VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova volleyball returns home this week to continue BIG EAST conference play inside Jake Nevin Fieldhouse against Georgetown and Creighton.
The Wildcats (9-8, 2-4 BIG EAST) host the Hoyas on Wednesday at 7 p.m. EDT in the first of two midweek meetings between the schools this year. Villanova will conclude its homestand on Friday night, taking on national powerhouse RV Creighton at 6 p.m. EDT.
HOMETOWN HUDDLE
After playing four of their last six matches on the road, the Wildcats return to Jake Nevin Fieldhouse where they boast a flawless 4-0 home record as they prepare for a four-match homestand. The Wildcats will aim to use home-court advantage to get back into the win column and make a push to gain ground in the BIG EAST standings. The 'Cats are one of just 45 teams in the country that remain undefeated at home heading into this week's matches. Statistically, Nova is led by middle blocker
Campbell McKinnon (218 kills, .321 hitting percentage, 62 blocks, 271.5 points) and setter
Alyssa Nelson (464 assists, 19 aces, 149 digs).
WILDCAT WEAPONRY
The Wildcats bring a balanced, high-powered attack into this week's homestand, totaling 846 team kills (99th nationally) while averaging 12.82 kills per set (116th) powered by steady distribution from the setter position with 796 team assists (87th) on 12.06 assists per set (95th). Villanova's attack relies on a group of hitters featuring heavy contributions from McKinnon (218 kills, 3.30 per set),
Taylor Lewis (133 kills, 2.22 per set),
Abby Harrell (115 kills, 3.03 per set), and
Cat Young (110 kills, 1.75 per set).
HEAR ABOUT THE HOYAS
- Georgetown makes the trip up I-95 to the Main Line this week, maintaining an 11-6 overall record and a 3-3 mark in BIG EAST play under head coach AJ Bonetti. The Hoyas recently split a Midwest road trip, falling to Marquette before bouncing back with a five-set win over DePaul.
- The Hoyas are led offensively by middle blocker Kamryn Lee-Caracci (165 kills), setter Juleigh Urbina (463 assists, 24 aces), libero Bella McGirr (180 digs), and middle blocker Berkeley Ploder (61 blocks). Lee-Caracci anchors the Hoya frontline as she currently ranks first in the BIG EAST and ninth nationally in hitting percentage (.442). Ploder's .437 hitting percentage is good for 11th nationally.
- Villanova holds a 23-10 all-time record against Georgetown, including a 16-5 mark in conference play and a 14-4 advantage at home. The Wildcats are currently on a six-match winning streak against the Hoyas, with Georgetown's last win in the series coming in October 2022.
CREIGHTON CLASH
- Creighton enters Friday's contest with a 10-8 overall record and a 5-1 mark in conference play under second-year head coach Brian Rosen. The Bluejays recently picked up home wins over Butler and Xavier to remain atop the BIG EAST standings in a three-way tie with Marquette and St. John's.
- The Bluejays are led offensively by middle blocker Ayden Ames (179 kills), setter Katie Dalton (491 assists), server Nora Wurtz (18 aces), libero Saige Damrow (319 digs, 18th nationally), and middle blocker Eloise Brandewie, whose 88 blocks rank third in the conference and 17th nationally. As a team, Creighton ranks seventh nationally in total blocks (183.5).
- Villanova holds a 3-24 all-time record against Creighton, including a 3-20 mark in conference play and a 3-9 record at home. The 'Cats are seeking their first win over the Bluejays since an upset sweep in Omaha back in November 2019, with Creighton taking the last meeting in four sets last November.
Streaming for both matches will be available on ESPN+ and 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).
