NORFOLK, Va. – Following a sweep of Temple in the midweek, Villanova volleyball (6-0) heads south for the first time this year on a trip to Virginia for the Old Dominion Invitational.

The Wildcats will play in two matches over the weekend, squaring off in a neutral site versus Delaware on Saturday before finishing the tournament Sunday at 2 p.m. against Old Dominion.

TOOK DOWN TEMPLE    
It was a quick trip downtown on Wednesday for Villanova volleyball as the Wildcats swiftly dispatched the Temple Owls in a straight-set sweep at McGonigle Hall. The 'Cats took lopsided wins in both the first and third sets but needed to dig deep and win in extra points during a competitive second frame in a loud, hostile road environment. Reagan McGivern tied a career-high with eight terminations while Harrell led the match at 12 kills. Alyssa Nelson put forth a double-double of 20 assists and 10 digs to lead the match in both, and Mina Diggs saw her first college action.

SUPERB SOPHOMORES    
While the Villanova freshmen class last year was impressive in their debut campaign, they've been even better to open up sophomore year. The starting lineup has featured five members of the six-person class and a pair of them have earned multiple All-Tournament nods in Campbell McKinnon and Cat Young. Taylor Lewis has contributed more than 45 kills, Lola Buck-Taylor's added 51 digs and Nelson has totaled over 140 assists while McKinnon owns the seventh best hitting percentage in the country and Young's made contributions in each major statistical category. If the Wildcats are to have success in the 2025 season, you can bet the sophomore class will have been the engine.

THE DETAILS ON DELAWARE

• The Blue Hens begun the season at 2-3 with both of the victories coming at home. UD dropped both matches at the K-State Invitational to begin the season, but has won the last two contests over Hampton and Le Moyne after dropping the Blue Hen Invitational opener to Virginia Tech.
• Delaware is paced by preseason All-CUSA selection Anna Logan Gillens with 57 kills while Kennedi Inman has 160 assists to lead the conference in helpers per set (10).
• Villanova maintains a 25-20 edge over UD in the all-time series, including victories in the last six bouts and three straight sweeps.

ORATING ABOUT OLD DOMINION

• The Monarchs are just 1-5 to start 2025, featuring a four-set loss to common opponent Fairfield in the season opener, but won their most recent matchup with a 3-2 outlasting of UMBC.
• ODU is led statistically by Elisa Maggi, who has more than double the second most kills on the team. Kate Kilpatrick is the leader in digs and service aces while Wiktoria Zagumny has over 175 assists early on in the year.
• Old Dominion won the lone all-time matchup between the two programs last year, taking down the Wildcats 3-1 in the finale of the Villanova Classic.

Streaming for only the Old Dominion match will be available on ESPN+ but statistics for both outings can be found on StatBroadcast.