The Official Newsletter of Villanova Athletics

Good Morning, Nova Nation! Want to hear even more from Coach Willard?

You’ve got your chance tonight!

What all do we have in today’s edition? Check it out below!

🏀 Tonight’s The Night
⚽️ Show Stopper
🏈 Coming Home
🔷 And much more!

Tonight is your chance to hear even more from the
William B. Finneran Endowed Men's Basketball Coach, Kevin Willard
and this year's team at this signature annual event to kick off the 2025-2026 season.

Tommy’s Tavern + Tap is proud to be an Official Partner of Villanova Athletics!

🔼 Coming Home. The red-hot Villanova football team is coming home this weekend as the 14th-ranked Wildcats get set to host Hampton in a critical CAA matchup.

Coming off a thrilling road win at Elon, the ‘Cats jumped four spots in this week’s national poll and sit just a game back in the league standings.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Villanova Stadium.

🔼 Show Stopper. Sophomore Alex Yagudayev has been selected as the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week after helping the Wildcats to a 1-0 win over NJIT and a 1-1 draw in conference play with Seton Hall.

In the two games, Yagudayev registered 10 saves in the two contests for the ‘Cats.

🔼 Three Of A Kind. For the second time this season, Villanova had three players on the BIG EAST women's soccer weekly award list. Kate Dobsch and Avrie Nelsen earned major awards as BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week, respectively, while Alex Little was named to the Weekly Honor Roll.

These honors mark the first of their careers for both Dobsch and Little while Nelsen has been recognized twice now. The trio played a crucial role in Villanova's 1-0 win over St. John's on Sunday, marking the program's first win at St. John's in 25 years.

Main Line Sportswear is your local company on the Main Line for all your branded needs AND is a licensed vendor with Villanova University. T-shirts, sweatshirts, coffee mugs – they do it all.

Contact John Curtin to get started: [email protected] or 484-597-3264.

🔼 Sneak Peek. Women’s Basketball season is just around the corner, and we have the perfect way to celebrate.

Join us for our 𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓸𝓷 𝓗𝓾𝓭𝓭𝓵𝓮 during and after our exhibition game against Towson on Friday, October 24th!

Enjoy the game with some light refreshments available beginning at halftime, then following the game, hear from Head Coach Denise Dillon as she previews the 2025-26 season

🔼 Chart Climbers. This weekend, the Villanova women’s cross country squad heads to the midwest to battle among the nation’s best at the Pre-National Invitational in Missouri.

The ‘Cats will do so with the highest national ranking since 2018 next to their name as Villanova sits #19 in the latest USTFCCCA Top-25.

What’s Ahead is brought to you by our friends at Visit Delco, the #1 source for information on all there is to see and do in Delaware County, PA. Find fantastic places to stay, incredible food and drink, and music and art—and you may even find a few surprises.

Wednesday, October 15
🏚️ Bates Motel & Haunted Hayride in Glen Mills
⚽️ Women’s Soccer vs. Marquette @ 3 pm

Thursday, October 16
📚 Read Aloud Tours at Brandywine Museum of Art
🎾 Men’s Tennis at ITA Fall Regional Championships (Princeton, N.J.)

Friday, October 17
🇺🇸 Brandywine Battlefield Tours
👟 Men’s Cross Country at Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational @ 11:30 am
🏑 Field Hockey at Quinnipiac @ 1 pm
⚽️ Men’s Soccer vs. Creighton @ 3 pm
🏐 Volleyball at Providence @ 5 pm
🏊 Swimming at Seton Hall
🎾 Men’s Tennis at ITA Fall Regional Championships (Princeton, N.J.)

Saturday, October 18
🍓 Farmers Market at Swarthmore Town Center
👟 Women’s Cross Country at Pre-National Invitational @ 11 am
🏈 Football vs. Hampton @ 1 pm
⚽️ Women’s Soccer at UConn @ 7 pm
🏐 Volleyball at UConn @ 7 pm
🏊 Swimming at UConn
🎾 Men’s Tennis at ITA Fall Regional Championships (Princeton, N.J.)

Sunday, October 19
🍁 Arasapha Farms Harvest Hayride
🏑 Field Hockey at Drexel @ 12 pm
🏀 Men’s Basketball vs. VCU @ 5 pm (Exhibition)
🎾 Men’s Tennis at ITA Fall Regional Championships (Princeton, N.J.)

🗣️ SPREAD THE WORD

Do you know a friend or family member who is a member of Nova Nation? Simply forward them this email and they can sign up to receive the newsletter by clicking the link below to subscribe. Good Morning, Nova Nation is sent every other weekday and is completely free!

Have a great one, Nova Nation!