The Villanova University women's volleyball team just completed a two game away trip to the Midwest to face off against DePaul and Marquette. Their first match was in Chicago against DePaul, where the 'Cats defeated the Blue Demons in dramatic fashion, as they came back to win 3-2 after losing the first two sets (19-25, 21-25, 25-22, 27-25, 15-13). It was a great team effort on offense, as 4 Wildcats had at least 12 kills in the match, including: Amanda Pederson-Henry (12), Gabby Pethokoukis (13), Claire Crutchfield (16), and Allie Loitz (17). Defensively, Allie Loitz had 14 digs, while Allison Fitzgerald had 19. The 'Cats did a great job of showing resilience in the comeback victory, as DePaul began the game with a relentless attack, recording an 80% and 71% attack percentage in the first 2 sets.
In their second match of the weekend, the Wildcats saw their largest winning streak of the season snapped, dropping the match to Marquette 3-1 (25-15, 24-26, 25-22, 25-15). The 'Cats put up a great fight, staying competitive despite their offense not being as sharp as usual (48% attack percentage). Offensively, Allie Loitz and Gabby Pethokoukis each had 10 kills, while Amanda Pederson-Henry had 14 of her own. Defensively, both Allison Fitzgerald and Michelle Adams had 16 digs in the match.
After the weekend, the Wildcats now sit at 19-5, including a 9-2 record against Big East opponents. They will be happy to return home, where they will first look for revenge against a Creighton team that defeated them in Omaha on Friday, then square off against arch-rival, Georgetown on Saturday night. The 'Cats are undefeated when playing in Jake Nevin this season, and would like to continue that success.