Villanova volleyball brings its unblemished home record to Jake Nevin Fieldhouse on Saturday, Oct. 3, and Sunday, Oct. 4, for back-to-back BIG EAST matches against Providence and UConn.
The Wildcats (7-6, 0-2 BIG EAST) open the home stand against the Friars at 6 p.m. Saturday and close it against the Huskies at 7 p.m. Sunday. Both matches will stream on ESPN+.
Villanova is one of just 73 Division I teams still unbeaten at home in 2026, according to the program's preview. The Wildcats went 2-0 at Jake Nevin during the Villanova Classic, beating UMBC and Princeton. Their two BIG EAST losses came on the road: a sweep at Butler on Sept. 25 and a five-set defeat at Xavier on Sept. 26.
Junior middle blocker Campbell McKinnon, a unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST selection, posted a career-high 23 kills in the Xavier loss. She added season-highs of two aces, three assists and eight digs in that match, according to Villanova's weekly wrap.
Head coach Josh Steinbach, now in his 20th season leading the program, said in a Sept. 10 preview of the American Tournament that the team's early five-set wins showed promise: "While we still have work to do to reach our full potential, winning those gritty, back-and-forth matches says a lot about this group …"
Senior outside hitter Abby Harrell, the first Villanova player named BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year, leads a roster that also added junior opposite hitter Loren Winn, a transfer from UConn who totaled 252 kills and 115 blocks across two seasons in Storrs.
Winn will face her former team Sunday.
Providence (8-5) enters on a four-game losing streak and is 0-2 in BIG EAST play after losses to DePaul and Marquette. The Friars, picked 10th in the preseason poll, are led by outside hitter Sophia Adkins with 121 kills and libero Ava Dyer with 167 digs. Head coach Margot-Royer Johnson is in her 27th year at Providence.
Villanova owns a 21-7 all-time record against the Friars and has won five straight in the series. The last meeting came in November 2025, a Wildcats sweep at home.
UConn (7-8) was picked seventh in the preseason poll after going 19-9 in 2025. The Huskies also opened BIG EAST play 0-2, falling to Marquette and DePaul. Outside hitter Sydney Borowy paces UConn with 152 kills. Sunday's match will be the Huskies' first BIG EAST road contest of the season.
Freshman Michelle Eburuoh, a three-time Philadelphia Catholic League champion and two-time league MVP from Cardinal O'Hara High School, joined the Wildcats for the 2026 season and adds depth in the middle.
