Women's Soccer Hosts Xavier Wednesday in Season Opener

No. 7 Michigan State (15-4-6 in 2025) vs. [RV] Xavier (16-4-2 in 2025)
Dates/Location	Wednesday, Aug. 12 \| 7:30 pm DeMartin Stadium, East Lansing, Mich. \| Gameday Information
Tickets	Spartan Ticket Office
Television	None
Webstream	B1G+
Live Statistics	Click Here
Press Conference	Head Coach Jeff Hosler (Aug. 10)
Game Notes	Michigan State \| Xavier
Social Media	Facebook X Instagram

The Starting XI

What you need to know about Spartan women's soccer

• Michigan State opens the 2026 season at DeMartin Stadium on Wednesday against Xavier. It is opening day across Division I women's soccer, with this contest mentioned by Top Drawer soccer among its "Key Games to Watch."

• Wednesday's game is the first official athletics event for Michigan State in the 2026-27 academic year.

• The all-time series between the squads is in favor of the Musketeers, 4-3-2. An annual matchup from 1986-92, the series was rekindled in 2024. The two teams tied 2-2 in East Lansing that season, and Xavier earned a 5-2 win in Cincinnati last year. MSU is 2-1-1 all-time at home in the series.

• Xavier, which is receiving votes in the preseason United Soccer Coaches poll, is under the tutelage of first-year head coach Katy Etelman, who has been on staff since 2021 and served as the associate head coach since 2023. She was elevated to the head coaching position after helping guide the Musketeers to two BIG EAST Regular Season Championships, a BIG EAST Tournament title, and four bids to the NCAA Championships in the last five seasons.

• Michigan State enters the 2026 season with 10 returning starters and the No. 9 recruiting class in the country, along with the No. 12 portal class (as rated by Top Drawer Soccer).

• MSU was also selected as the preseason favorite in the Big Ten, earning its first-ever No. 1 in the Conference preseason poll. The Spartans earned the No. 7 spot in both preseason national polls. It is MSU's highest-ever ranking in the preseason.

• MSU is coming off a season in which it went 15-4-6 overall and finished second in the Big Ten with a 7-1-3 record in conference games. MSU (24 points) finished two points behind Washington (26 points) in the B1G regular-season standings and advanced to the Big Ten Tournament finals. It was the second-most wins in a season in Spartan history, and six ties set a school record.

• The Spartans return 47 goals and 36 assists from last year's offense that ranked first in the Big Ten and 18th nationally. Ten starters are back for MSU, and the roster will receive an influx of new talent from the No. 9 recruiting class and 12th-ranked portal class by Top Drawer Soccer.

• MSU boasted four of the Big Ten's top 10 point scorers in 2025, and all four return to the roster this year: Kennedy Bell (29 points, 1st), Kayla Briggs (23, 3rd), Bella Najera (21, T-8th), and Emerson Sargeant (19, T-10th).

• Bell and Sargeant were named to the Hermann Trophy Forwards to Watch list on Aug. 10, while Briggs was named to the Midfielders to Watch list on Aug. 7. All three were All-Region picks a year ago. Bell, Briggs and Najera were named Big Ten Players to Watch.

• Bell, the reigning Big Ten Forward of the Year, headlines the returners for MSU. A year ago, she was a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection and Third Team United Soccer Coaches All-America. Briggs was a First Team All-Big Ten selection and Second Team All-America pick while Sargeant earned First Team All-B1G honors last year, returning to form after a season-ending injury in early 2024. Najera is a three-time All-Big Ten selection, and was named the B1G Freshman of the Year in 2023.

The Starting XI

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kennedy Bell

Kayla Briggs

Bella Najera

Emerson Sargeant

Michigan State University Athletics