North Carolina State University Athletics
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Wolfpack Heads to VCU for Road Contest
8/15/2026 12:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Following a 3-1 victory over James Madison to open the 2026 campaign, the Wolfpack is looking to start 2-0 for the first time since 2022.
A Win Would …
- Mark Gary Higgins' seventh victory as head coach at NC State.
- Be the 409th win in program history.
- Be Higgins' 117th win in his coaching career.
- Mark the program's 9th all-time win over VCU.
- Mark the second win of the season for NC State.
Last Time Out
NC State opened the 2026 season with a 3-1 victory over James Madison on Wednesday, Aug. 12 at Sentara Park, powered by a brace from senior Jade Bordeleau and the first career goal from fifth-year Alex Mohr. The victory marked the Wolfpack's first season-opening win since 2022, avenged a 3-0 loss to the Dukes in last season's opener and marked NC State's first road season-opening victory since 2018.
Bordeleau opened the scoring in the 10th minute before James Madison quickly equalized. Mohr broke the deadlock in the 60th minute with her first collegiate goal, and Bordeleau added her second of the night in the 78th minute to secure the 3-1 victory.
Scouting the Rams
VCU opened the 2026 season with a 4-1 loss at Elon on Thursday night. Freshman Monique McEnhimer scored the Rams' lone goal, marking the first goal of her collegiate career.
The Rams are coming off a 7-10-3 season in head coach Lauryn Hutchinson's first year at the helm. VCU earned the No. 5 seed in the 2025 Atlantic 10 Championship before falling to Rhode Island in the quarterfinals.
VCU returns several key pieces from last season's attack, including Isabelle Franklin, Jensyn Lins and Keira McCloskey, who each tied for the team lead with three goals in 2025. Franklin also led the Rams with 12 points on three goals and one assist as a true freshman and earned back-to-back A-10 Rookie of the Week honors.
Series History
Sunday's match marks the 10th all-time meeting between NC State and VCU, with the Wolfpack holding an 8-1 advantage in the series. NC State enters the matchup riding a six-match winning streak against the Rams, outscoring VCU 12-2 during that stretch.
NC State won the most recent meeting, taking a 5-0 victory in Richmond in 2024. Mana Nakata scored her first career goal in the win.
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