Volleyball Celebration vs. Iowa State 9.11
Taylor Barber

Women's Volleyball

Volleyball Returns Home for BIG EAST Matches Against Providence, UConn

Undefeated on their home court this season, the Wildcats look to bounce back in conference play against a pair of New England rivals at Jake Nevin Fieldhouse.

VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova volleyball returns home to Jake Nevin Fieldhouse this weekend when it plays host to the Providence Friars and the UConn Huskies. 
 
The Wildcats (7-6, 0-2 BIG EAST) will open the weekend against the Friars on Friday evening at 6 p.m. EDT. The Wildcats will conclude their first BIG EAST weekend at home inside Jake Nevin on Saturday when the UConn Huskies come to the Main Line. The match will begin at 7 p.m. EDT.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
Villanova enters the weekend as one of just 73 Division I teams that have played at home and remain undefeated. After going 2-0 in the Villanova Classic, defeating UMBC and Princeton, the 'Cats will look to maintain their winning ways when two New England conference opponents visit the Keystone State. After going winless to start conference play, the Wildcats hope to recapture the momentum they built last time out at home.
 
FRIAR FOCUS
  • Providence holds an 8-5 record this season thus far under 27th-year head coach Margot-Royer Johnson. The Rhode Islanders come to Nevin in the middle of a four-game losing streak after dropping their first two BIG EAST matches to DePaul and Marquette.
  • The Friars were predicted to finish 10th in the conference this year after going 12-17 in 2025.
  • PC is led by outside hitter Sophia Adkins (121 kills), setter Miller McDonald (231 assists, 20 aces), libero Ava Dyer (167 digs), and middle blocker Aubrey Easterwood (66 blocks).
  • Villanova has dominated Providence over the years, holding a record of 21-7. The last meeting between the two sides came last November when the 'Cats swept the Friars at home. VU is currently on a five-game winning streak against PC. 
 
HUSKY HEAVYWEIGHTS
  • UConn hits the road for the first time in BIG EAST play in 2026 when it travels to Nevin. Under 8th-year head coach Ellen Herman-Kimball, Connecticut has amassed a 7-8 record so far this season. Like Providence and Villanova, they also went winless in the first weekend of BIG EAST action, dropping a pair of matches to Marquette and DePaul.
  • The Huskies were picked to finish seventh in the conference this season, coming off a successful 19-9 season in 2025.
  • CONN is led by outside hitter Sydney Borowy (152 kills), setter Isabella Sohl (379 assists), outside hitter Maja Daca (39 aces), libero Hazuna Akishige (174 digs), and middle blocker Courtney Grayson (60 blocks).
 
Streaming for both matches will be available on ESPN+. Both matchups will feature stats courtesy of StatBroadcast.
 
Keep up with the Villanova University volleyball program through social media by following on X (@NovaVolleyball) and Instagram (@novavolleyball) and 'liking' on Facebook (/NovaVolleyball).
 
 
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