New for the 2025-26 academic year, Villanova will announce its top performers from the previous week in a press release and social media post each Monday afternoon. The weekly wrap will recognize one standout student-athlete from each sport who competed during the previous week.
 
VILLANOVA, Pa.—The week of September 22-28 was a big one in Villanova Athletics with eight teams competing and an action-packed slate of events which included wins over nationally ranked foes in men's soccer and field hockey along with one of the longest plays in school history on the gridiron. Junior running back and kick returner Ja'briel Mace (Somers Point, N.J.) from football takes the featured spot in the Weekly Wrap after his 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in last week's 31-24 win over William & Mary.
 
Mace recorded Villanova's first kickoff return for a touchdown in six years to open the second half and turn a three-point halftime deficit into a 21-17 lead which the Wildcats would not relinquish the rest of the way. It was the sixth kickoff return and eighth play of any kind in Villanova history for 100 or more yards. Mace, who had 138 all-purpose yards in the contest, is now averaging 30.8 yards per return on 12 kickoff returns this season. His efforts helped the Wildcats improve to 2-2 overall and earn their first conference win of the season. He was named the CAA Football Special Teams Player of the Week.
 
The men's soccer team found itself in a 1-0 deficit in the closing minutes on the road against No. 22 Connecticut on Saturday night before stunning the Huskies with two goals in the final three minutes for a momentous 2-1 triumph. Sophomore defender Lorenzo Avalos (Salinas, Calif.) netted the game-winning tally with 1:24 to play for his first career goal. He has been part of a Wildcats defense which is yielding fewer than five shots on goal per game in nine outings this season.
 
It was the field hockey team's turn for a nationally ranked win on Sunday afternoon. Villanova outlasted No. 15 Saint Joseph's for a 2-1 victory courtesy of a go-ahead and eventual game-winning goal from freshman midfielder Erin Mitchell (Villanova, Pa.) in the third period. The win capped off an undefeated week for the Wildcats, who earlier tallied a 2-0 win at Temple in a key BIG EAST matchup. Mitchell registered her first collegiate goal scored in Sunday's win over the Hawks to help Villanova post its first nationally ranked win of the year.
 
Freshman middle blocker Reagan McGivern (Topeka, Kan.) helped lead volleyball to a 2-0 week and was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week for her performances in wins over St. John's and Seton Hall. McGivern had a season high nine blocks to go along with eight kills in a 3-2 win over the Red Storm to start the week, then tallied five kills, three rejections and a .714 hitting percentage in a 3-0 sweep of the Pirates the next night. She ranks second in the BIG EAST with 12 blocks in conference play.
 
Graduate forward Hannah Curtin (Winchester, Mass.) from women's soccer had two shots on goal against BIG EAST opponent Xavier over the weekend. It has been a strong year for Curtin in her first season with the Wildcats, as she is tied for second on the team with three goals scored and eight shots on target for the year.
 
The golf team traveled to Wethersfield, Conn. for the Ryan T. Lee Memorial Collegiate last week. Senior Ryan Pamer (Hudson, Ohio) was the team's top finisher and tied for third place overall after carding scores of 71-69 (140, -2) over two rounds of play. He opened the tournament with an even-par 71 on Monday before shooting two under over the final 18 holes to surge in the individual standings.
 
Junior Lauren Monti (Austin, Texas) from women's tennis and senior Cooper Gordon (Milton, Ga.) from men's tennis round out the Weekly Wrap. Monti competed in the B Flight singles draw and advanced to the championship match. Gordon and the men's tennis team opened their Fall season at the Lehigh Invitational and will next head to the Saint Joseph's Invitational this weekend.
 

 
Villanova Athletics Scoreboard
Monday, September 22
 
Golf: Ryan T. Lee Memorial Collegiate (8^th of 15, Day 1)
 
Tuesday, September 23
 
Men's Soccer: Penn 3, Villanova 0
Golf: Ryan T. Lee Memorial Collegiate (4^th of 15, Day 2)
 
Wednesday, September 24
 
Women's Soccer: Creighton 1, Villanova 0
 
Friday, September 26
 
Field Hockey: Villanova 2, Temple 0
Volleyball: Villanova 3, St. John's 2
Women's Tennis: Navy Blue & Gold Invitational (no team scoring)
 
Saturday, September 27
 
Football: Villanova 31, William & Mary 24
Volleyball: Villanova 3, Seton Hall 0
Men's Soccer: Villanova 2, Connecticut 1
Women's Soccer: Xavier 9, Villanova 0
Women's Tennis: Navy Blue & Gold Invitational (no team scoring)
Men's Tennis: Lehigh Invitational (no team scoring)
 
Sunday, September 28
 
Field Hockey: Villanova 2, Saint Joseph's 1
Women's Tennis: Navy Blue & Gold Invitational (no team scoring)
Men's Tennis: Lehigh Invitational (no team scoring)
Golf: UConn Invitational at GreatHorse (tie-2^nd of 16)
 
This Week's Schedule
 
Home events listed first and in bold
 
Monday, September 29
 
All Day            Golf at UConn Invitational at GreatHorse (Hampden, Mass.)
 
Tuesday, September 30
 
All Day            Golf at UConn Invitational at GreatHorse (Hampden, Mass.)
 
Wednesday, October 1
 
5:00 PM ET      Women's Soccer at DePaul
 
Friday, October 3
 
7:00 PM           Volleyball vs. Butler
All Day            Women's Tennis: Villanova/Delaware Invite
 
11:00 AM         Men's Cross Country at Paul Short Run (Bethlehem, Pa.)
11:45 AM         Women's Cross Country at Paul Short Run (Bethlehem, Pa.)
1:00 PM           Field Hockey at Georgetown
3:00 PM           Men's Soccer at Providence
All Day            Men's Tennis at Saint Joseph's Invitational
 
Saturday, October 4
 
7:00 PM           Volleyball vs. Xavier
All Day            Women's Tennis: Villanova/Delaware Invite
 
1:00 PM           Football at New Hampshire
All Day            Men's Tennis at Saint Joseph's Invitational
 
Sunday, October 5
 
All Day            Women's Tennis: Villanova/Delaware Invite
 
1:00 PM           Field Hockey at American
All Day Men's Tennis at Saint Joseph's Invitational