VILLANOVA, Pa. – It's time for conference play in the Villanova volleyball world as the Wildcats open up their BIG EAST slate this weekend with a pair of league opponents. Villanova welcomes Georgetown to the Jake Nevin Field House for a Friday night contest before heading up the turnpike for a Saturday bout at Seton Hall.

TAYLOR'S COMING HOME    
Saturday marks a homecoming for one of Villanova's captains as graduate student Taylor Jakubowski makes her way back to her alma mater. The setter spent the past four seasons at Seton Hall, accumulating just under 1,800 career assists, 47 double-doubles and 900 digs in her time as a Pirate. Jakubowski has been a tone-setter for Villanova in her graduate campaign, achieving the rare feat of being a five-year collegiate captain. The Illinois native has provided an energetic and vocal presence on the court, setting a strong example for freshman setter Alyssa Nelson while also contributing on the court with more than 150 assists, 80 digs and Villanova's longest serving runs of the year (7-0 in the second, 6-0 in the third against Yale).

MARVELOUS MCKINNON    
The freshman class has passed their first tests with flying colors, and none more than middle blocker Campbell McKinnon. A smaller middle who measures just 5-foot-10 but has the highest vertical leap on the team, McKinnon has been dynamite for the 'Cats in the early part of 2024, racking up 98 kills and a team-high in blocks. The Collierville, Tennessee, product ranks second in the BIG EAST in hitting percentage (.409) and ninth in total blocks (42) including four solo stuffs. The freshman has also impressed with her back row abilities, accumulating 11 service aces and 26 digs. McKinnon has earned a pair of All-Tournament honors for her early season play in addition to an MVP nod at the Wildcat Challenge and a BIG EAST weekly honor roll selection for her first conference laurel.

A GANDER AT GEORGETOWN

• The Hoyas enter the conference slate with a 7-5 record, sweeping two non-league tournaments but falling in all three recent bouts at the Greensboro Invitational.
• Georgetown is led by first-year hitter Dionna Mitchell, a two-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week with 162 kills, 141 digs and 21 blocks in her debut campaign. Karis Park leads the team with 174 digs, Emily Wen has 327 assists and Vaughan Anoa'i ranks second in the conference at 50 blocks.
• Picked to finish 10th in the league preseason poll, the Hoyas currently rank second in the BIG EAST for kills and blocks plus third in hitting percentage and fourth in both assists and digs.

• It's been an up and down start to the year for Seton Hall, not winning a set in the opening weekend but winning the next five in a row before two four-set losses in the last three. The one common opponent is Loyola Maryland, who Villanova swept and SHU beat in four.
• The Pirates were projected to finish one spot ahead of the Wildcats in the coaches' poll, earning seventh this time around after missing the final BIG EAST Tournament spot last year to Villanova on the last day of the season due to a head-to-head tiebreaker with VU.
• SHU has four players in the conference's top 10 for service aces, and libero Rylee Nelson leads the BIG EAST in digs at 4.62 per set. 

Both of this weekend's bouts will be streamed on FloSports with the live stats published on StatBroadcast.