SPORTS: Athletics Department kicks off Fall 2025 semester with Kick & Serve Party
By Leonardo Martinez
Bridge Staff Writer
Published Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025
Dustdevils athletics, students, alumni, fans and mascot Dusty filled the Golondrina Food Park patio for the Aug. 30 Fall Athletics Kick & Serve Party. The night included music, dance-offs, challenges and plenty of giveaways as Dusty hyped up the crowd in anticipation of the Fall 2025 sports season.
For women’s soccer freshman defender Abigail Rodriguez, the event was a way to meet supporters even though she’s currently sidelined. She spoke with those present about her goals this season.
TAMIU soccer player Ioannis Koupepides basks in the cheers of students at the Dustdevil Fall Season Kickoff on Sept. 2, 2025.
“I’m currently injured, but I’m looking forward to getting back on the field as fast as I can,” Rodriguez said.
She said the team is focused on making it deep into the postseason.
“Hopefully, we make it to [the] Conference [championship] and hopefully we get a title this season,” she said.
She believes the team’s bond could be its biggest advantage.
“We have [a] very good friendship and familyship,” she said. “I feel like our connection is going to make us have an even better season with all the team bonding we have been doing.”
On the other side of the field, senior midfielder Gustavo Suarez, of Guayaquil, Ecuador, stepped up to new responsibilities as one of the new men’s soccer captains.
He said the squad’s goal is “to go after all the titles,” as translated from Spanish, and in his new role, he hopes to help the team “improve and achieve everything we set out to do.”
Suarez believes his teammates’ diversity makes them stronger.
“We’re very united, although some of us are from Europe, some from America [and] Latin America,” Suarez said, as translated from Spanish. “We are all close to each other and have good relationships, and that’s important for a team because it helps it grow—not only on the field, but off it as well.”
Discipline is something he says will be a major focus this season. He also sent a greeting to the entire TAMIU family and his family supporting him from Ecuador.
Fans also attended the event and cheered on the Dustdevils. One of them was junior Octavio Garcia, who came to show support and meet the athletes.
“I came to meet the student-athletes here and support all the teams,” Garcia said.
The men’s soccer team is the sport he follows the most, but he is interested in other Dustdevil teams this year.
Garcia thinks events like this boost morale and strengthen the bond between athletes and fans.
“It makes the connection from the fans to the student-athletes more meaningful,” he said.
