With the fall semester kicking off, teams across NC State are preparing for the start of their 2017 seasons. As students get ready for the new school year, there are some early and exciting challenges that the Wolfpack will face.
Soccer
After a few early-August exhibition games, including the men traveling to No. 24 Connecticut, men’s and women’s soccer will jumpstart the new semester with non-conference matchups. The women will travel to Oregon to play the Ducks on Friday and the University of Portland on Sunday, and host Coastal Carolina their regular-season home opener on Aug. 24 at 7 p.m.
The men will debut in Raleigh when they face off against Florida Atlantic on Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. State will have a busy month as it prepares for an exciting home matchup against the No. 5 Clemson Tigers on Sep. 8.
The women’s soccer team will look to capitalize on a strong 2016 campaign where it reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament and finished with an 11-9-2 (4-5-1 ACC) record. The 2016 success was in large part due to a talented freshman class that included Kia Rankin, Krissi Schuster, Tziarra King and Ricci Walkling. The young stars have all cemented their place in the Wolfpack starting lineup that looks to be even stronger in 2017.
Meanwhile, the men’s squad looks to bounce back from a long 5-12 (1-7 ACC) season with a new group of young talent and a new head coach in George Kiefer.
Volleyball
The Wolfpack volleyball team will host its annual Red & White Intrasquad Scrimmage Saturday to get the Wolfpack supporters and team ready for the season. The home opener will be at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 25 against the Kansas Jayhawks, with a doubleheader the next day against Missouri State and another matchup with Kansas.
After a solid 20-12 (13-7 ACC) season the Wolfpack will look to gain some momentum and make some noise in the NCAA Tournament this year.
Football
Coming off a substantial amount of off-season hype, the Wolfpack football team will open its season on Sept. 2 against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte for the Belk College Kickoff. After a 7-6 (3-5 ACC) season that featured a lot of missed opportunities, the Wolfpack look to be a threat in the ACC behind a talented defense.
There are eight returning starters on both offense and defense, with key members of the team in quarterback Ryan Finley, utility man Jaylen Samuels and national-star Bradley Chubb on the defensive line all returning to Raleigh. Chubb ended the 2016 season ranked fourth in the FBS with 22 tackles-for-loss, good for second in the ACC. If Finley and Samuels can continue to run the offense effectively, Chubb and the rest of the defense should continue to impress the nation.
The season kickoff against a viable Southeastern Conference opponent will be a huge test for the Wolfpack as it begins a promising new season. The Pack will have its home opener in Raleigh on Sep. 9 at 6 p.m. against Marshall.
