Both teams took the national title at the 2012 NIRSA NCCS National Soccer Championship in Memphis, Tenn. this past weekend for the first time in MSU club soccer history. Many players believe that the national title and the exposure will help them not only motivate the members currently on the team, but also new players to tryout for the club.
Suzy Merchant might want to think about a second career in the medical field. On Saturday morning, before the MSU football team took on Northwestern at Spartan Stadium, the MSU women’s basketball head coach got a call that junior forward Annalise Pickrel stepped on a nail in her apartment and needed a tetanus shot — the latest in a series of injuries to strike her roster this season.
The season for MSU volleyball hasn’t ended quite yet, but for the three seniors, Wednesday night will be the end of an era.
University of Maryland athletic director Kevin Anderson can expect a gift delivered to his office in the near future, courtesy of SportsBusiness Journal’s 2012 Athletic Director of the Year.
Dribbling the ball on the fast break, Gary Harris had one man in front of him and hadn’t decided what he was going to do. He could use his speed to blow by the defender to the rim. He could pull up and drain a 15-foot jump shot. But instead he just decided to soar.
Was the 3-0 loss in South Bend, Ind., on Sunday disappointing? Of course it was. Was the season? Not at all.
A player has to be able to guard the person in front of her. That is what women’s basketball head coach Suzy Merchant said after the MSU women’s basketball team defeated Virginia Tech 57-29 on Sunday, allowing the fewest amount of points in a regular-season game since it gave up only 27 against Michigan in 2009.
There was plenty of drama for Derrick Nix in Sunday’s victory over Texas Southern. Unfortunately, most of the drama played out with Nix on the bench, as opposed to anything done on the floor or measured in a stat sheet.
For the last three weeks, the MSU volleyball team has destroyed everything in their path, with the exception of one — the AVCA Coaches Poll.
South Bend, Ind. — It wasn’t the way the MSU men’s soccer team (12-10-1 overall, 3-3-0 Big Ten) pictured its season ending.
It was the first time Gary Harris walked on the floor before a regular-season crowd at Breslin Center. And even in less playing time than he’s becoming accustomed to, the freshman guard made an impact that won’t soon be forgotten.
It certainly was a triumphant weekend for the MSU men’s and women’s club soccer teams. After strong seasons for both squads, the work of a season proved successful at the 2012 NIRSA NCCS National Soccer Championship in Memphis, Tenn., as both the men’s and women’s club soccer teams won a title in the national tournament.
There are times Denzel Valentine makes his head coach’s blood boil. The flashy freshman guard loves to make the highlight play in the open floor, but in transitioning to college, Valentine still is learning to adjust to the increased speed of the game, figuring out what plays are truly there to be made.
Stepping into a role vacated because of the injury to sophomore center Madison Williams, Jasmine Hines understands the size of the shoes she has to fill. On Sunday, she proved that she’s more than capable of anchoring the center spot in Williams’ absence. Led by the 12 points from Hines, the MSU women’s basketball team (3-0) cruised to a 57-29 victory over Virginia Tech (1-2) on Sunday at Breslin Center.
Many times, the team that dominates under the basket wins the game, and for the MSU women’s basketball team, that definitely was the case Sunday evening against Virginia Tech. Although the Spartans outrebounded the Hokies, 34-33, MSU grabbed nine offensive rebounds that led to extra points, which helped them roll over VT, 57-29. More than half of the Spartans’ 57 points came from inside the paint as well.
With a roster flush with fresh faces, the MSU hockey team struggled to find consistency in its weekend road series against No. 4 Miami (Ohio).
The MSU volleyball team (23-7 overall, 11-7 Big Ten) traveled to Evanston, Ill., and swept the Northwestern Wildcats (16-13, 5-13) 3-0, with scores of 25-18, 25-17 and 25-15 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The win caps another strong weekend for the Spartans, who defeated Illinois in five sets on Friday evening.
The MSU women’s basketball team (4-0) cruised to a 57-29 victory over Virginia Tech (1-2) on Sunday evening at Breslin Center.
The lead and excitement for Texas Southern fans was short lived. The No. 21 MSU men’s basketball team (2-1) responded with a 17-4 run to gain a double-digit lead and never looked back, rolling Texas Southern (1-3) 69-41 in the Spartans’ home opener.
As Mark Dantonio stood at the podium, forced to address another close loss, one word was repeated more than the rest: mistakes.