The first week of the NCAA Division I season is in the books, but it is still far too early to get a handle on just what we can expect from each team’s campaign. Fortunately, we have a few more weeks of non-conference play before the league schedules start, and this week throws up plenty of interesting fixtures.
Aimee Medwin has played just one game for Long Beach State, but will be thrown right into the deep end this weekend as the Big West side make the short trip north to face a pair of teams ranked in the national Top 10. First up is a trip to Malibu to face a Pepperdine side that has already knocked off fellow ranked side USC as part of a two-win opening weekend. However, if that wasn’t tough enough, Medwin and her teammates then head to Westwood to face national powerhouse UCLA for their second game of the weekend. The Bruins have already defeated Long Beach State’s fellow Big West sides Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine this season, winning 3-0 and 3-1 respectively. Whilst this weekend will provide a stern test for Medwin and her teammates, it will help the Long Beach State side become battle-hardened prior to conference play, and they are certainly not without a chance in either contest.
Staying in California but heading north, Amy Sayer was solid for Stanford last week and will continue her hunt for a first collegiate goal whilst helping to ensure the Cardinal stay perfect this season against Cal State Northridge and San Diego State. Sayer finished with three shots, including two on target, in last week’s 2-0 win over Cal Poly, and will continue to lead the attacking charge from midfield against a pair of in-state opponents. Stanford will be fancied to pick up two wins from these games, but don’t expect a cakewalk in either contest.
Back to the Big West, and Eliza Ammendolia and Hawaii host a four-team event this weekend that sees the Wahine face North Texas and South Dakota State. As is the case with all teams in the Big West, Hawaii did not play a single competitive fixture throughout the elongated Fall 2020-Spring 2021 campaign, so whilst many teams are coming off a three-month break, this is Hawaii’s first weekend of competitive play since November 2019. However, the team in green does have a pair of exhibition victories under their belt, so they do at least have some miles in the legs and reasons to be optimistic going into this weekend. 2019 All-Conference First Team selection Ammendolia shapes to be a big part of Hawaii’s success again this season, and will certainly be one to watch not only this weekend, but throughout the 2021 season.
Meanwhile, in south-east Texas, Molly Arens and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi head to within 20 miles of the US-Mexico border to take on UTRGV. Having sat out her first season with the Islanders, Arens has quickly made up for lost time, scoring an exhibition goal last week before peppering the goal with three more shots in her competitive debut against Texas Southern. This week, she will be hoping to help lead the Islanders to victory after they fell to the Vaqueros in overtime last season. With little form to go by at this stage, this game will help show both teams where they stand at this early point in the season.
Alabama State performed valiantly last week on their trip to South Carolina, but came away with two narrow losses and will be looking to set that right against in-state foes Jacksonville State before heading to Florida to take on Stetson. Madison Chambers has fit straight into the Hornets’ rotation, coming off the bench to make her debut before being elevated to the starting lineup for the second game of the opening weekend. Meanwhile, Grace Norbury suffered a knock to the ankle during the Hornets’ loss to Presbyterian and everyone involved in the program will be hoping the sophomore makes a swift return to the lineup after cementing her place in the starting eleven in her first campaign.
Finally, there is plenty to look forward to as UMBC face local foes Towson in their only game this weekend. Isobel Davy and Annaliese Grove starred for the Retrievers in their only contest last weekend, a 3-1 win over Robert Morris, as their second game against Wagner was postponed. Towson have had their own struggles over the last couple of seasons, but admittedly do play in a league considered stronger than UMBC’s, so direct comparison of results in the spring campaign can be misleading. However, the Retrievers have plenty of reason to be confident after their dominant opening day victory, with the performances of their two Aussie freshmen a large part of that confidence.
Full Schedule
(All Times AEST)
Alabama State (Madison Chambers, Grace Norbury)
This week: v Jacksonville State – 9am, Saturday August 28; @ Stetson – 4am, Monday August 30
Butler (Claire Farrington)
This week: v Northwestern – 9am, Friday August 27; @ Illinois – 4am, Monday August 30
Creighton (Ayana Aoyagi, Renee Pountney)
This week: @ Tulsa – 10:30am, Friday August 27; @ Oral Roberts – 3am, Monday August 30
DePaul (Katie Godden)
This week: @ Oakland – 9am, Friday August 27; v Illinois-Chicago – 7am, Monday August 30
East Tennessee State (D’arne Boato)
This week: v Presbyterian – 9am, Friday August 27; @ UNC Asheville – 4am, Monday August 30
Eastern Illinois (Ashleigh Harvie)
This week: @ Purdue Fort Wayne – 5am, Saturday August 28; @ Wisconsin – 4am, Monday August 30
Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)
This week: @ Incarnate Word – 10am, Saturday August 28; @ UTSA – 4am, Monday August 30
Hawaii (Eliza Ammendolia)
This week: v North Texas – 3pm, Saturday August 28; v South Dakota State – 1pm, Monday August 30
Hofstra (Grace Watson Carr)
This week: v Brown – 3am, Saturday August 28; @ Penn State – 5am, Monday August 30
Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)
This week: v North Carolina – 11am, Friday August 27; v Butler – 4am, Monday August 30
Illinois State (Indianna Asimus)
This week: @ Western Illinois – 7am, Friday August 27; v Saint Louis – 4am, Monday August 30
Incarnate Word (Madison McComasky)
This week: v Grand Canyon – 10am, Saturday August 28; v Cal Baptist – 4am, Monday August 30
La Salle (Alyssa Van Heurck)
This week: @ UConn – 9am, Friday August 27; v Colgate – 4am, Monday August 30
Long Beach State (Aimee Medwin)
This week: @ Pepperdine – 8am, Friday August 27; @ UCLA – 11am, Monday August 30
Louisiana Tech (Caitlin Le Roux)
This week: @ McNeese State – 10am, Saturday August 28; v Southeastern Louisiana – 4am, Monday August 30
Louisiana-Monroe (Brianna Edwards, Siobhan Edwards)
This week: v Central Arkansas – 10am, Saturday August 28; @ Grambling State – 8am, Monday August 30
Massachusetts (Hannah Peric)
This week: v UMass-Lowell – 6am, Friday August 27; @ Boston University – 6am, Monday August 30
Oregon (Lara Kirkby)
This week: v Northern Arizona – 6am, Monday August 30
Rhode Island (Teresa Morrissey)
This week: v Northeastern – 4am, Monday August 30
San Francisco (Ashley Jordan)
This week: @ San Jose State – 12pm, Friday August 27
Stanford (Amy Sayer)
This week: v Cal State Northridge – 12pm, Friday August 27; v San Diego State – 6am, Monday August 30
Tennessee-Martin (Kiarnie Latham)
This week: @ Indiana – 10am, Friday August 27; @ Indiana State – 3am, Monday August 30
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Molly Arens)
This week: @ UTRGV – 10am, Saturday August 28
UMBC (Isobel Davy, Annaliese Grove, Abi Jordan)
This week: @ Towson – 3am, Monday August 30
UNC Asheville (Jasmine Barry)
This week: @ Furman – 9am, Friday August 27; v East Tennessee State – 4am, Monday August 30
USC (Talia Grossman)
This week: @ BYU – 12pm, Friday August 27; @ Utah Valley – 11am, Sunday August 29
VCU (Greta Kraszula)
This week: v Wake Forest – 9am, Friday August 27; @ Liberty – 3am, Monday August 30
Washington State (Aly Hay)
This week: v Eastern Washington – 6am, Monday August 30
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