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The fall sports season at Northwestern officially kicks off this week, with women’s soccer playing the first game of NU athletics’ regular season. There are six sports beginning over the next month, alongside sports such as swimming and diving, which have already released schedules that start in October. For each of the sports set to start, there are new athletes and returning athletes to keep an eye on. Which new transfer will put their name in the Northwestern history books? Which redshirt will make the most of their newfound playing time? And who should fans keep an eye on and watch in this upcoming season?
Ayah Elnady, Graduate student – Volleyball
There is a good chance that Elnady makes the biggest impact of any transfer across the fall sports. The Cairo-born outside hitter has competed on nearly every stage, from the heat of Big 12 action to the Olympic qualifiers. With Northwestern losing Alexa Rousseau, who tied for second on the team in kills last season, Elnady will be expected to take a large role on the offensive end after finishing first-team All-Conference in 2024. However, perhaps the most entertaining part of her game is her ability to end things in one blow. Elnady led Kansas in service aces during all four years of her Jayhawks tenure and holds a single-game high of eight against Omaha in her sophomore season.
Grace Schulze, Graduate student – Field hockey
Schulze continues the trend of graduate transfers on the must-watch list and will be the newest addition to NU’s offense after a Princeton career disrupted by COVID-19 and injury. But don’t get that absence confused with any lack of success, as she is lethal when she’s on the field, earning All-Ivy League honors twice in her career. After a healthy 2024 season in which she finished second on the Tigers in points, she is back and ready to contribute to the defending national champion Wildcats. As a known playmaker, she likely takes on some of the assists vacated by Lauren Hunter and Lauren Wadas.
Chase Farrell, Redshirt first-year – Football
When it comes to must-watch television in 2025, it’s hard not to be excited about a former all-state track star in California who holds county records in sprinting. Farrell’s redshirt season at Stanford makes him a bit of a wild card when it comes to college competition, but all the more exciting for fans hoping to witness a potential breakout from the wide receiver. The former four-star recruit is likely to be a target for new Wildcat quarterback Preston Stone all season long. Alongside his ability to speed past tackles, Farrell, when successful, is a new addition that fans need to watch throughout Northwestern’s early-season matchups.
Samree Dishon, Graduate Student – Cross country and track
Speaking of track stars, Dishon is one of the newest additions to Northwestern’s cross country squad, which now also features athletes in track. She transferred after an illustrious undergraduate career with New Mexico and Colorado, where she won the Payton Jordan Invitational in outdoor track in the 2023-24 season. With Northwestern’s addition of track while maintaining cross country, Dishon is a perfect fit. She specializes in distance running and, at her best, placed 34th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships while also placing second in the Pac-12 outdoor championships. Dishon missed significant time during the end of her Colorado campaign due to injury, but with a healthy start at Northwestern, she could be one of the team’s strongest runners.
Bryant Mayer, junior – Men’s soccer
Men’s soccer is at a fascinating crossroads, and at the center of its potential success is Bryant Mayer. Before the late-season struggles of the 2023 season, Northwestern stood at 9-0-3. At the time, Mayer was starting at times and coming off the bench at others. But when the team had a weaker performance last season, the increased playing time allowed Mayer to shine, notching his place in the top 10 of Northwestern’s single-season assists leaders. This was especially impressive when the Wildcats finished with just 21 goals on the season. With the ‘Cats possessing a strong defense last season, the key turns to the offense. If Mayer can take another step forward to become one of the country’s elite passers, he could become a key to NU’s success and most certainly a player to watch.
Alex Fallon, sophomore – Women’s soccer
Fallon is a player that fans saw flashes of during the 2024 season as she began to make a name for herself. Despite only seeing nine games of action, seven of which were starts, she recorded a goal and two assists. She has a small sample size of just eight shots, but still recorded a shooting percentage (12.5%) and shots-on-goal percentage (50%) comparable to her counterparts. If these stats look similar with a larger sample size, she will be a prime breakout candidate as she enters her sophomore season. With head coach Michael Moynihan always looking for new weapons to pair alongside star forward Kennedy Roesch, Fallon could be the answer he’s looking for in 2025.
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