Michigan State is heading into Big Ten play with plenty already on its résumé, and Thursday night brings a West Coast test against USC in Los Angeles.
The No. 5/7 Spartans will face the Trojans at Rawlinson Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 10, with kickoff set for 9 p.m.
ET / 6 p.m. PT.
It’s the second-ever meeting between the programs, and USC enters at 1-3-2 after a 2-2 draw at No. 1 Stanford on Sept.
Michigan State arrives at 4-0-2 after a wild 2-2 tie at [RV] Notre Dame last Thursday. The Spartans were down 2-1 in the final minute before Ella Janz rose up and headed in the equalizer with four seconds left in regulation.
That result closed the non-conference slate at 3-0-1 against teams ranked in the Top 25 or receiving votes at the time of the game. With wins over No. 7 and No. 12, plus two victories over teams that were receiving votes when MSU played them, the Spartans can point to what the source calls the most and the best non-conference wins of any team in the nation.
The Big Ten picture is just as strong. Michigan State was picked as the preseason favorite and earned its first-ever No. 1 in the conference preseason poll. It’s also one of five B1G teams without a loss in 2026, and the league schedule is no joke - six of the other eight teams on MSU’s slate were in the top half of the preseason coaches survey.
Several Spartans have already made their mark. Kayla Briggs scored early in the second half at Notre Dame and set up Janz’s late heroics.
She’s tied for the team lead with three goals, good for 11th in the Big Ten, and her seven points rank 15th. Two of her four wins have come with game-winners, which puts her third in the conference and 22nd nationally.
Emerson Sargeant also had a hand in the Notre Dame comeback, picking up the assist on Briggs’ goal. She’s third on the team in points with six and goals with two. With two goals and two assists this season, her career line now stands at 14-18-46, tying her for 24th all-time at MSU in points and 12th in assists.
Janz’s header was her first goal of the season and lifted her to 1-2-4 on the year. Both of her assists have gone to Kennedy Bell scores, and she is tied for 16th in the Big Ten in that category.
Bella Najera’s goal at North Carolina on Aug. 23 was her first of the season and the 26th of her career, moving her into a tie for 11th all-time at MSU. She now has 66 career points, which ranks 12th on the school’s all-time scoring list. Najera is also tied for 22nd in program history with 14 career assists, and her nine career game-winning goals are eighth all-time.
Bell has been central to the Spartans’ attack as well. She assisted on both of Sargeant’s goals against Colorado on Aug. 30, and her season line now sits at 3-2-8. That places her tied for 11th in the Big Ten in goals, 16th in assists and 13th in points.
In goal, Bella Schopp turned in a three-save performance at Notre Dame, including one in the 89th minute. She is 1-0-2 on the season with a 1.33 GAA and a .636 save percentage.
Noelle Henning is currently away from the team while competing in the 2026 U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland from Sept. 5-27. She opened her sophomore season with consecutive shutouts of Xavier and Loyola, has allowed just one goal in the run of play, and carries a 0.67 GAA with an .818 save percentage.
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Michigan State's Opener Exposed One Offensive Problem That Could Linger
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The defense, in particular, has some pieces to monitor as the staff tries to keep the rotation intact. Jordan Hall played through an elbow issue and was held to a reduced snap count, while the staff continues to manage who can handle full-time duty and who needs a lighter load, leaving the Spartans with at least one more layer of uncertainty as they prepare for another home date. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Volleyballs 6-0 Start Looks More Dominant Every Match
Michigan State kept rolling with another clean night at Western Michigan, extending its perfect start with a sixth straight win and a fifth consecutive sweep. The Spartans looked sharp in all phases, leaning on senior leadership from Alanna Bankston, Zora Hardison and Karolina Staniszewska while controlling the match in kills, digs, service aces and blocks.
The early run has given this team a look of growing inevitability, and it is doing more than just padding the record. Michigan State is piling up sets in bunches and finding answers from experienced players across the lineup, which is exactly the kind of balance that tends to travel well once the schedule stiffens and the season starts asking different questions. [Read more 🡒]