VILLANOVA, Pa. – After dropping consecutive matches to Connecticut and Providence this past weekend, Villanova volleyball returns to the Main Line hoping to end the 2026 home slate on a high note.
 
The Wildcats (12-11, 5-7 BIG EAST) welcome the Marquette Golden Eagles on Friday at 5 p.m. before hosting the DePaul Blue Demons on Saturday also at 5 p.m.
 
SENIOR SALUTE
During this weekend's final homestand, the 'Cats will recognize their senior class for their dedicated contributions to the program both on and off the court. The Wildcats will honor four student-athletes alongside their student manager.
 
Abby Harrell: A three-time All-BIG EAST selection, 2023 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, and 2025 AVCA All-East Coast Region pick, Harrell has anchored the Wildcat attack throughout her four seasons on the Main Line with 1,292 career kills, which ranks 10th all-time in Villanova history. Across 104 career matches, she has totaled 1488.0 points, 887 digs, 141 blocks, 122 aces, and 46 assists.
 
Annika Veurink: A three-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team honoree, Veurink has appeared in 26 career matches. This season, she has put down 74 kills on a .273 hitting percentage with 46 blocks and 100.5 points across 15 matches, highlighted by a career-high 10 kills against Marquette on Oct. 10.
 
Marly Smith: A three-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team selection, Smith has provided
depth across 45 career matches for Nova, logging 90 kills, 118.0 points, 60 digs, 19 aces, and 15 blocks.
 
Sophia Stalcup: Stalcup has served as a cornerstone of team leadership as a two-time team captain while earning BIG EAST All-Academic Team recognition in each of her three seasons as a Wildcat.
 
Michael Gargiulo: The Wildcats will also celebrate Gargiulo for his work and commitment behind the scenes in supporting daily program operations.
 
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY

• Marquette comes into Jake Nevin sitting atop the conference standings, holding a 15-7 overall and 10-2 record in BIG EAST play under second-year head coach Tom Mendoza.
• The Golden Eagles were picked to finish third in the BIG EAST preseason poll, one spot behind the 'Cats, after a 2025 season that saw them finish 18-11 (11-5 BIG EAST).
• Offensively, Marquette features four players who have eclipsed the 100-kill mark this season, led by Preseason All-BIG EAST selection and five-time 2026 BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week Carson Tyler (372 kills, 4.43 k/set) while contributing a team-best 51 aces (0.61 sa/set) while her 34 aces (0.76 sa/set) ranks first in the conference.  Supporting her attack efforts are Tani Juric (213 kills, 2.54 k/set), Molly Welge (135 kills, 1.63 k/set), and Emma Parks (114 kills, 2.00 k/set). Freshman sensation Luanna Markus directs the offense with 826 assists (9.83 a/set) as she currently leads the conference in assists per set (10.42 a/set). Defensively, another standout freshman, Emi Juric, leads the way with 328 digs (3.90 dig/set), and her 5.16 dig/set in conference matches ranks second coming into the weekend, while Welge leads the effort at the net with a team-leading 100 blocks (1.20 blk/set), good for seventh in the BIG EAST.
• Villanova holds a 5-28 all-time record against Marquette. The Wildcats will look to take down the Golden Eagles on their home floor for the second straight season in an attempt to avenge their earlier loss in Milwaukee last month. 

 
(BLUE) DEMON DEBRIEF

• Coming into the weekend, Villanova welcomes a DePaul squad (16-7, 8-4 BIG EAST), led by ninth-year head coach Marie Zidek, that sits in the upper half of the BIG EAST standings.
• The Blue Demons were selected to finish fifth in the conference in 2026 after finishing with a 14-13 overall and 7-9 conference mark last season.
• Offensively, DePaul is led by unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST selection Kendall Timme  (311 kills, 3.57 k/set while her 3.43 k/set in conference action ranks fourth. The other main contributors to the Blue Demon attack include Isabela Tavares-Salomon (267 kills, 3.07 k/set) and Jade Dudley-Epps (2.34 k/set), while Leonor Polezzi guides the offense with 712 assists (8.90 a/set) and is also strong from the service line as her 46 assists (0.58 sa/set) rank first on the team. Her 381 assists (9.07 a/set) are good for fifth in the conference, trailing Villanova's Alyssa Nelson. Abby Cahill leads the defensive effort with 218 digs (2.56 dig/set), and Dudley-Epps leads the net defense with 82 blocks (0.94 blk/set.
• The 'Cats maintain a 19-11 record all-time against the Blue Demons. Villanova hopes to end a three-match skid against DePaul, with the most recent defeat coming in October.

 
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).