Villanova Univeristy Athletics

CAREER HONORS AND AWARDS
BIG EAST Player of the Year	2023
All-BIG EAST First Team (unanimous)	2023
NFCA Mideast All-Region (Second Team)	2023
NFCA Mideast All-Region (Third Team)	2024
BIG EAST Championship All-Tournament Team	2022
BIG EAST Player of the Week	2023: March 6, April 17
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll	2023: February 13, May 8 2024: February 19, March 4
BIG EAST Rookie of the Week	2021: April 5
PhillySIDA Academic All-Area Softball Performer of the Year	2022-23
CSC Academic All-District	2022-23, 2023-24
PhillySIDA Academic All-Area Team	2022-23, 2023-24
Easton/NFCA Scholar-Athlete	2020-21, 2021-22
BIG EAST All-Academic Team	2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24
Athletic Director's Honor Roll	Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024

Career: One of the top statistical hitters in Villanova history … Earned BIG EAST Player of the Year honors in her junior season after putting out one of the best single seasons for a Wildcat ever … Picked up All-Region honors twice in her career, one Second and one Third Team … Selected as a unanimous member of the All-BIG EAST First Team after leading the conference in hits during her third season on the Main Line … Ranks in Villanova's top 10 all-time in walks (tie-2nd), on-base percentage (.444), OPS (7th), runs scored (8th) and slugging percentage (.503) … Her defense in left field and several difficult catches during the 2022 BIG EAST Championship earned her a spot on the All-Tournament Team and helped the Wildcats win their second straight conference crown … Capable of playing all three outfield positions … Earned PhillySIDA Academic All-Area Softball Performer of the Year in her junior season … Two-time Easton/NFCA Scholar-Athlete, a four-time selection to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team and twice a CSC Academic All-District choice … Has been named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll in each of the semesters of her collegiate career.

2024: Led the Wildcats to their third BIG EAST title in four years as the everyday leadoff hitter … Selected as an NFCA All-Mideast Region Third Team member … Batted .324 with 58 hits and 51 runs scored to pace the 'Cats … Compiled a .994 OPS with 11 doubles … Racked up 36 walks for the fourth-best single season mark at Villanova … Tallied 16 multi-hit games with a team-high trio of three-hit affairs … Strung together a 16-game reached-base streak … Two-time selection to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll … Hit nine home runs, including two to lead off the game against NCAA Tournament teams Boston University and Virginia, as well as a go-ahead bomb against then-RV Louisville … Walked four times against Elon for the most BBs in a game by a VU player on the season … Scored three times at Providence and four times against St. Joe's for seven runs in a two-game span … Put forth three straight two-hit games from March 24-30 … Reached base and scored a run in each of the three BIG EAST Tournament games … Caught fire in the NCAA Regional Round with six hits and seven runs batted in … Totaled a pair of doubles in Villanova's first ever Regional Final game against Arizona.

2023: Had one of the most dominant seasons in Villanova history and became the second Wildcat under head coach Bridget Orchard to earn BIG EAST Player of the Year … Compiled a .378 batting average with 74 hits to earn unanimous conference First Team honors … Twice named BIG EAST Player of the Week and earned two selections to the weekly honor roll … Led the team in hits, batting average, runs scored (45), RBI (45), total bases (112) and walks (34) … Ranked second on Villanova in slugging percentage (.571) and doubles (15) while placing third in triples, home runs (seven) and stolen bases (10) … Her junior year ended with eight top-10 single season marks, including hits (3rd), walks (3rd), RBI (tie-4th), total bases (5th), at bats (5th), runs (7th), OBP (8th) and doubles (tie-9th) … Put forth 24 multi-hit games with six three-hit and three four-hit performances as well as 15 two-hit games … Maintained a 10-game hitting and 13-game on-base streak during the year … Made 43 starts in center field and 16 in left for the Wildcats after primarily serving as the right fielder in her first two years on campus … Contributed her first three-hit game in addition to two runs at Texas State on Feb. 11 … Totaled four hits, four RBI and three runs scored against Kent State later that weekend, including her first career triple … Doubled twice in a four-hit effort in the middle game of the series at Georgetown … Worked three walks, scored three times and stole two bases against Georgetown … Reached base four times with three hits and a walk in the middle game against Creighton … Hit her first home run of the year to lead off the series opener against UConn on March 31 … Totaled eight hits in the three game series at St. John's, sandwiching a pair of two-hit games around a four-hit, three-run, three-RBI performance on April 15 … Put forth three hits and a career-high five putouts against DePaul on April 23 … Totaled seven hits in a three game series against Providence with a pair of two-hit and one three-hit game … Hit the game-tying home run to force extra innings with Seton Hall in the BIG EAST Quarterfinals … Provided Villanova with an insurance run on a solo dinger against Connecticut to send the Wildcats to the BIG EAST title game.
 
