VILLANOVA, Pa. – Following a 12-day layoff since wrapping up the regular season at Bucknell, Villanova heads to the Colonial Athletic Association Championship on Friday. This year's race will take place on Fish Creek in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
 
Villanova closed the regular season with a pair of head-to-head races against Bucknell and conference-foe Connecticut. The Varsity Eight posted an impressive showing against the Huskies, finishing 9.9 seconds ahead of UConn for a 5:57.97 winning time. That time marked the fastest for the team during the spring.

"The team is looking strong heading into our conference championship and we are ready to compete," head coach Carissa Adams said. "The competition has proved to be tough all season and we are looking to improve upon our overall seed. The student-athletes have done an amazing job working through their finals and committing to focusing at practice as they took their last strokes on the Schuylkill. We have a strong senior class that will be represented in all three boats competing on Friday. It will be their final opportunity to leave their mark as a wildcat on the racecourse and I predict it will be big."
 
The Wildcats will hit the water against Delaware, Drexel, Eastern Michigan, Monmouth, Northeastern, UC San Diego and UConn. Last year brought a fifth-place finish for the 'Cats at the conference regatta, earning 21 team points in four races. The V4 crew last year had the highest finish among Nova boats, crossing third in 7:41.667. Both the 3V8 and V8 groups logged fourth-place showings. Of those boats, 11 Wildcats will be making their return to the CAA Championship lineups this year with three others from last year's sixth place 2V8 boat joining them.
 
Friday will be a busy day at Fish Creek with three conferences holding their championships that day with the Atlantic-10 and MAAC starting the day before the CAA launches at 10:30 a.m. with the 3V8 Grand Final. Villanova's first boat will hit the water for the V4 Grand Final set for 10:40 a.m. with the 2V8 and V8 Grand Finals coming at 10:50 a.m. and 11 a.m., respectively. The CAA Awards Ceremony is set for 11:40 a.m.
 
Villanova is set to race with these lineups:
 
V8
C: Cate Donnelly 
8: Erin Welch
7: Ellie Falk
6: Maggie Coyne
5: Olivia Krause
4: Sheila Joyce
3: Kara Dempsey
2: Isabella Thorne
1: Caroline Shea
 
2V8
C: Madison Girard
8: Madeline McCarthy
7: Jadyn Ramos
6: Julia Kreisl
5: Alexandra Petrozzi
4: Olivia Frizzell
3: Jillian de Merlier
2: Anna Flynn
1: Sarah Robillard
 
V4
C: Gianna Zajac
4: Cecilia Jenkins
3: Sabrina Pauli
2: Sofia Lopez
1: Kelechi Onuigbo