North Carolina State University Athletics
Wednesday, August 12
Harrisonburg, Va.
7 PM
NC State
at
James Madison
Women’s Soccer to Open 2026 Season at James Madison
8/11/2026 12:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
HARRISONBURG, Va. - NC State women's soccer opens the 2026 season Wednesday, Aug. 12, at James Madison. First touch is set for 7 p.m. at Sentara Park, with the match streaming live on ESPN+. Wednesday's contest marks the first of two road matches in Virginia to open the season, as the Wolfpack will travel to Richmond on Sunday, Aug. 16, to face VCU before returning home for its home opener.
A Win Would …
NC State is coming off a 5-9-4 campaign in 2025 that featured a strong turnaround during ACC play. After opening the season 1-5-2 in nonconference action, the Wolfpack went 4-4-2 in league play and remained in contention for an ACC Championship berth until the closing matches of the regular season.
The Wolfpack's season was highlighted by a six-match unbeaten streak in ACC play, tying the 2017 squad for the longest conference unbeaten stretch in program history. During the streak, NC State upset No. 12 Wake Forest for its first win over a ranked opponent since 2021.
Season Opener History
NC State enters Wednesday's season opener looking to begin the 2026 campaign on a strong note. The Wolfpack is 5-2-3 in its last 10 season-opening matches and last opened a season on the road in 2021, earning a 2-2 draw at No. 9 Georgetown. NC State is seeking its first season-opening victory since a 4-0 win over Rhode Island in 2022.
Scouting the Dukes
James Madison is coming off a 9-4-6 campaign in 2025 that saw the Dukes finish second in the Sun Belt East Division and earn the No. 5 seed in the Sun Belt Championship. JMU advanced to the conference quarterfinals before falling to No. 4 seed Texas State in penalty kicks.
Picked as the 2026 preseason favorite in the Sun Belt Conference, James Madison topped the league's preseason coaches' poll with six first-place votes and 182 points.
The Dukes are led by reigning Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year Ginny Lackey, who was also voted the league's 2026 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and earned Preseason All-Sun Belt honors for the second consecutive season. Lackey started all 19 matches in 2025, finishing with team highs of 11 goals, six assists and 28 points.
Series History
Wednesday's match marks the fifth all-time meeting between NC State and James Madison and the second consecutive season the teams have opened the year against one another. The all-time series is tied 2-2, with each team owning two victories. There have been no draws in the series. James Madison claimed a 3-0 victory in last season's opener in Raleigh, giving the Wolfpack an opportunity to even the series in Wednesday's rematch.
A Win Would …
- Mark Gary Higgins' sixth victory as head coach at NC State.
- Be the 408th win in program history.
- Be Higgins' 116th win in his coaching career.
- Mark the program's 3rd all-time win over JMU.
- Be NC State's first win over the Dukes since 2001.
- Mark the first win of the season for NC State.
NC State is coming off a 5-9-4 campaign in 2025 that featured a strong turnaround during ACC play. After opening the season 1-5-2 in nonconference action, the Wolfpack went 4-4-2 in league play and remained in contention for an ACC Championship berth until the closing matches of the regular season.
The Wolfpack's season was highlighted by a six-match unbeaten streak in ACC play, tying the 2017 squad for the longest conference unbeaten stretch in program history. During the streak, NC State upset No. 12 Wake Forest for its first win over a ranked opponent since 2021.
Season Opener History
NC State enters Wednesday's season opener looking to begin the 2026 campaign on a strong note. The Wolfpack is 5-2-3 in its last 10 season-opening matches and last opened a season on the road in 2021, earning a 2-2 draw at No. 9 Georgetown. NC State is seeking its first season-opening victory since a 4-0 win over Rhode Island in 2022.
Scouting the Dukes
James Madison is coming off a 9-4-6 campaign in 2025 that saw the Dukes finish second in the Sun Belt East Division and earn the No. 5 seed in the Sun Belt Championship. JMU advanced to the conference quarterfinals before falling to No. 4 seed Texas State in penalty kicks.
Picked as the 2026 preseason favorite in the Sun Belt Conference, James Madison topped the league's preseason coaches' poll with six first-place votes and 182 points.
The Dukes are led by reigning Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year Ginny Lackey, who was also voted the league's 2026 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and earned Preseason All-Sun Belt honors for the second consecutive season. Lackey started all 19 matches in 2025, finishing with team highs of 11 goals, six assists and 28 points.
Series History
Wednesday's match marks the fifth all-time meeting between NC State and James Madison and the second consecutive season the teams have opened the year against one another. The all-time series is tied 2-2, with each team owning two victories. There have been no draws in the series. James Madison claimed a 3-0 victory in last season's opener in Raleigh, giving the Wolfpack an opportunity to even the series in Wednesday's rematch.
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