2022: Named to the BIG EAST Championship All-Tournament Team as Villanova won its second straight conference title … Had two hits in three games while making several difficult catches in left field during the conference tournament … Played in 51 games with 34 starts on the year … Ranked third on the team with 20 walks, which are tied for 13^th in a single season in the Wildcats record book … Slashed .228/.379/337 on the year with 21 hits, including four doubles and two home runs … Scored 11 runs and had 10 runs batted in … Ranked second on the team with eight stolen bases in nine tries … Was hit by a pitch three times, struck out 29 times and had one sacrifice fly … Put together her best stretch of the year in the final 21 games of the regular season when she batted .296 (8-for-27) with 10 walks, five stolen bases and a .474 on-base percentage … During the BIG EAST regular season started eight of 19 games played and batted .308 (8-for-26) with nine walks, six stolen bases and a .486 on-base percentage … Hit a solo home run and scored three runs in the season opener to help Villanova defeat Marshall … Hit her second home run of the year against Louisville at the T-Mobile Tournament in Florida … Doubled, walked and drove in two runs in a win over East Carolina … Went 2-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in the first game of a three-game sweep at Creighton … Followed that performance by walking twice and stealing two base in the second game of the series … Had two hits, a double and an RBI against Seton Hall in the Wildcats final home game of the year … Recorded 34 putouts, one assist and two errors in the outfield for a .946 fielding percentage.
 
2021: Made an immediate impact during her first collegiate season and overcame an injury early in the year to eventually play in 34 games with 28 starts during the season … Had a knack for getting on base and posted a .417 on-base percentage in 72 plate appearances … Batted .241 (13-for-54) with 16 walks and was hit by a pitch one time … Scored 13 runs and had 12 runs batted in while hitting one double and three home runs … Had a .426 slugging percentage … Struck out 12 times … Recorded one sacrifice fly and stole one base in two tries … Drove in the game-winning run in the first NCAA Tournament win in program history when she delivered an RBI single in the Wildcats final turn at the plate in a 4-3 win over UMBC on May 22 … Hit a pinch-hit home run against Ole Miss later the same day and wound up going 2-for-4 with two RBI in three games in the NCAA Tournament … Starred against UMBC earlier in the year when she hit two home runs and had six RBI in only the third start of her collegiate career on April 2 … Belted a two-run home run in the third inning and a grand slam in the fourth inning to help power Villanova to a 12-2 victory … Her performance was just the eighth instance of a Wildcats batter driving in at least six runs in a game and she became only the second Villanova freshman to have a six-RBI game … Reached base safely at least once in 15 of the 21 starts in which she had a plate appearance … Gave an early indication of her discerning eye at the plate when she walked in each of the first three plate appearances of her collegiate career in the season opener against Notre Dame on February 26 … All 28 of her starts came in right field where she handled 26 fielding chances with 23 putouts, one assist and two errors …Threw a runner out at second trying to stretch a single into a double against Delaware State on April 6.
 
Club Softball: Played for several club teams in upstate New York over a 10-year span, including the Lady Rebels (2010-11), Lady Bandits Organization (2011-15), Conklin Raiders (2016-17), Original TC Tremors (2018-19) and Newtown Rock Gold (2019-20) … Two-time 10u B national champion with the Lady Rebels and the Lady Bandits … Also a 12u B national runner-up and a 14u B national champion with the Bandits … Two-time participant in the PGF Championship later in her club career.
 
Horseheads High School: Earned a total of nine varsity letters during her scholastic career, including four in softball, three in basketball and two in cross country … As a softball player was a third team all-state selection as a sophomore and a junior … Helped lead team to a Section IV title and a STAC West championship her sophomore year … Nominated for ‘18 Sports Athlete of the Week’ and was the winner of the Top Play of the Week during that sophomore campaign … Team went on to be a regional finalist in the state tournament … Team captain of the softball and basketball teams as a senior … Winner of the Basketball Coaches Award her junior season … Two-time Play of the Week nominee as a senior … Team won the Tip-Off Tournament title in 2018 … Named a Top Drawer 24 Scholar-Athlete as a senior … Three-time STAC Academic All-Star … Achieved Honor Roll status academically all four years.
 
Personal: Born 3/14/02 in Horseheads, N.Y. … Youngest of three daughters of Jeffrey and Susan Cites … Has two older sisters, Catherine and Marianna … Has two uncles, Scott and Eddie Gresky, who played college football at Columbia and Ashland, respectively … Also has a first cousin, David Gresky, who played college baseball at Northwestern … Hobbies include going to the lake, spending time with family and friends, going to the movies, theme parks and traveling … Chose to attend Villanova for its amazing academic and athletic programs as well as the school’s religious affiliation … Noted the emphasis on helping others through volunteer service and the beauty of the campus as additional factors in deciding to enroll … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences.