Villanova senior outside hitter Abby Harrell is the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year, the first Wildcat in program history to earn the honor.

It's a program first.

The conference's head coaches announced the selection Thursday, Aug. 20, alongside a preseason poll that slotted the Wildcats second behind unanimous favorite Creighton. Villanova received 86 points to Creighton's 100, with Marquette third at 82, according to Villanova Athletics.

Harrell, an Ellensburg, Wash., native, has led the Wildcats in kills in each of her three seasons on the Main Line. In 2025, she posted 403 kills, 304 digs, 39 aces and 17 double-doubles while crossing the 1,000-career-kill mark. She ranked fourth in the BIG EAST in kills during the regular season and became the first Wildcat since 2015 to earn AVCA All-East Coast Region honors.

The preseason nod is her third consecutive BIG EAST preseason honor. Harrell is also the 2023 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and a three-time All-BIG EAST selection, including a unanimous pick last fall.

Junior middle blocker Campbell McKinnon, from Collierville, Tenn., joined Harrell on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team as a unanimous selection for the second consecutive year, according to the DePaul athletics site. McKinnon ranked second on the team in kills (270) and blocks (106) in 2025, recording double-digit kills in 15 matches.

Head coach Josh Steinbach's squad has reached the BIG EAST postseason in three straight seasons heading into 2026.

Villanova opens its season Friday, Aug. 28, against host Pepperdine in Malibu, Calif., at the Asics Classic, then faces Sacramento State and South Dakota State that weekend. The Wildcats' first home matches are Sept. 18 and 19 against UMBC and Princeton at Jake Nevin Field House as part of the Villanova Classic. BIG EAST play begins Sept. 25 at Butler.

For the first time in program history, home matches will require tickets, available through the Villanova Athletics ticket office.