Nov. 7, 2008

VILLANOVA, Pa. - The Villanova volleyball team is set for its final home weekend of the season as it welcomes Marquette and Syracuse to Jake Nevin Fiedhouse. The Wildcats are still in the hunt for a berth in the BIG EAST Tournament and has a critical weekend of matches ahead.

"Both teams coming in have been playing well and I expect that we'll have to be at our best to come out of the weekend with two wins," head coach Josh Steinbach said. "Every match is a must win for us right now and I am hoping that our team can rise to the occasion."

Villanova enters the weekend 13-13 overall and holds a 4-6 conference mark. Last time out, the Wildcats dropped two matches, falling at St. John's, 3-1, and dropping a 3-0 decision at Connecticut. Senior Dana Tartazky leads the squad in kills per set as she posts 3.67 per contest. Junior Chelsea Graman is dishing out 10.68 assists per set, which ranks third in the BIG EAST. As a team, the Wildcats lead the conference with 1.95 service aces per set and rank seventh in the nation.

Marquette will take on Villanova Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Last weekend the Golden Eagles lost a 3-2 match at DePaul before rebounding with a 3-2 victory over Notre Dame. Marquette is 9-14 overall and owns a 3-7 record in the BIG EAST. Senior Ashlee Fisher leads the Golden Eagles with 3.81 kills per set. Last season, the Wildcats swept Marquette, 3-0 in Milwaukee, but the Golden Eagles own a 1-2 series victory.

Syracuse will face the Wildcats on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. after facing Seton Hall on Saturday. The Orange are 15-12 overall and sit at 6-4 in the conference. Sarah Morton leads the squad with 1.24 blocks per set, which ranks third in the BIG EAST. Syracuse is ranked second in blocking as a team in the conference as they combine for 2.51 blocks per contest. In the two team's last meeting, Villanova dropped a 3-1 decision at Syracuse with the Orange owning a 19-11 series record.

Sunday is senior day where seniors Kaela Frizzell, Emily Brown, Tartazky and Whitney Harrington will be honored before the match begins.