Michigan State Sr. M, Kayla Briggs (9), scores a goal and goes to celebrate with her teammates in DeMartin Stadium in East Lansing, Mich., on Aug. 12, 2026.
Michigan State women’s soccer is ranked No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches poll for the second time in program history.
The rise in the rankings comes off the back of a 5-0 demolition of USC and a 1-0 win over No. 16 UCLA. The Spartans unseated former No. 1 Stanford, which suffered a 5-0 loss away at No. 2 Duke and has dropped to No. 6.
This is the second time the Spartans have been recognized as the top team in the country in the past three seasons. MSU’s first-ever No. 1 spot came in September 2024.
The Spartans have been among the top five in the United Soccer Coaches poll every week this season, holding a 6-0-2 record.
Senior midfielder Kayla Briggs has led the charge for the Spartans and was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. Briggs scored one goal and assisted two against USC, while scoring MSU's lone goal against UCLA. Her 6 points in the opening weekend of Big Ten play were the highest of any player in the conference.
Briggs has recorded 5 goals and 3 assists in eight games. She ties senior forward Kennedy Bell for the team lead in both categories. The pair are tied for third in the conference in points. Briggs is more than halfway to beating her record from last season, when she scored 8 goals in 25 games. In her 32 games as a Spartan, Briggs has earned 36 points with 13 goals and 10 assists.
Briggs has a knack for scoring game winners. She has scored four this season and nine in her MSU career, which ties for eighth in MSU history. All 5 of her goals this season have also been the opening goal of the match. She is on a three-game scoring streak as the Spartans host rivals Michigan on Sept. 20 at DeMartin Stadium.
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