Villanova closes its 2026 home schedule with two BIG EAST matchups: Friday against conference-leading Marquette and Saturday against DePaul. The Wildcats are looking to rebound from two straight losses and finish the home slate strong while honoring four seniors and student manager Michael Gargiulo.

By the Numbers
  • Villanova: 12-11 overall, 5-7 in BIG EAST play.
  • Marquette: 15-7 overall, 10-2 in conference; DePaul: 16-7 overall, 8-4 in conference.
  • Abby Harrell has 1,292 career kills, 10th-most in Villanova history.
  • Villanova’s all-time records: 5-28 against Marquette and 19-11 against DePaul.
Yes, But

Villanova has the home-court edge and beat Marquette at home last season, but the Golden Eagles lead the conference and won the teams’ earlier meeting this season. DePaul also enters with a stronger overall record than the Wildcats, who have lost three straight to the Blue Demons.

State of Play
  • Marquette’s Carson Tyler leads the team with 372 kills; freshman setter Luanna Markus has 826 assists.
  • DePaul is led by Kendall Timme’s 311 kills, while Villanova setter Alyssa Nelson ranks ahead of DePaul’s Leonor Polezzi in conference assists.
  • Both matches start at 5 p.m. and will stream on ESPN+.
What's Next

Villanova has a chance to earn a statement win against the conference leader before facing a DePaul team it needs to stop from extending its head-to-head winning streak.

Bottom Line

The weekend is both a farewell to Villanova’s senior class and a meaningful test: strong results at home could help the Wildcats regain momentum against two upper-half BIG EAST teams.