CINCINNATI, Ohio – For the first time since 2011, Villanova is 4-0 to start conference play as the 'Cats notched their seventh sweep of the season with a straight-set W over Xavier (25-18, 25-15, 25-22) on Sunday afternoon.

The win marked an eighth in a row for Villanova (11-4, 4-0 BIG EAST), paced by Abby Harrell's 12 kills on .385 hitting. Campbell McKinnon and Riley Homer each totaled eight kills while Cat Young contributed seven terminations and a team-best 10 digs.

Taylor Jakubowski led her side at 21 assists and Alyssa Nelson contributed 17 helpers as Ozzie Ozonoh tallied a match-high five blocks on the afternoon.

The Wildcats out-paced the Musketeers in kills (by 10), aces (four to one) and blocks (five to three) in addition to a season-high .346 hitting percentage for the 'Cats compared to .154 from Xavier.

"This was a huge weekend for us," head coach Josh Steinbach said. "We played really cleanly and our serve and pass game is improving every time out."

With the first set level at 10-all, Villanova used a 6-1 stretch to establish some distance in the opening frame and force the first XU pause. The Musketeers couldn't close the gap to less than four as the Wildcats hit .323 and sided out at 78% en route to a seven-point victory.

Xavier started out the second period with a slight edge of 5-4, then Jakubowski stepped to the service line and led a 5-0 run for the 'Cats to induce a home timeout. Harrell went back to serve after a few Musketeers respones, powering an 8-0 stretch to get her side ahead by 10. XU forced a VU timeout with a four-point string, but Villanova battled back to still win the set by double digits.

The sides traded points for much of the third stanza up until Xavier expanded its edge to four and prompt a VU TO. The Wildcats brought in Taylor Lewis on the right side who immediately converted a few points to cause a Musketeer break despite a 22-20 XU advantage. With McKinnon at the service line, Villanova finished the match on a 7-0 run to notch another sweep and a seventh straight victory.

The 'Cats picked up double digit wins over Xavier all-time with the victory, moving to 10-12 historically opposite the Musketeers. 

UP NEXT: Villanova will return home next week, hosting the lone full home weekend of October as the Creighton Bluejays and Marquette Golden Eagles make their way to the Jake Nevin Field House.