Preview in Pictures: The 2025 Villanova Softball Team

Villanova is coming off a third BIG EAST title in the past five seasons, reaching an NCAA Regional final for the first time in program history. The Wildcats went 33-24 in 2024, claiming their first ever BIG EAST regular season title after a fourth straight 30-win season. Entering 2025, Villanova earned six first place votes in a preseason poll of league head coaches to pick up BIG EAST favorite honors for a second straight year. Seventh-year head coach Bridget Orchard returns 15 student-athletes from last year's team and welcomes six newcomers as the program looks to continue its dominance, starting on Feb. 6 in College Station, Texas.

SCROLL DOWN THE PAGE TO SEE PROFILES OF EACH OF THE MEMBERS OF THE 2025 VILLANOVA WILDCATS

Brooklyn Ostrowski (#14) - Redshirt Senior, First Base, Port Chester, N.Y.

Brooklyn Ostrowski brings a serious long-ball threat to the Wildcats with 12 dingers in her 235 career at bats and 121 games played in her tenure on the Main Line.

Ostrowski blasted 11 home runs from the right side in 2024, reaching the fourth highest single season mark in VU history with the team's lone multi-homer game of the regular season.

Ostrowski provides versatility for the 'Cats, starting games at first base, shortstop, right field and designated player during her career with the Wildcats.

Ostrowski is the lone fifth-year and graduate student on the team, having redshirted the 2022 campaign after a knee injury suffered in the prior preseason.

Ava Franz (#10) - Senior, Shortstop, Aston, Pa.

Ava Franz is a two-time All-BIG EAST infielder whose name is scattered throughout the Villanova hitting record books with top 10 marks in OPS, slugging and home runs.

Franz picked up an All-BIG EAST Second Team honor in 2024 after leading the team in runs batted in (44), slugging percentage (.586) and total bases (102).

Franz contributed a hit in each of the four NCAA Tournament games last season, including a two-hit, two-run, two-RBI effort in the elimination game against SEMO.

Franz is a career .303/.396/.568 hitter with 22 home runs, 29 doubles and 56 walks in a Wildcat uniform, owning six conference weekly awards in her tenure.

Kelsey White (#11) - Senior, Pitcher/Outfield, Taunton, Mass.

Kelsey White provides a strong dual-threat option for the Wildcats, maintaining a .388 lifetime on-base percentage as a hitter and corner outfielder.

White ranks in Villanova's top 20 for 10 different pitching categories, including the ninth fewest walks per seven in program history plus both relief appearances and starts.

White earned starts at four different positions during her junior campaign, scoring 16 runs with 21 hits and a .378 OBP at the plate with five doubles, two homers and 21 walks.

White has come up big when needed most, delivering the game-winning hit in the 2022 BIG EAST title game and pulling through with a walkoff and five-plus inning outing in 2024.

Elaina Wagner (#12) - Senior, Right Field, Fishkill, N.Y.

Elaina Wagner exploded onto the scene as a junior with an All-BIG EAST Second Team accolade after moving to the outfield for the latter half of her collegiate career.

Wagner batted .294 overall with 47 hits last season, finishing second on the team with 13 doubles and walking 25 times for the third-best mark on the team.

Wagner maintained a 22-game reached-base streak up until the three-quarter mark of 2024, including a team-high 16-game on-base string in conference matchups.

Wagner drove home two runs with a pair of singles in the NCAA matchup against #12 Arkansas to send Villanova into its first ever Regional Final.

Alexa Raphael (#2) - Redshirt Junior, Outfield, West Caldwell, N.J.

Alexa Raphael is a veteran of 85 games with 11 hits and 33 runs scored, starting in 18 games in her career on the Main Line with time at all three outfield positions.

Raphael has led the Wildcats in stolen bases during two separate seasons and ranks top 15 in program history, often coming off the bench as a pinch runner in critical scoring situations.

Raphael scored 13 runs in her redshirt sophomore year, including in all three games of the Seton Hall series and the NCAA Tournament win over host #12 seed Arkansas.

Raphael is one of five New Jersey residents on the roster, no longer the most popular home state among Villanova softballers with New York owning seven.

Madison Ostrowski (#1) - Junior, Outfield, Port Chester, N.Y.

Madison Ostrowski has played in 54 games with 23 starts across each outfield positions.

The younger Ostrowski played in 25 games as a sophomore with multiple playoff starts.

Ostrowski recorded her first collegiate home run with a two-run shot against James Madison.

Ostrowski started six games in 2023 with nine pinch-hit and 11 defensive substitutions.

Maddie Burrows (#3) - Junior, Infield, Waterford, Conn.

Maddie Burrows is a veteran of 55 games in her first two years as a middle infielder.

Burrows made 10 starts at second base in 2024 with five hits and her first career home run.

Burrows scored a run in pinch running appearances in two NCAA Tournament games.

Burrows scored nine runs as a first-year in four starts and 16 running stints.

Kat Gallant (#9) - Junior, Pitcher, Monroe, Conn.

Kat Gallant owns 219 innings pitched with one of the best walks per seven ratios in the nation.

Gallant struck out four to earn the NCAA Tournament victory over #12 seed Arkansas.

Gallant fanned a career-high eight batters in a complete game effort against CMU last year.

Gallant was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team in 2023 after a staff-high 127.2 innings.

Lilly St. Jean (#13) - Junior, Second Base, Marlton, N.J.

