The Official Newsletter of Villanova Athletics

Good morning, Nova Nation! Congratulations to former Wildcat Christian Benford on signing a 4-year extension with the Buffalo Bills!

What else is going on in Nova Nation?

🏀 Welcome Kevin Willard
🏀 Women’s basketball plays WBIT Final Four
🔷 And much more!

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🔼  New Leadership. We welcome Kevin Willard as the new William B. Finneran Endowed Head Men’s Basketball Coach! He previously led Maryland to 27 victories and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the 2024-25 season. He led the Terrapins to 65 wins in three seasons, plus two NCAA Tournament appearances. Before coaching at Maryland, he led Seton Hall to 225 wins, including a Big East Tournament championship, in 12 seasons. Willard becomes the tenth head coach in Villanova’s history.

🗣️ Read what they are saying!

🔼  Semifinal Set. The women’s basketball team is still on their postseason run! They’ll play Belmont in the WBIT Final Four today at 2:30 p.m. on ESPNU. The Final Four will be played at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Juice Pod Bryn Mawr has what you need to keep you going between classes, study sessions, and game days! We’re just around the corner of campus at 903 W Lancaster Ave, serving up fresh smoothies, juices, acai bowls, salads, breakfast wraps, seasonal specialties, and more. Plus, we accept Nova Bucks, making it easy to grab your favorites! Make The Juice Pod Bryn Mawr your top spot for healthy eats— check out our menu and order online to skip the line!

🔼 Viva Las Vegas. The men’s basketball team is taking over Las Vegas! They’ll play Colorado tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The Wildcats are playing in the College Basketball Crown Tournament.

🔼 Center Stage. Villanova track & field had a great weekend at the Raleigh Relays! Liam Murphy won the men’s 1500m with an NCAA record-setting 3:33.02 time, as Marco Langon finished right behind him in 3:33.38. Parker Turner and Justin Miller jumped to the top of the BIG EAST performance list as Turner won the 200m and Miller leaped 7.37m in the long jump. Ethan Walls ran the fasted 400m time by a Villanova athlete in over five years.

On the women’s team, the Wildcat middle distance group improved on their season. Wildcats account for four of the top seven and seven of the top 12 runners on the BIG EAST descending order list. Lizzie Martell led Villanovans in the 800m. Adria Retter recorded the fourth-longest throw in Villanova history with a 51.59m discus.

🔼  Ranked Win. The men’s lacrosse team opened BIG EAST play with a 10-9 overtime win at No. 20 Denver! Colin Michener scored the game-winning goal 70 seconds into the extra period for his fifth point of the game. The Wildcat defense held Denver to single-digit goals for just the second time this season.

🔼  Senior Celebration. The women’s lacrosse team also got a BIG EAST win over the weekend! They dominated Butler 18-6 on Senior Day. Before opening draw, Villanova honored Caroline Keane, Amelia Ricciuti, Sami Carey, Maddy Stoddard, Lindsay Kupka, Maggie Masuret, Megan Reilly, Kate Montalto, Sydney Pappas, Meghan Lowe, Katie Giordano and Cate Gallagher. Carey led the team with seven points in the win, while Emma Verhoest had 12 draw controls.

🔼 Fly The V. Villanova baseball took the series from LIU with wins on Saturday and Sunday! The Wildcat offense exploded with a season-high 17 runs on Saturday, winning 17-7 in run-rule fashion. Connor Hale, Michael Whooley and Jason Neff scored nine of Villanova’s runs. Yesterday, pitchers Jake Francis and Alec Sachais combined to limit the Sharks to one run. The Wildcats claimed the 3-1 win.

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📅 THE WEEK AHEAD

Monday 3/31

⛳️ Golf at Columbia Spring Invitational
🏀 Women’s Basketball vs. Belmont @ 2:30 p.m. | ESPNU

Tuesday 4/1

⚾️ Baseball vs. Rider @ 3:25 p.m.
🏀 Men’s Basketball vs. Colorado @ 8:30 p.m. | FS1

Wednesday 4/2

🎾 Men’s Tennis vs. Saint Joseph’s @ 2:30 p.m.
🥍 Women’s Lacrosse at Georgetown @ 4:00 p.m.
🥎 Softball vs. Penn @ 4:00 p.m. | Watch

Have a great Monday!