The Spartans have earned a No. 13 national ranking in the FinishLynx/NCAA preseason poll released Tuesday, receiving 227 votes.MSU finished second place in the Big Ten last season and third at the NCAA Regionals, while bringing home a 12th-place overall showing at the NCAA Championships.Michelle Carson and Jamie Krzyminski will return as Spartan standouts once again for their senior crusade.
Having a 5-0 mark isn't new for the MSU volleyball team.Last season, MSU found itself undefeated and playing Wright State for the chance to sweep the Western Michigan Invitational.
With two games behind them and two weeks before conference play begins, MSU the defending national champion Ohio State are on top of the Big Ten. But the statistical category they share is not one to be proud of.
Those interested in being a part of the MSU Hockey team have a chance this month. There will be a meeting for all interested athletes at 4 p.m.
Sometimes when a younger player beats out an older player for a starting position, team tension can arise.But that hasn't happened with the MSU volleyball team.When sophomore libero Marley Bellwood beat out senior libero Emmy Miller for the key defensive position, head coach Chuck Erbe had cause for concern.
It's only the third week of the season, but the injuries have already started to mount for the MSU football team. Junior tight end Eric Knott and junior defensive tackle Brandon McKinney are listed as out for Saturday's game against Louisiana Tech, although head coach John L.
The Lansing Lugnuts will play in game one of the 2003 Midwest League Championship Series at 6:05 tonight at Oldsmobile Park.It is the second straight year the Lugnuts will play in the championship series.
The No. 25 MSU volleyball team continues to dominate the volleyball world. South Carolina and North Carolina were MSU's victims over the weekend. MSU defeated the host school South Carolina 30-19, 24-30, 30-17 and 30-28 on Friday night to improve to 4-0 on the season. The team was paced by three players, led by junior opposite side hitter Michelle Kopka with 14 kills.
Detroit's net was very inviting to the No. 19 MSU women's soccer team Sunday afternoon.MSU (3-1) defeated Detroit 4-0 in a game MSU women's soccer head coach Tom Saxton said was the type of offensive effort his team needed.
He's been on the team only a short time and few Spartan fans know his name. But as No.
While most receivers contemplate their next move as they snatch the ball out of the air, Jaren Hayes is just praying he'll catch it. Perhaps Hayes' new style of play was inspired by his team's new nickname Saturday, for he was lining up for the Aggies, not the Spartans. Or maybe it was the chance to shine after starting running back Tyrell Dortch left the game in the second quarter because of a sprained ankle. But ask Hayes and he'll tell you he doesn't care where he played, or even how, just as long as the team, Aggies or Spartans, won. "In the first touchdown I scored, I was just praying that I was going to catch the ball and try and get some yards.
Sometimes a little inspiration is all it takes.The MSU field hockey team responded to its first defeat of the season by dismantling Providence to post a 1-1 performance at the Temple Invitational in Philadelphia this weekend.On Sunday, the Spartans pummeled Providence (1-2), downing the Friars 9-1 during the consolation match.Eight different Spartans scored in the handy defeat of the Friars and senior back Alexandra Kyser was one strike short of a hat trick as MSU (2-1) notched five and four goals per half, respectively.MSU dominated Providence in all aspects of the game, including defense, holding the Friars to four shots for the match while registering 30 of its own.
He's been called "the great American hope," but his Grand Slam performances until Sunday have been just another choke. Two things are markedly clear about Andy Roddick: He's not a great champion like Pete Sampras, but he's also not Anna Kournikova, despite the Rolling Stone photo shoots. He's more like Roger Federer.
For any freshman struggling with life out of the nest, put yourself in Jennifer Beeuwkes' shoes - she's 4,000 miles from home. A Netherlands native, the 18-year-old came to MSU this fall to play field hockey for the Spartans after seeing MSU play in Holland earlier this summer.
The No. 19 women's soccer team heads to Eastern Michigan for a 4 p.m. game in Ypsilanti. Both teams have a 1-1 record. MSU shut out Eastern last season, 3-0. "We want to build on the success (from last season) and get another bid in the NCAA and try to get further into it," head coach Tom Saxton said.
The MSU volleyball team is traveling to the Carolina Classic in Columbia, S.C., this weekend with one goal in mind - move up in the rankings. After a 3-0 start to the season, MSU had failed to move up in the rankings, holding steady at No.
The MSU women's soccer team has become an Internet rumor. The Web site www.BadJocks.com - a site dedicated to criminal sports activity - reported Wednesday that a freshman women's soccer player was initiated to the team through a series of hazing practices.
MSU field hockey coach Michele Madison wants to celebrate her homecoming with a tourney sweep. A native of Philadelphia, Madison spent four years as head coach of the Temple field hockey team before leaving to take over the reigns at MSU in 1992. This weekend, the Spartans travel to Pennsylvania for the Temple Invitational, and Madison returns to the field she last saw in 1999. Depending on how MSU fares in its first game, it has a chance to meet up with Madison's former squad on Sunday, but Madison refuses to look any further than the Spartan's first-round opponent, North Carolina. After a weekend of action against Kent State, Madison said she's had a chance to re-evaluate things to focus on for the Tar Heels. "Kent State was a challenge, but our team started to show good competitive character.
The MSU men's soccer team will be facing Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne at 4 p.m. this Sunday in Fort Wayne, Ind. "We're creating some quality chances and hopefully we can break out this weekend," MSU head coach Joe Baum said. The MSU team is made up of primarily veterans, while IPFW's team is fairly new to Division I.
A ball is floating in the air - then smashed down with one quick blow. The referee signals the point and junior outside hitter Diana Steplyk screams and congratulates her teammates with high fives.