STORRS, Conn. – After a four-match homestand that saw Villanova volleyball finish with a 3-1 record, the Wildcats head to UConn and Providence this weekend to try to complete season sweeps against the BIG EAST's two New England opponents.
Villanova's (12-9, 5-5 BIG EAST) weekend swing begins on Friday at 6:00 p.m. in the Constitution State when they take on the UConn Huskies before traveling east to wrap up the trip against the Providence Friars on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
FORTIFYING THE FORTRESS
Throughout the season, the Wildcats have proved to be fierce competition on their home court, going 7-1 thus far in home matches while dropping just nine total sets inside Jake Nevin Field House. The strong mark at home has allowed the 'Cats to build steady momentum when necessary this season as they aim to continue climbing up the ladder in the conference standings. While at home, Nova has bested their opponents in almost every statistical category, including kills (401-353), hitting percentage (.229-.186), assists (379-334), digs (396-353), solo blocks (13-12), and points (514.0-473.0).
A BALANCED ('CAT) ATTACK
Villanova brings a well-balanced, high-powered attack into this weekend's trip after a 3-1 homestand finish that evened the Wildcats' BIG EAST mark at 5-5 and moved them up in the conference standings. The Wildcat offense relies on steady distribution from setter
Alyssa Nelson, who commands a rotation featuring six primary attackers each with over 110 kills on the season from
Campbell McKinnon,
Taylor Lewis,
Abby Harrell,
Reagan McGivern,
Cat Young, and
Chloe Kelly. Together, they've combined to fuel a 'Cats offense that ranks fourth in the conference, averaging 12.54 kills per set on a .187 team hitting percentage.
HUNTING THE HUSKIES
- UConn holds an 8-15 overall and 1-9 BIG EAST record coming into the weekend under eighth-year head coach Ellen Herman-Kimball.
- The Huskies were picked to finish seventh in the BIG EAST preseason poll this year after finishing with a 19-9 overall and 8-8 conference record in 2025.
- Offensively, Connecticut is led by a quartet of underclassmen including Sydney Borowy (226 kills, 2.79/set), Maja Daca (188 kills, 2.29/set), Courtney Grayson (179 kills, 2.16/set), and Helena Einarsdottir (164 kills, 2.00/set). The theme of youngsters continues with the setting duo of Isabella Sohl (463 assists, 7.02/set) and Audrey Jensen (340 assists, 5.57/set) orchestrating the UConn offense. Hazuna Akishige (255 digs, 3.04/set) and Grayson (88.0 blocks, 1.06) combine to anchor the Husky defense.
- Villanova holds an 11-15 record all time against Connecticut, including a 5-8 mark in conference play. The Wildcats took down the Huskies in straight sets earlier this month, extending their winning streak to four consecutive matches.
FRIAR FACEOFF
- Villanova makes the trip to Rhode Island to faceoff with Providence this Saturday, and maintains a 12-9 overall record and a 4-6 mark in conference play under 27th-year head coach Margot-Royer Johnson.
- The Friars were predicted to finish 10th in the conference's preseason poll after finishing last season with a 12-17 (3-13 BIG EAST) record.
- Offensively, Providence is paced by Tori Otter (179 kills, 2.42/set) and Sophia Adkins (173 kills, 2.58/set) while Miller McDonald (368 assists, 4.97/set) and Sarah Musial (274 assists, 3.70/set) handle the setting duties. Ava Dyer (270 digs, 4.22/set), Macy Taylor (160 digs, 2.16/set), and Aubrey Easterwood (119.0 blocks, 1.61/set) lead the defensive efforts.
- The Wildcats have dominated the Friars over the years, holding a 22-7 all-time record and 20-5 conference record. After sweeping Providence the first weekend in October, Villanova will look to extend its six-match winning streak this weekend.
Streaming for both matches will be available on ESPN+ and will feature stats courtesy of
StatBroadcast.
Keep up with the Villanova University volleyball program through social media by following on X (@NovaVolleyball) and Instagram (@novavolleyball) and 'liking' on Facebook (/NovaVolleyball).
