteria: athletes must be a junior or above in athletic standing and be in their second year (if a transfer student) at their institution. Nominees must have at least a 3.40 cumulative GPA and play a minimum of 75 percent of games during the season of nomination and be an elite player as supported by playing honors (i.e., All-American, All-Region, minimum all-conference).
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The pair were leaders for Michigan State both on the field and in the classroom. The duo, who entered MSU in the same recruiting class in the fall of 2022, have been a part of two Big Ten championship squads (2022, 2023) as well the first-ever MSU women's soccer class to make four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. The Spartans won at least one NCAA Tournament in each of the last four years, including advancing to the Elite Eight in 2025 after back-to-back Sweet 16's in 2023 and 2024. Both earned their undergraduate degrees this month – Illig in Kinesiology, Sargeant in Marketing. Sargeant will return to the Spartans in 2026 after an injury prematurely ended her 2024 campaign.Â
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Illig is a 3.963 student and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and twice was selected for the CSC Academic All-District squad and earned Third Team CSC Academic All-America honors this week. She was a First Team All-North/Central Region selection a year ago as well. On the field, she was the anchor of MSU's defense that recorded 10 shutouts in 2025 and allowed one goal or fewer in 21 of 25 games, a Spartan defense that helped deliver a 1.15 GAA in front of a pair of first-year keepers.  She also compiled a career best offensive portfolio with three goals (which matched her career total from her first three years) and seven points.Â
As a senior, Illig was named to preseason watch lists in the Big Ten, United Soccer Coaches Defenders to Watch, as well as the Hermann Trophy Watch List as the best player in collegiate soccer. At the conclusion of the season, she earned All-America honors (third team) after earning both All-Big Ten and United Soccer Coaches All-North region honors twice.Â
 Sargeant returned to the field this fall with great success, helping the Spartans to one of their finest offensive seasons on record. She was a Second Team United Soccer Coaches All-Region Pick and First Team All-Big Ten selection, as well as earning a spot on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team. Sargeant started all 25 games for MSU and recorded a career-best eight goals (eighth, B1G) and 19 points (ninth, B1G). Four of her eight goals were game-winners, good for sixth in the Big Ten and 11th all-time in the MSU single-season record book.  Sargeant was a Second Team All-Big Ten selection in 2023.
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In the classroom, Sargeant was a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District pick as well as earned her third-straight Academic All-Big Ten honor.  She will begin work on her master's degree in January.
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The Spartans concluded the 2025 season at 15-4-6 and fell to top-ranked (and tournament overall No. 1 seed) Stanford in the NCAA quarterfinals. MSU finished second in the Big Ten regular season standings and played to a 1-1 draw with league champ Washington in the Big Ten Tournament championship game, falling in penalty kicks. In the final poll of 2025, MSU was ranked seventh, its highest-ever end-of-season ranking. Sargeant will lead the list of returning players (18)  and nine starters in 2026, and MSU will add the No. 8 recruiting class to its roster.
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