Top 10 Matchup On Tap as MSU Travels to North Carolina

No. 5/6 Michigan State (2-0) at No. 7/8 North Carolina (3-0)
Dates/Location	Sunday, Aug. 23 \| 1 pm Dorrance Field, Chapel Hill, NC. \| Gameday Information
Tickets	UNC Ticket Office
Television	ACC Network
Webstream	ESPN+
Live Statistics	Click Here
Game Notes	Michigan State \| N orth Carolina
Social Media	Facebook X Instagram

The Starting XI

What you need to know about Spartan women's soccer

• Michigan State plays its first road game of the season at No. 7/8 North Carolina. The Spartans enter the game at 2-0 on the season, with an opening-night 2-0 win over [RV] Xavier and a 1-0 win against Loyola (Chicago).

• MSU is up to No. 5 in the United Soccer Coaches survey this week and is No. 6 in the Top Drawer Soccer poll. MSU started the year at No. 7 in both, while North Carolina was No. 8 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll and 11th per TDS.

• North Carolina is 3-0 on the year, opening with home wins over Fairfield (4-0) and Quinnipiac (8-0) before a Thursday road victory at Arkansas (2-0). This will be just the second meeting of the teams all-time. Longtime assistant Damon Nahas was officially named head coach in December of 2024 after guiding the Heels to a national title as the interim that season.

• MSU is 2-0 on the year for the first time since 2023. The Spartans won their opener and then played to ties in the second game of the season in both 2024 (Arkansas, 2-2) and 2025 (Dayton, 0-0). MSU last opened the season with back-to-back shutouts in 2022, against Bowling Green (2-0) and Cincinnati (0-0).

• On Wednesday, MSU held a 21-3 edge in shot attempts and had 14 corners to Loyola's two. MSU had just one game in 2025 with more shot attempts (22, vs Illinois on 8/19) and tied its best of 14 corners last year that came in the opener at Colorado (8/14).

• The Spartans returned 47 goals and 36 assists (86%) from last year's offense. A year ago, MSU ranked first in the B1G in both total goals (57, seventh nationally) and scoring offense (2.24, 18th NCAA). Ten starters are back for MSU in 2026.

• Charlotte native Kennedy Bell is the reigning B1G Forward of the Year, was a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection and Third Team United Soccer Coaches All-America last year. Bell was the B1G regular-season scoring champion, and led the team in goals (11, first, B1G/39th nationally) and points (29, 34th NCAA).

• Kayla Briggs had MSU's lone goal in the win over Loyola and has the game-winner in each of MSU's victories this year. She led the squad in that category a year ago (5, fourth all-time in a season at MSU). She was second on the team in points (23, T-third, B1G), tied for first in assists (7, T-second, B1G), second in goals (8, T-eighth, B1G), and converted both of her PK attempts.

• Bell and Emerson Sargeant were named to the Hermann Trophy Forwards to Watch list (Aug. 10), while Briggs was named to the Midfielders to Watch list (Aug. 7). All three were All-Region picks a year ago.

• Senior Bella Najera is a three-time All-Big Ten selection, including being named the B1G Freshman of the Year in 2023. She is one of four Spartans all-time to earn All-B1G honors three times; she tied for second on the team in goals (8), was second in assists (5) and third in points (21) last year. Of her eight goals, two stood as game-tying tallies and two as game-winners.

• Keeper Noelle Henning has opened her sophomore campaign with back-to-back shutouts, making five saves in the opener against Xavier (8/12) and one against Loyola (8/19). She now owns 10 career shutouts, which is tied for 10th in the MSU career annals. Henning has been named to Team Canada for the 2026 U20 Women's World Cup Sept. 5-27 in Poland.

The Starting XI

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Players Mentioned

Kennedy Bell

Kayla Briggs

Noelle Henning

Bella Najera

Emerson Sargeant

Michigan State University Athletics