Villanova softball still learning how to handle the pressure of having a “target” on its back

The first thing you’ll see upon entering Villanova softball’s head coach Bridget Orchard’s office is a sign that reads: “Every family has a story, welcome to ours.”

As defending Big East champions, the Villanova softball family is continuing to add to its story.

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Last season, for the first time in program history, the Wildcats secured the Big East Championship after sweeping UConn, 2-0, in the title series game. This punched Villanova’s ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history, where it bowed out after going 1-2 in the Fayetteville Regional.

This season, the Wildcats (7-11) are trudging through a tough early schedule that featured games against the likes of No. 4 Florida and No. 14 Duke.

“They understand these games are going to get us ready for our conference,” Orchard said. “We’re playing these big games in these big stadiums and these amazing atmospheres so that they get ready.”

Villanova is taking a grounded approach to this season despite the pressure to defend its title. While the Wildcats know that they are a different team this year, they return a lot of veterans from last year’s championship squad. For these players, this adds a perspective.

“Yeah we were the first ones to win the Big East but realistically, that means nothing now,” said senior shortstop Megan Kern. “It’s nice to get honored for that at the ring ceremony and everything, but we’re kind of just pushing that aside and focusing on this year and this team.”

Kern, for one, has picked up where she left off last season. The shortstop has been an offensive force for the Wildcats, batting a team-high .404 and leading the team in hits (21), runs scored (10), doubles (4), home runs (5), and RBIs (12). A second-team All-Big East selection last season, Kern has batted over .300 in her two previous seasons at Villanova.

Fellow senior Sara Kennedy, a pitcher, has clocked 23 innings this season. But Kennedy is not the only arm for the Wildcats as she shares the circle with her “sisters,” like Paige Rauch, Kelsey White, and Caroline Pellicano.

“That is just our team culture; we are a family,” Kennedy said. “We have 22 sisters and we live by that. We have a team with a lot of versatility, a lot of people that can play different positions and step up, a lot of variants to grab from.”

Contributions are made from every player on the 22-person roster. Already, 15 of them have appeared at the plate, while Erin Gray and Alexa Raphael have tallied two runs each despite neither having an official at bat. This is a larger team in comparison to recent years, but it works for the Wildcats who thrive off of teamwork and the collective.

“One person is going to be hot one game, and they might not be the next,” Kern said. “And then someone else just steps in and people are coming off the bench.”

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This has been important so far this season, despite the team’s uneven record. The Wildcats still harbor designs on getting back to regionals this year. Soon, they will begin Big East play with what they describe as a “target” on their backs. Through lessons learned from adversity and a challenging nonconference schedule, Villanova hopes it will be prepared for the extra pressure.

“We end up losing the game but I think those little victories within are really pushing them on, and I’m not worried about the score at this point,” Orchard said. “We get to conference, we need to win no matter what. These ones now, we’re going to learn things.”