Nevada at Kansas State
Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 - 5 p.m. PT
Manhattan, Kan. - Buser Family Park
TV/Stream: ESPN+ (PxP: Brian Smoller; Analyst: Oscar Montenegro)

Nevada vs. Southern Utah
Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024 - 12 p.m. PT
Reno, Nev. - Mackay Stadium
TV/Stream: Mountain West Network | Download the Mountain West App on Apple or Google Play

RENO, Nev. - Nevada begins its second season under the guidance of head coach Vanessa Valentine in 2024. The Wolf Pack, 6-10-5 a year ago, aims to build on the momentum from a season ago, in which Valentine led it to the Mountain West Tournament for the first time since 2013.

The Pack opens the campaign Thursday with a 5 p.m. PT kickoff at Kansas State, which will be streamed on ESPN+. Nevada returns to Northern Nevada for its home opener Sunday, hosting Southern Utah for a 12 p.m. Match. That contest will be streamed on the Mountain West Network.

SCOUTING KANSAS STATE
Kansas State comes into the 2024 campaign off of a 2023 season in which it went 3-12-3, dropping each of its final four matches. Jo Sees and Jazmin Brown are the top-returning goal-scorers for the Wildcats in 2024, having each scored thrice in 2023.

VETERAN TEAM READY TO MAKE A MOVE
Nevada returns plenty of experience from last season's squad, including six of its nine goal scorers. Leading the way among the returning goal scorers is 2023 co-leader in senior Emily Rich, who scored five times a season ago. Fellow multi-goal scorers from 2023 returning this season are Penny Murphy and Trinity Sandridge, who scored twice each.

Rich, Murphy, and Sandridge make up a group of six Wolf Pack seniors returning from a season ago; a group which also includes fifth-year Lauren Muff, a Reno native who anchors the Pack's back line, midfielder Caly Ah Soon, and forward Ally Little. That group is joined by three more seniors in transfers Cassidy Bell (Marshall) and Gianna Hall (North Dakota), and second-year member of the Wolf Pack Jade Beard (Fresno State), who aims for her Wolf Pack debut in 2024 after missing all of last season due to a preseason injury.

In all, the Wolf Pack returns 16 players who saw action last season, with eight of that group appearing in at least 20 matches.

NEWCOMERS READY TO MAKE AN IMPACT
The Wolf Pack was busy in the offseason transfer market, adding key pieces in the various position groups. Midfielder Cassidy Bell tallied four goals, three assists and 11 points during her first three collegiate seasons at Marshall, starting all 17 of the Thundering Herd's matches a season ago. Panama senior national team member and forward/midfielder Gianna Hall comes to Reno from North Dakota, where she saw action in 10 matches last season. Also among this group is goalkeeper Mia Collins, who spent her first two seasons at Missouri, and is expected to compete for playing time among the Wolf Pack keepers.

THREE TO WATCH
The Mountain West released its "Players to Watch" list ahead of the 2024 campaign, and representing the Wolf Pack were fifth-year Lauren Muff, senior Emily Rich, and senior Cassidy Bell.