Three Spartans Earn All-America Honors

East Lansing, Mich. -- History for the Michigan State's soccer program continued on Friday as it announced three United Soccer Coaches All-American selections: Juniors Kennedy Bell (Charlotte, NC) and Kayla Briggs (Toronto, Ontario) earned spots on the second team, and senior center back Maggie Illig (Troy, Mo.) was a third team pick.

The three All-America selections are the most in a single season in program history and are just the second and third Second Team nods (Lauren DeBeau earned the same in 2022, when Lauren Kozal earned one of MSU's two all-time First Team selections). This pushes the total of All-Americans for the Spartans to 10 all-time, with seven of those playing under fifth-year head coach Jeff Hosler.

Bell and Briggs delivered exceptional offensive seasons, both which rank among the top 25 single-season campaigns in program history. The Big Ten Forward of the Year, Bell was a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection, leading the Conference in goals (11), and points (29), while also tying for the team lead in assists (7, T-second, B1G). She is 34th overall nationally in points and 39th in goals - while more than tripling her career offensive totals in the process.

Bell was a deserving selection to the midseason Hermann Trophy Watch List. Her 29 points is the most for a player in the Hosler era and ranks 12^th all-time in the MSU record book, while her 11 goals tied for 11^th and her seven assists 18^th. Bell, who earned her undergraduate degree at Maryland before enrolling at MSU last summer, also earned Academic All-Big Ten and CSC Academic All-District designation.

Briggs, like Bell, was named First Team All-Big Ten as she posted career-best offensive numbers in East Lansing this fall. The Toronto native was second to Bell on the team in points (23), tied for first in assists (7, second Big Ten), and tied for second in goals (8, T-eighth, B1G). Briggs' 69 shots was the fifth-most in a single season in Spartan program history; her points total 26^th, and assists 18^th.

Briggs ranked 24th nationally in 2025 with five game-winning goals, and she is the only player in the Big Ten to convert multiple penalty kicks (2). She started all 25 games in the Spartan midfield and was second on the team in minutes played (2015, 81 per game.) She went the full 90 minutes or more in 10 of MSU's 25 games.

Illig is a two-time All-North Region pick - she earned Second Team honors a in 2024 and a spot on the first team this fall to go with First Team All-Big Ten kudos. The senior anchor of the MSU defense was the most decorated Spartan in the preseason, as she was on a trio of watch lists: she was selected for the 2025 Hermann Trophy Watch List while also being named among the Big Ten Player to Watch and United Soccer Coaches Defender to Watch. Illig started all 25 games at center back, and the Spartan defense posted a 1.15 GAA in front of a pair of first-year keepers, allowing one goal or less 21 times in 25 games. She also compiled a career best offensive portfolio with three goals (which matched her career total from her first three years) and seven points. The December 2025 graduate will leave East Lansing ranked fifth all-time in games played (81), starting 66.

Illig was the Spartan glue while also maintaining exceptional work in the classroom: she is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten pick and has earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors twice.

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 and played to a 1-1 draw with league champ Washington in the Big Ten Tournament championship game, falling in penalty kicks.

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Players Mentioned

Kennedy Bell

Kayla Briggs

Maggie Illig

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