Georgetown drops four-set match at Villanova despite Lee-Caracci’s all-around effort

Georgetown won the second set and opened a four-point lead in the third, but Villanova recovered to beat the Hoyas 25–22, 21–25, 25–21, 25–18 Wednesday at Jake Nevin Field House.

The loss left Georgetown at 11–7 overall and 3–4 in the BIG EAST. Villanova improved to 10–8 and also moved to 3–4 in conference play.

Kamryn Lee-Caracci led Georgetown with 12 kills, seven block assists and three service aces, hitting .348. Dionna Mitchell added 11 kills, while Alexis Anderson finished with a season-high eight. The Hoyas recorded 10 team blocks and seven aces, but hit .102 as Villanova won the final two sets.

The opening set offered Georgetown an early opportunity. A 6–1 run featuring two aces and kills from Berkeley Ploder and Anderson put the Hoyas in front before Villanova answered with a 7–2 stretch to take a 15–14 lead. The Wildcats held their advantage through the closing points and won the set by three.

Georgetown delivered its response in the second. Anderson supplied a block and an ace during a four-point opening run, and the Hoyas later used a 5–1 surge to build a 19–14 cushion. Mitchell’s fourth kill of the set capped that stretch. Georgetown finished the frame 25–21, holding Villanova to nine kills and nine attack errors.

Lee-Caracci then helped put the Hoyas in position to take command of the match. Her kill and consecutive aces were part of a four-point run that gave Georgetown a 7–3 third-set lead. Villanova recovered, however, and took the set 25–21 despite hitting just .086.

The Wildcats were more efficient in the fourth, producing 12 kills against three attack errors for a .310 mark. Villanova led 15–10 and later stretched the margin to nine points. Georgetown cut the deficit to 22–18 before the Wildcats scored the final three points.

Taylor Lewis led Villanova with 13 kills, Campbell McKinnon had 11 and Chloe Kelly added nine. Alyssa Nelson finished with 35 assists and 14 digs, Mina Diggs collected a match-high 19 digs, and Annika Veurink contributed eight blocks. The Wildcats held advantages of 47–42 in kills and 11–10 in team blocks.

For Georgetown, Natalie Nguyen recorded 17 assists and Juleigh Urbina had 14. Bella McGirr led the Hoyas with 12 digs.

Georgetown returns to McDonough Arena to host Creighton on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 6 p.m. Villanova hosts Creighton on Friday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m.