Seton Hall Opens BIG EAST Play at Villanova

Villanova, Pennsylvania – Jake Nevin Field House

SETON HALL (5-8) at VILLANOVA (7-5)

Date

Time

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Wednesday,
Sept. 19

7:00 PM ET

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@SHUVolley

PREVIEW
The Pirates will return to action on Wednesday, Sept. 19 when it opens the BIG EAST portion of their schedule on the road at Villanova. Match time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

LAST WEEKEND
Last weekend, the Pirates made the short trip to Hempstead, N.Y. for three matches at the Hofstra Invitational. In the opener on Friday, The Hall fell to Dartmouth in straight sets. Senior Abby Thelen (Ft. Mitchell, Ky.) had a team-high 16 kills and only three attack errors in the loss. Junior Maggie Cvelbar (Euclid, Ohio) had a double-double with a career-high 36 assists and 13digs.

On Saturday, the Pirates bounced back with a sweep of Columbia, before falling in five sets to host Hofstra. Against Columbia, senior Caitlin Koska (Franklin, Wis.) led the team with 12 kills to go with seven digs and three service aces. In the evening, the Pirates won the first two sets against Hofstra, but the Pride rallied to defeat them in five sets. The Hall had two match points in the epic fifth set, but Hofstra was able to rebound for a 19-17 victory. Thelen had a team-high 16 kills, while Koska had a double-double with 14 kills and 12 digs.

The Pirates finish non-conference play with a 5-8 record.

SCOUTING VILLANOVA
Seton Hall and Villanova will continue their long rivalry on Wednesday. The Wildcats have won 26 of 42 all-time meetings. Last year, the teams split the season series with each team winning on their respective home court.

The Pirates defeated Villanova in four sets on Oct. 11 in Walsh Gym. Four Pirates reached double-figures in kills with Thelen and Koska combining for 27 kills. Sophia Coffey (Sierra Madre, Calif.) had a double-double with 31 assists and 11 digs in the victory. Three weeks later, Villanova downed the Pirates in four sets in Jake Nevin Field House. Thelen led the way for the Pirates with 12 kills.

Villanova enters the match with a 7-5 record, but the Wildcats have lost three straight. Last weekend, Villanova dropped four-set matches to Clemson, Tulane and Arkansas-Little Rock at the Sugar Bowl Tournament in New Orleans.

Prior to the Sugar Bowl Tournament, Villanova won seven of its first nine matches, including a key five-set victory over No. 21 Utah in their home opener on Sept. 7.

The Seton Hall/Villanova matchup this season is key since only the top four teams in the final BIG EAST standings will qualify for the BIG EAST Championship. In the coaches' preseason poll, Villanova was picked fourth, while the Pirates were selected fifth.

Villanova senior middle blocker Amanda Pedersen-Henry was picked for the 2018 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.