Good Morning, Nova Nation 6/29: Breaking Out

Graceffo Having Breakout Season For Cardinals

June 29, 2026

The Official Newsletter of Villanova Athletics

Good Morning, Nova Nation. We love having the family back in town!

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

⚾️ Breaking Out
⏱️ Countin’ Down
📚 Making Waves
🔷 And much more!

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

🔼 Breaking Out. Now in his third season at the big league level, former Villanova standout Gordon Graceffo is having a breakout season out of the bullpen for the Cardinals.

At the halfway point of the MLB season, Graceffo has already set career-highs in appearances (33) and victories (5).

He is just 11.2 innings away from becoming just the fifth Villanova alum ever to throw 100+ innings at the big league level.

🔼 Countin’ Down. The days keep ticking away as we get closer and closer to kickoff for the 2026 season for the Villanova Football squad.

We are just 6️⃣0️⃣ days away from the season opener against William & Mary on Friday, August 28th.

No one defined being a 6️⃣0️⃣ minute player more than Villanova legend, Nick Liotta.

A well-regarded lineman who was a key contributor for Villanova both offensively and defensively during his career, Liotta played guard and tackle for successful Wildcats teams. He was a member of the team’s varsity squad from 1949-51 and was inducted into the Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 1985.

The Everett, Mass, native earned All-American honors during his senior season, while also holding the highest GPA on the entire team that same season.

🔼 Making Waves. Another day and more academic accolades rolling in for the ‘Cats.

Late last week, two Villanova rowers garnered PhillySIDA Academic All-Area plaudits with Jalyn Colon and Maggie Coyne earning spots on the local list.

The pair are a part of a 10-athlete team that is voted on by the Philadelphia metropolitan area's 30 sports information offices. In order to be eligible for Academic All-Area, an athlete must be in his or her second year at the institution and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or better.

This marks the seventh and eighth times that a Wildcat has landed on the list since the 2005-06 season. Villanova has been mentioned on the list in four of the last five seasons with the last two coming in back-to-back years.

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

Thursday, July 2nd
🎶 Live Music at 118 North

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