Lilly St. Jean earned 2024 All-Region Second Team and a unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST.

St. Jean batted .400 with a team-high 11 doubles and 27 RBI in 2024 league play.

St. Jean finished her sophomore year batting .302 with 42 hits and a team-high 15 doubles.

St. Jean contributed 11 two-hit efforts with one three-hit day during her second year.

Bella Wren (#16) - Junior, Catcher, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Bella Wren joins the Wildcats after two seasons as a catcher at Bryant & Stratton VA Beach.

Wren batted .290 as a freshman catcher with 48 games played at the NJCAA DII level.

Wren racked up 14 extra base hits as a sophomore with 20 walks and 22 RBI.

Wren earned the team's All-Defensive Award in 2023 for her work as the starting catcher.

Morgan Pepkowski (#20) - Junior, Outfield, Quakertown, Pa.

Morgan Pepkowski did not appear in any games after missing the 2024 season due to injury.

Pepkowski played in five games as a freshman with three pinch hit appearances.

Pepkowski earned her first base hit with a leadoff double against Pennsylvania in 2023.

Pepkowski has earned a pair of Easton/NFCA Scholar-Athlete distinctions as a Wildcat.

Kendall Spivey (#24) - Junior, Utility, Detroit, Mich.

Kendall Spivey did not appear at all in 2024 after 35 games as a freshman.

Spivey led the team with 33 substitute appearances in her true freshman campaign.

Spivey totaled four hits and 11 runs in her debut collegiate season with two doubles.

Spivey scored a run as a pinch runner in a BIG EAST elimination game against DePaul in 2023.

Grace Reed (#4) - Sophomore, Infield, Clinton, N.J.

Grace Reed played in 39 games as a reserve infielder in her debut campaign.

Reed hit a grand slam against Saint Joseph's as part of a six-homer season.

Reed flashed strong defensive ability with a .920 fielding percentage.

Reed earned BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on March 25 after a 12-hit week at the plate.

Elizabeth Gray (#5) - Sophomore, Outfield, Doylestown, Pa.

Elizabeth Gray earned 36 starts and cemented a midseason spot as the starting center fielder.

Gray hit .297 with 19 hits, 15 walks and 18 runs scored as VU's nine-hole hitter.

Gray earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week with five hits, five runs scored and a triple.

Gray played a flawless center field with a 1.000 fielding percentage in 2024.

Mackenzie Waghorn (#21) - Sophomore, Catcher, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Mackenzie Waghorn played in eight games with two starts as a reserve freshman catcher.

Waghorn made eight putouts behind the plate and racked up six at bats during her first year.

Waghorn started behind the dish in a pair of outings, against Lehigh and Penn.

May. 11, 2024; Providence, Rhode Island, USA; during the 2024 Big EastTournament final between Creighton and Villanova held at Glay Field. The Wildcats won the game 4-1 over the Blue Jays. Photo by Danika Korpacz for Foley-Photography.

Waghorn picked up three conference all-star selections as a five-year high school starter.

Maranda Runco (#25) - Sophomore, Pitcher/First Base, Olyphant, Pa.

Maranda Runco threw over 10 innings and struck out four batters as a true freshman.

Runco totaled two extra-base hits at the plate with a two-run home run against St. John's.

Runco was ranked the No. 1 player in Pennsylvania coming out of high school.

Runco is one of four PA natives on the roster, hailing from the Scranton area.

Sophia Mount (#6) - Freshman, Pitcher, Livingston, N.J.

Sophia Mount earned a pair of first team all-county and all-conference nods at Livingston.

Mount earned all-state as a freshman and led the team to its first ever state championship.

Mount struck out more than 350 batters with an 0.41 ERA through her junior season.

Mount's grandfather played football at Villanova before suiting up for the NY Giants.

Ava Mahnken (#7) - Freshman, Catcher, Staten Island, N.Y.

Ava Mahnken was ranked No. 31 in the Class of 2024 by Extra Innings Softball.

Mahnken played travel ball with PA Chaos, the same program as a number of VU teammates.

Mahnken was a Congress of Future Medical Leaders winner for academic achievement.

Mahnken is one of a team-high seven players from the state of New York.

Jaclyn Morra (#15) - Freshman, Infield, West Babylon, N.Y.

Jaclyn Morra picked up League Player of the Year and three all-state honors in New York.

Morra maintained a .500 batting average through her first three high school seasons.

Morra earned high honor roll in every quarter and all-academic athlete team in each year.

Morra's sister graduated from VU in 2024 and her father played offensive line at CCSU.

Lexi Kobryn (#17) - Freshman, Pitcher, Hillsborough, N.J.

Lexi Kobryn picked up three first team all-state honors and two league MVPs at the Hun School.

Kobryn struck out 433 batters through over 200 innings pitched up through her junior year.

Kobryn totaled 14 home runs and 83 hits as a right-handed hitter in her high school career.

Kobryn has two brothers that play pro hockey and another that pitches for Siena.

Maddy Burns (#19) - Freshman, Pitcher/Outfield, Fallston, Md.

Maddy Burns earned three conference Player of the Year honors as a high schooler.

Burns served as a four-year team captain at Fallston High School in Maryland.

Burns played five years with the PA Chaos travel team ranked 19th by Extra Innings.

Burns also played two years of varsity basketball as a shooting guard.