Feb. 25, 2008

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Senior Jessica Curtis (Yorba Linda, Calif.) was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week and junior pitcher Laura Determan (San Diego, Calif.) earned a spot on the weekly honor roll, it was announced by the league today. The two players were instrumental in Villanova winning three of its first four games to start the season at the Hokies United Memorial Tournament.

The Wildcats outscored their opposition by a 22-9 margin this weekend and Curtis was the team's top hitter. She batted .615 (8-for-13) for the week with a team-high six runs scored and two runs batted in. After getting one hit and scoring three times in the team's season-opening 8-0 win over Rider, Curtis was 3-for-3 with two RBI in a 3-1 win over Robert Morris. She finished the week in even batter fashion, getting four hits and scoring three runs in a 10-4 triumph over Saint Joseph's.

While Curtis was leading the offense, Determan made a strong return from shoulder surgery and pitched Villanova to two of its three victories. She went 2-0 with a 0.62 ERA in her two starts and struck out 18 batters while allowing just six hits and five walks in 11 1/3 innings pitched. In the win over Rider, Determan took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and wound up with eight strikeouts and just one hit in 4 1/3. She logged a complete game five-hitter in the win over Robert Morris, striking out 10 and allowing just a solo home run in the fifth inning.

With one weekend of play in the books, the Wildcats will turn their attention to upcoming appearances in a pair of tournaments in Florida during the week of Spring Break. Villanova will play in Altamonte Springs this weekend (February 29-March 2) and then will play in the Under Armour Invitational hosted by University of South Florida from March 6-9.