BOCA RATON, Fla. – It's back to the Sunshine State this weekend for Villanova softball (2-3), heading to Florida Atlantic for four games at the Joan Joyce Classic from Feb. 14-16.

The Wildcats will square off with Louisville, Florida Atlantic, Minnesota and Dartmouth during their time in Boca, the first two contests on Friday before one outing each on Saturday and Sunday morning.

BACK TO BOCA
For the second time in five years, the Wildcats will be participants in the Joan Joyce Classic at Florida Atlantic. In 2023, it was a five-game slate at the FAU Softball Stadium where VU went 2-3 with wins over North Carolina and Boston College while falling in contests against Florida Atlantic, Wisconsin and the second matchup versus BC. Lilly St. Jean was dominant in the first three games at FAU with four hits in just six plate appearances on day one. It's Villanova softball's third trip ever to Boca Raton and the home of the Owls, as the 'Cats also played at Florida Atlantic in 2000 and went 4-3 in their time at FAU that year.

MARVELOUS MARANDA
The breakout star of Villanova's opening weekend trip to Texas A&M was sophomore Maranda Runco, who led the league in batting average en route to a BIG EAST Player of the Week nod. Villanova's starting designated player racked up a .583 average with seven hits across five games, totaling one base knock in each contest with a pair of two-hit outings. Runco's first big impact was a pinch-hit grand slam, which she followed up with a two-hit performance against Abilene Christian before an RBI single against No. 19 Baylor and a double plus a single versus No. 9 Texas A&M.

KELSEY COMES THROUGH
One of the other crucial returners on this year's roster is dual-threat option Kelsey White, an outfielder/pitcher who's been a major contributor both in the circle and at the plate throughout her four-year career. After the graduation of two-year leadoff hitter and former BIG EAST Player of the Year Tess Cites, the Wildcats needed a new tone setter at the top of the order. White got the first crack at it and passed the test with flying colors, accumulating 17 total bases in the opening weekend with six hits, six runs and eight RBI. The Massachusetts native belted three of VU's four home runs, slugging 1.133 on the weekend and adding two doubles, a single and a pair of walks.

LEARNING ABOUT LOUISVILLE

• Villanova's first opponent in Boca Raton, the Cardinals wrapped up last year at 27-25 overall with four top-25 victories despite an 11th place finish in the ACC. Louisville opened the season at 3-2 with wins over Middle Tennessee, Rutgers and a 22-2 rout of Cleveland State at THE Spring Games.
• Holly Aprile enters her seventh season as the head coach at Louisville. Both All-ACC players from last season are no longer at UofL, but a pair of first-years Taylor Monroe and Madison Pickens were named to the Softball America Freshman watch list.
• The Wildcats took down Louisville to open up last year's USF Tournament, just the third VU win in the series to bring the all-time record to 3-16. Ava Franz contributed two hits and a walk in that game, while Brooklyn Ostrowski totaled a pair of hits plus two RBI and White picked up a three-inning save with four strikeouts.

FEELING OUT FLORIDA ATLANTIC

• Projected to finish second in the American this year, the host FAU qualified for NCAA Regionals last season after a 41-16 season that led to an AAC title. Florida Atlantic is receiving votes and 6-0 to open the campaign, defeating all challengers at the Paradise Classic last weekend.
• Junior infielder Jesiana Mora returns after a 2024 NFCA All-Region Second Team campaign, sophomore shortstop Kiley Channell earned AAC Rookie of the Year and reliever Ainsley Lambert was First Team All-Conference last year.
• Villanova is 1-4 all-time against the Owls, suffering a 5-2 loss in 2023 with St. Jean reaching base three times in that bout with two hits and a walk and Kat Gallant striking out five in 4.2 innings of starting work.

GLANCING AT THE GOPHERS

• A team receiving votes in the top 25 poll to open this year, Minnesota completed the 2024 season at 28-25 with a loss in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.  Minnesota is 1-3 to start this season, falling to Utah twice and Cal once with a win over Miami (Ohio) at the Kajikawa Classic.
• Senior catcher Taylor Krapf has earned two straight All-Big Ten First Teams and a 2023 All-American nod, and four Gopher newcomers were named to the Softball America Freshman watch list.
• Villanova is 1-0 all-time against Minnesota, picking up a 5-4 victory in February of 2013 during a nine-inning affair.

DIGGING INTO DARTMOUTH

• Villanova's final opponent at the FAU Softball Stadium, Dartmouth has never faced VU and has yet to begin its 2025 campaign but closed out last year at 18-17 with a one-run defeat in the Ivy League Tournament semifinals.
• Sophomore pitcher Jensin Hall headlines the Big Green, fresh off a 2024 Ivy League Pitcher of the Year campaign as a freshman. Senior outfielder Alaana Panu earned Second Team All-Ivy last season after a .344 batting average in conference play.

All four games will feature statistics courtesy of StatBroadcast, with streaming available on FloSoftball for neutral site games and FAUsports.com for Friday afternoon's Wildcats-Owls game.