CINCINNATI, Ohio – The BIG EAST slate continues for Villanova volleyball this week, traveling to the Midwest for a pair of contests in the third-to-last weekend of conference play.

Villanova (16-5, 7-3 BIG EAST) goes on its final multi-match road trip of the year, heading to Xavier on Friday night before a bout at Butler on Saturday evening.

A SETBACK AND A TRIUMPH    
It was a mixed bag last week for Villanova, who suffered a tough loss to DePaul on Friday but picked up a major W over Marquette to close the weekend. The 'Cats fell in four frames against the Blue Demons for just the team's fifth loss of the year, taking the first period before DPU turned the tables and grabbed the next three stanzas to down the Wildcats. But Saturday was the high point of the weekend as VU captured its first victory against Marquette since 2017. Villanova recorded season highs in blocks (16) and service aces (15) opposite the Golden Eagles, picking up the program's fifth ever win over MU and making it the first time since 2011 that Marquette has dropped back-to-back BIG EAST regular season contests.

SO WE MEET AGAIN    
The first rematches of the 2025 season will occur this coming weekend for the Wildcats as they'll face Xavier and Butler for the second time this year. Friday night brings VU to Cincinnati for a contest against the two-loss Musketeers who outlasted Villanova in five sets at Nevin on Oct. 4. Taylor Lewis achieved a career-best 16 kills that night and three other 'Cats produced a double-double, but it wasn't enough to topple an NCAA Tournament-caliber team in Xavier. Butler was the victim of a sweep at the annual Jam the Jake matchup with the Wildcats taking down the Bulldogs in front of over 600 fans. Time is winding down for these teams to prove they're worthy of a spot in the reduced BIG EAST Tournament field with just three weeks remaining and seven teams holding a .500 record or better.

MARVELOUS MCGIVERN    
One of the best starts to a season in Villanova history has been proven by the awards as the Wildcats picked up yet another conference accolade on Monday. Freshman middle blocker Reagan McGivern was selected as the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career, making it the second weekly award in her short VU tenure. McGivern contributed 14 blocks and 18 kills as Villanova split the weekend, hitting .438 in the pair of matches as the only Wildcat with double digit blocks on the weekend. The Kansas native posted a career-best 10 kills against DePaul before a league season-high 10 blocks opposite MU. It's the first time since 1991 that Villanova has earned more than three POW honors in a single year, and it's just the sixth ever Defensive Player of the Week nod for VU since the league split the awards into offense and defense in 2017.

X-RAYING XAVIER

• The Musketeers are 20-2 overall with a 9-1 mark in conference play, winners of eight straight with the only losses coming to crosstown rival Cincinnati and then-No. 16 Creighton.
• Xavier has a balanced attack with five players above 140 kills paced by Emma Grace's 263 while Macy Hatkevich is fourth in the league for assists, both middles are top five in blocks and Kelsey Niesen is fifth in digs.
• X is currently slated as the second seed in the BIG EAST Tournament and one of four teams in a nine slot for the NCAA Tournament. The Musketeers are 13-11 all-time against Villanova after winning the October contest.

BARKING ABOUT THE BULLDOGS

• Butler is 11-12 with a sub-.500 record in BIG EAST play (4-6), emerging as winners in three of the last four after toppling DePaul, Seton Hall and St. John's in the past two weekends.
• The Bulldogs are led by Alelah Tolliver's 3.85 kills per set and 35 aces while Lauren Evans averages over four digs per frame. Kaylee Finnegan is BU's setter, nearing 700 assists in her 80 sets played on the year.
• Butler has lost 10 of the last 12 matchups in the series against Villanova, including a sweep at Jake Nevin on Oct. 3. The Bulldogs are still in the mix for a league tournament berth, just two losses behind fourth place though time is running out.

Each matchup will feature stats courtesy of StatBroadcast and streaming will be available on Xavier+ on Friday before ESPN+ broadcasts Saturday's bout.