Georgetown’s volleyball team fell to Villanova in a home-and-home pair of matches over the weekend. The three-set loss Friday, Nov. 1, and four-set loss Sunday, Nov. 3, against the Wildcats dropped the Hoyas’ record to 12-14.

The Hoyas (12-14) faced off against the Wildcats (18-6) at home Nov. 1 before traveling to Villanova to complete the series Nov. 3.

The first and second sets of the first match Friday saw the Hoyas trail the Wildcats for the majority of play, never able to overtake their opponent long enough to gain the traction needed to win the sets. The first set finished with a score of 19-25 and the second finished with a score of 18-25. In the third set, the Hoyas seemed intent on winning, staying in the lead or tied for the first several serves. Partway through the game, however, the Wildcats surged forward, surpassing the Hoyas by more than double with a finishing score of 25-11. 

Sophomore Elissa Barbosa led Georgetown in kills with seven, while freshman Jewell Johnson achieved a career high in aces with two, and junior Margo Pivonka led Georgetown with 16 assists. 

After the match against Villanova on Friday, Georgetown traveled to Villanova, Pa., to compete against the Wildcats again Sunday. The first set began as the Hoyas and Wildcats competed point-for-point, but two attack errors and a ball handling error sunk the Hoyas into a deficit from which they would not recover, eventually falling 15-25. 

The second set progressed oppositely to the first, with Georgetown and Villanova initially playing head-to-head until Georgetown pulled ahead, gaining six points in a row. The Wildcats were unable to overtake the Blue and Gray, and the second set ended in a 25-17 win for the Hoyas. 

The third set began well for the Hoyas, with Georgetown pulling ahead of Villanova, creating a four-point gap. A series of kills by the Wildcats almost brought the score to a tie, resulting in the Hoyas losing their momentum, leading the Wildcats to gain seven points in a row. The final score of this pivotal third set was 16-25. 

With a two-set-to-one deficit, the Hoyas’ backs were firmly against the wall and each team knew that the fourth set was the most important yet. Every point from then on out would have great magnitude, with each team stalling to ensure that they were making the right strategic decisions before each point.

The fourth set began similarly to the first, with the Hoyas and Wildcats competing point-for-point for the first half of the set, until the Wildcats pulled ahead for good in the set, which ultimately ended 18-25, securing a win for the Wildcats. 

Sophomore Jessica Cusi played a huge role on defense, ending the game with the most digs across the board at 19. Other Georgetown game leaders included Pivonka with 32 assists, Johnson with two blocks, freshman right side Peyton Wilhite with 10 kills, and senior outside hitter Iva Vujosevic and junior outside hitter Riley Wertzberger, each with two aces.

The Hoyas will host Providence College on Nov. 8 and Creighton University on Nov. 9 on the Hilltop.