WASHINGTON, D.C. – The BIG EAST calendar continues for Villanova volleyball on Thursday as the 'Cats begin this week's league slate in a matchup against Georgetown.

Villanova (12-3, 3-1 BIG EAST) will square off with the Hoyas at 7 p.m. from McDonough Arena in a midweek matchup between a pair of one-loss BIG EAST programs.

SPLIT THE SLATE    
Villanova earned a split during its first home action in nearly a month, opening October with a sweep of the Butler Bulldogs before falling in five sets to Xavier on Saturday evening. The 'Cats notched their 10th win in the last 12 matchups against Butler to begin the weekend, getting double-digit kill efforts from Abby Harrell and Campbell McKinnon and besting the Bulldogs in a variety of ways to stay undefeated in BIG EAST play to that point. The contest against Xavier was a barn burner, going the distance and requiring extra points in the fifth set to decide a winner. Harrell, Alyssa Nelson and Marly Smith all posted double-doubles as the Wildcats put forth season highs in kills, assists and digs on the evening but couldn't emerge as the victors to stay unbeaten through the first two weekends of the conference schedule.

OODLES OF OPTIONS    
Part of the reason for Villanova's success has been the varied attack which has gotten production out of seven major contributors. Harrell (team-best in kills) and McKinnon (BIG EAST-best .439 hitting) have been the headliners as expected, but the options behind them have impressed too. Cat Young has eight double-digit kill performances and when she went down with injury last Friday it was a 14-kill effort from Smith in relief. Taylor Lewis has contributed six or more kills in 13 matches, including 16 terminations vs. Xavier. Newcomers Reagan McGivern and Ava Mehrten have pitched in as well with the fifth-year transfer Mehrten adding 55 kills including her VU-high eight at ODU while freshman middle McGivern is hitting .400 with four separate efforts of eight kills.

GEARING UP FOR GEORGETOWN

• The Hoyas maintain a 10-7 record on the year, like Villanova owning wins in three of the four BIG EAST contests with the lone loss coming in a five-set defeat by Xavier last weekend.
• GU is led statistically by Dionna Mitchell's 212 kills and 156 digs while Kamryn Lee-Caracci ranks fifth in the league for hitting percentage (.370) and setter Juleigh Urbina is in the BIG EAST's top 10 for assists (seventh) and service aces (fourth). 
• Georgetown is one of the most often-played opponents in VU history, owning a 32-31 edge over the 'Cats all-time. Villanova has won the last four matchups in the series, sweeping the lone contest in 2024 at Jake Nevin Field House.

The matchup will feature stats courtesy of StatBroadcast and streaming available on ESPN+.