BIGEASTvb Minute: Conference Action Begins on Wednesday
VB Notes - 9.24
NEW YORK-BIG EAST Volleyball league action gets underway with a pair of matches: Butler at Marquette and Xavier at DePaul. The Bulldogs (3-9) face a tough test in the conference opener against the No. 10 Golden Eagles (10-2) who are off to their best start since 1997, while Xavier (3-7) visits a DePaul (8-4) squad that recorded the most non-conference victories since the 2015 season.
Around the League
BIG EAST play will continue on Friday as the remainder of the conference teams get in on the action. Georgetown (10-4) will travel to Rhode Island for a meeting with Providence (5-8) at 6 p.m. ET, while Villanova (9-2) will visit No. 14 Creighton for a matchup on BEDN at 8 p.m. ET. Also on Friday, St. John's (8-5) will visit Chicago to take on DePaul at 8 p.m. ET, while Seton Hall will head to Milwaukee for a 8 p.m. ET tilt with No. 10 Marquette.
Saturday evening will see St. John's head north for a meeting with No. 10 Marquette at 6 p.m., while Seton Hall will travel south for a 7 p.m. first serve at DePaul.
Week one of the BIG EAST slate will wrap up when Villanova visits Alumni Hall to take on Providence at 1 p.m. while at the same time Georgetown meets No. 14 Creighton for a Sunday matinee in D.J. Sokol Arena.
In the Polls
In the latest AVCA rankings released on Monday, the BIG EAST boasts two programs ranked in the top-15. Marquette continues its run of three weeks in the top-10 coming in at No. 10 this week. Creighton reached its highest ranking of the 2019 season at No. 14 as the Bluejays have been ranked for 43 weeks in a row.
This Weekend on BEDN
Villanova at No. 14 Creighton (Friday. Sept. 20 at 8 p.m.)
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Opening week of BIG EAST action sees one televised matchup on the BIG EAST Digital Network presented by SoFi, when Villanova makes the trip to Omaha to take on No. 14 Creighton for a rematch of last year's BIG EAST semifinal match. Leading the way for Villanova is Mallory Potts with 3.21 kills per set on .365 hitting. The Wildcats defense is bolstered by Senior libero Regan Lough with an average of 5.08 digs per set, good for second in the conference. No.14 Creighton boasts a balanced attack with five hitters for the Bluejays averaging 2.00 kills per set. Madelyn Cole continues to distribute the ball well and leads the league with 390 assists to average 10.54 per set, while Brittany Witt is a stalwart for the Bluejay defense averaging 4.89 digs per set.
Non-Conference Round Up
The ten BIG EAST teams wrapped up non-conference action on Sunday afternoon as Georgetown defeated crosstown rival Howard 3-0. Overall, the BIG EAST compiled a 68-52 record against opponents from other leagues. Marquette recorded two top-10 wins in non-conference action over then-No. 4 Wisconsin and then-No. 9 BYU. Creighton also saw two top-15 wins over then-No. 12 Kentucky and then-No. 15 Washington. St. John's clinched a top-15 win with a convincing 3-1 win over then-No. 14 Oregon for the program's first top-25 win since 2007.
Upcoming #BIGEASTvb Schedule:
Wednesday, Sept. 25
BUTLER at No. 10 MARQUETTE at 12:30 p.m.
XAVIER at DEPAUL at 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 27
GEORGETOWN at PROVIDENCE at 6 p.m.
VILLANOVA at No. 14 CREIGHTON at 8 p.m. (
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ST. JOHN'S at DEPAUL at 8 p.m.
SETON HALL at No. 10 MARQUETTE at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 28
ST. JOHN'S at No. 10 MARQUETTE at 6 p.m.
SETON HALL at DEPAUL at 7 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 29
VILLANOVA at PROVIDENCE at 1 p.m.
GEORGETOWN at No. 14 CREIGHTON at 1 p.m.
All times are Eastern.