Whether it is playing on travel club teams, in holiday tournaments or simply at high school practices, Division I athletes devote a lot of their time and effort to their sport to play it at the collegiate level. However, only a few high schoolers excel in multiple sports. Villanova volleyball freshman Mina Diggs was one of those student-athletes who could do it all.
Diggs not only played volleyball in Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills, Ohio, but she also achieved varsity letters in softball and track & field. She played varsity softball her freshman and sophomore years of high school, and then decided volleyball was what her talents were best suited for.
“I wasn’t really that serious about softball,” Diggs said. “It was more of a fun sport for me. So, it really interfered with my tournaments and my practices. I knew that it wasn’t going to be taking me anywhere, so I instead just decided to quit so that I could focus on volleyball.”
The 5’5” freshman played eight years of club volleyball, three of which were with Academy Volleyball Cleveland (AVC), which was conveniently 20 minutes away from her home in University Heights, Ohio.
“I started playing when I was in second grade,” Diggs said. “My sister got me into it. She’s two years older than me. So, obviously, I did everything she did.”
In 2024, Diggs was named a USAV 17 national runner-up. She led her high school to win the 2024 OSHAA Girls Volleyball State Championships Division III when they defeated Ursuline Academy on Nov. 8, 3-1.
The college recruitment process can be overwhelming for high school athletes. Diggs focused on her skill level to grow as a player. Between AVC, Gilmour Academy and all the tournaments, she began to receive recognition. She had toured a few schools close to her area, but she dreamed about playing for the Villanova volleyball team.
“Recruiting wasn’t really my top priority,” Diggs said. “After talking to a lot of schools, I realized I could imagine myself doing this, and then when I visited Villanova, I could literally imagine myself there.”
Diggs announced her verbal commitment on her social media on April 10, 2024, and Villanova officially announced her commitment on Nov. 14, 2024.
“Mina is a dynamic defender with really good passing skills,” Villanova volleyball head coach Josh Steinbach told Villanova Athletics. “She sees the game at a high level and will be able to compete in our league on arrival.”
The volleyball team does summer workouts and camps, so the team arrives on Villanova’s campus much earlier than the rest of the student body. This allowed Diggs to acclimate to college life before classes even began.
“When I first got here, I was super scared,” Diggs said. “Since [my teammates and I] were the only ones here, I was able to get really close with all of them.”
Diggs is joined by three fellow freshman teammates from across the country. Setter Ava Harris hails from Angola, Indiana. Middle blocker Reagan McGivern got her start in Topeka, Kansas. Libero and defensive specialist Marikate Ritterbusch grew up in Palatine, Illinois.
Two more athletes have joined the Villanova volleyball roster since last season. Graduate student Emma Vu calls Allen, Texas home. Vu played three seasons with Iona University before becoming a Wildcat. Lastly, opposite hitter Ava Mehrten played four seasons at UC Berkeley. The California native is now also a graduate student at Villanova.
“It’s been really easy to assimilate and get into everything,” Steinbach said. “We’re just excited about the way the group is. They’re dialed in and focused, so it just makes it really easy.”
Just two weeks into the volleyball season, the Wildcats are 5-0 for the first time in 16 years. With new players on the team, and returning powerhouses of junior outside hitter Abby Harrell and sophomore middle blocker Campbell McKinnon, Villanova volleyball is attempting to make it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015.
