Villanova, Pa. – Villanova volleyball is set to begin the BIG EAST portion of the schedule this week when they kick off conference play at No. 14 Creighton Friday at 8 p.m. followed by a trip to Providence for a matchup with the Friars Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
The Wildcats finished non-conference play 9-2 and are coming off two good wins over previously undefeated Temple and a strong Delaware squad.
 
Villanova was picked to finish fourth in the BIG EAST preseason poll, the same spot they finished last season. They get one of the toughest matches right off the bat with Creighton, who was picked to finish second in the BIG EAST. Villanova is 8-4 in BIG EAST openers under Josh Steinbach, including winning five of the last six.
 
Through non-conference play, Villanova has been led by senior setting Emma Decker, who is second in the conference in assists with 10.41 assists/set. Mallory Potts and Sanaä Barnes have been the primary finishers on those assists with 93 and 88 kills, respectively. The defense has been anchored by senior libero Regan Lough. Lough is also second in the conference averaging 5.08 digs/set and has been named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll three times already.
 
The series history with Creighton has not been kind to the Wildcats, who are 2-13 all-time against the Bluejays. However, Villanova is the last BIG EAST team to beat Creighton thanks to a 2017 straight-sets victory. The Bluejays are 7-3, but have faced some tough competition so far this season, having already faced off with five other ranked teams. The Blujays biggest wins were over No. 12 Kentucky and No. 15 USC. Creighton features a balanced attack on offense orchestrated by Madelyn Cole, the current BIG EAST assist leader with 390. She has shared the wealth on offense to freshman Keely Davis and sophomore Jaela Zimmerman, who each have over 100 kills. The Bluejay defense is led by senior libero Brittany Witt.
 
"I think the team is excited to begin conference play no matter where we start, but to get started with Creighton creates even more enthusiasm," head coach Josh Steinbach said. "They've been the best in the league since they came in and we know that the marker of quality in our league right now comes with wins over Creighton and Marquette.  So, for us, this is the match we've been prepping for since we began in August."
 
The Creighton match will be streamed on BEDN. Links to watch will be available on the Villanova.com volleyball schedule page.
 
Villanova has had success in Rhode Island so far this season, having swept the Bryant Invitational, and will look to continue that against Providence. Villanova is 21-17 all time against Providence and won both meetings last season. The Friars are 5-8 this year but have proven they can play tough with four losses coming in five-set matches.  The Friars are led by freshman Jennifer Leitman who is fifth in the conference with 137 kills.
 
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