By Katie Winklerkwinkler@statenews.comTHE STATE NEWSnnThe Women’s tennis team hosted their 25th annual Auto-Owner’s Insurance Spartan invitational tournament on Saturday and Sunday against Detroit Mercy, IPFW and Toledo.
After defeating Loyola-Chicago this past Sunday, the men’s soccer team has moved to 3-1-1 on the season heading into their first conference game of the year against Maryland on Sept. 19. The Spartans will need the other members of the team to step up while senior forward Adam Montague and senior forward Tim Kreutz sit out with injuries. According to head coach Damon Rensing, junior midfielder Jay Chapman is one of those guys, commenting on his performance after Sunday’s game.
In preparation for the 2014 season, Director of Basketball Operations Kevin Pauga has announced MSU basketball will hold its annual "Midnight Madness" event on Friday Oct. 24. No official start time has been announced as of yet, but in 2013 doors opened at 8:30 p.m.
The Spartan volleyball team (5-3 overall) returned home on Sunday with one more loss and one more win after splitting two games in the Big Ten/Pac-12 challenge.“We played two quality Pac-12 teams,” head coach Cathy George said. “I think there were areas where we grew and areas where we need to get sharper as a whole.”
Sunday was a good day to be a former Spartan quarterback.
Senior Leah O’Connor won the Spartan Invitational with a time of 21:03. This is the second consecutive year that she has won home event.
Sunday afternoon the men's soccer team played the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers on a brisk partly-sunny day in DeMartin Soccer Stadium.MSU's defense gave the Ramblers fits holding them to only 2 shots in the first half and that shot didn't come until the 29:28 mark.
Entering the 2014 season, there was plenty of hype surrounding the No. 11 MSU offense, a group that returned seven starters from a year ago. While the offense has returned plenty of playmakers, none have been more impressive thus far than senior wide receiver Tony Lippett.
Coming off of a tough loss in their Big Ten opener, the women’s soccer team lost another tight battle to Minnesota, 1-0.MSU (6-2 overall, 0-2 Big Ten) played its third straight overtime game, but for the second time of the weekend, the Spartans lost in extra time.
For the first time this season, No. 19 MSU field hockey was able to put together two wins in a row this weekend in Kent, Ohio. After beating Kent State in overtime yesterday afternoon, the Spartans turned in a dominating performance Sunday, defeating Richmond 6-1.
Coming off of a bye week, MSU football benefitted in the Associated Press poll by moving up two spots to No. 11.
MSU (5-3 overall) snapped a three-game losing streak on Saturday night with a 3-1 win over previously undefeated Oregon State (7-1), 3-1 (26-24, 24-26, 25-23, 25-21). The Spartans were able to salvage a split in the Big Ten- Pac 12 tournament after losing to Oregon on Friday night, 3-1 (25-22, 13-25, 15-25, 12-25).
For the second consecutive week, MSU field hockey found themselves facing an overtime game. This time around, the Spartans (3-2 overall) were able to complete their comeback and defeat Kent State 4-3 in overtime.
In a battle of two unbeaten teams, MSU and No. 9 Wisconsin needed overtime for the Badgers to score the game winner in a 2-1 contest.Wisconsin (7-0 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) freshman midfielder Becca Harrison netted both goals for her team, and her game winner came off a corner kick in the first minute of overtime.
The 25th annual Auto-Owners Insurance Spartan Invitational took place Friday afternoon, where 30 teams from across Michigan came out to compete. After returning from Oregon Sunday, MSU’s cross country team was exhausted from the traveling and the intense meet that past, meaning the athletes looked at the Spartan Invite as more of a workout than a high-intensity meet, according to redshirt junior Leah O’Connor.
After No. 13 MSU’s (1-1 overall) 46-27 loss to No. 2 Oregon (2-0) overall, however, some players wish there was a game to prepare for on Saturday.
With only a few practices in, the women’s tennis team is ready to take on Detroit Mercy, IPFW and Toledo when they host the Auto-Owners Insurance Spartan Invitational this weekend. The Spartans welcomed four freshman to the team this summer, who, according to head coach Simone Jardim, are transitioning well from high school to Big Ten expectations, but the upcoming weeks of practices and competition will tell.
After the Spartans won the 2014 Rose Bowl title, more fans are spending their weekends at Spartan Stadium. Football ticket sales are at their highest point in MSU history, racking in over 60,000 this season. “We’ve had strong support under Coach Dantonio since he has been here, but this has been a good year,” Paul Schager, MSU associate athletics director, said. “There is always an up-kick after you have successful seasons. Last year was the most successful year in our history, so the interest is strong and the service numbers reflect that.”
The volleyball team will try and do what the football team failed to do last weekend — defeat Oregon in Eugene. No. 23 MSU (4-2 overall) will play the No. 18 Ducks (6-0 overall) on Friday and Oregon State (5-0 overall) on Saturday as part of the Big Ten- Pac 12 challenge.
Beginning the game with a moment of silence for those that were lost in the tragedy of 9/11, the men's soccer team, playing on the anniversary of that devastating day, lost to Valparaiso 1-0 on a cold and cloudy day in DeMartin Stadium."This was the most talented (Valparaiso) team we've played, and yet we played really well today in some aspects...we created more than enough chances," said head coach Damon Rensing. "If you don't put a chance or two away you leave it to chance... we had a couple that could have easily went in on our side, sometimes soccer is cruel."