St. John's University Athletics
Women's Volleyball
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- persicoj@stjohns.edu
- Phone:
- 1872
Head Coach of St. John's Volleyball
Persico By The Numbers
- 32nd Year at St. John's
- 593 Career Wins
- All-Time Winningest Head Coach at a Single BIG EAST Program
- Syracuse '87
- 14 20-win seasons
- 2023 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year
- 2018 BIG EAST Coach of the Year
- 2006 BIG EAST Coach of the Year
- 2023 AVCA East Coast Region Coach of the Year
- 2006 AVCA Northeast Region Coach of the Year
- Two BIG EAST Tournament Championships (2007, 2019)
- Four BIG EAST Regular Season Championships (2006, 2007, 2008, 2020)
- Three NCAA Tournament Appearances (2006, 2007, 2019)
- One NCAA Round of 16 Appearance (2007)
- Four NIVC Appearances (2018, 2022, 2023, 2024)
- One NIVC Fab Four Appearance (2024)
- Coached 44 All-BIG EAST Selections
- Coached 16 AVCA All-American Honorable Mentions
- Orange Plus Hall of Fame (1988)
- CHSAA Hall of Fame (1988)
- St. Francis Prep High School Hall of Fame (2004)
- St. Francis Prep High School Inagural Ring Of Honor (2014)
- St. John's Vincentian Mission Award (2024)
- Dr. Pamela Shea Byrne Award (2025)
- Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in American Sports Hall of Fame (2025)
Four-time Hall of Famer, Joanne Persico is primed and ready to guide the volleyball program into its 32nd season. As the longest-tenured female coach in the history of St. John’s Athletics, Persico has successfully demonstrated how to build a team and bring it to national prominence.
Over the course of the program’s 30 plus seasons, Persico has racked up 593 all-time victories following the 2024 season. Persico’s win total ranks 15th among active head coaches and makes her the winningest head coach at a single BIG EAST program.
On the court, Persico has guided her players to a decorated list of BIG EAST accolades, including three BIG EAST Coach of the Year honors (2006, 2018, 2023). Her athletes have secured BIG EAST Freshman of the Year titles with Robyn Kurasaki (2000), Erica Di Maulo (2016), and Efrosini Alexakou (2018). Her program has also produced four BIG EAST Players of the Year: Hui Ping Huang (2007), Wioleta Leszczynska (2008), Efrosini Alexakou (2021), and Rachele Rastelli (2021). Two of her players were named to Libero of the Year honors in Lena Yee (2006–08) and Amanda Sanabia (2018). In total, Persico has coached dozens of All-BIG EAST selections, highlighted by multiple-time honorees like Karin Palgutova, Erica Di Maulo, Alexakou, Rastelli, and Erin Jones.
Persico’s impact is also felt on the regional and national stage. She is a two-time AVCA Region Coach of the Year (2006, 2024), while her players have collected numerous AVCA All-Region and All-American honors. Huang (2005–07), Leszczynska (2006–08), and Yee (2007–08) anchored one of the program’s most successful eras, while Palgutova, Alexakou, Rastelli, and Jones carried the mantle in more recent seasons. Alexakou was named AVCA East Coast Region Freshman of the Year in 2018, while Rastelli capped her career with back-to-back All-Region honors (2022–23).
Most recently, Persico guided Erin Jones to a spot on the 2024 NIVC All-Tournament Team. During the summer of 2025 Rashanny Solano Smith was named the Best Libero during the U-21 Pan-American Cup, becoming the first player under Persico's guide to achieve the honor, further cementing her reputation for producing players who shine in the postseason and on the international stage. With decades of achievement spanning academic, conference, and national honors, Persico’s tenure has elevated St. John’s volleyball into a consistent contender within the BIG EAST and beyond.
To kick off the 2025 season, she was inducted into the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America Sports Hall of Fame. This is the fourth time Persico was enshrined into a hall of fame, joining men's basketball head coach Rick Pitino and the legendary Lou Carnesecca to represent St. John's Athletics in the OSDIA Hall of Fame.
In 2024, Persico led the Red Storm to yet another 20 win season, her 14th overall and third straight. Persico guided St. Johnís to its 13th BIG EAST Tournament appearance. Her squad was selected to play in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) for the third consecutive year, making it to the Fab Four. Persico continued coach to Erin Jones to yet another standout season. Jones broke the BIG EAST triple-double record with eight in conference play. She finished the season with 11 triple-doubles and 13 double-doubles. The team was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic award for the 12th straight year, boasting a 3.82 team GPA.
Off the court, Persico recieved multiple honors for her service to St. John's. In April of 2024, she earned the St. John's University Vincentian Mission Award. This award is the highest honor that St. John's can bestow on one of it's community members. The Vincentian Mission Award is given to a member of the university's faculty, staff or administration who has demonstrated a commitment to St. John's Vincentian Mission. All honorees must demonstrate a personal commitment to the university's mission through active and sustained service to others and have participated in programs that foster development of a social consciousness that emphasizes the dignity and worth of all individuals. In addition, she was named the Dr. Pamela Shea Byrnes Award recipient. Given out at the St. John's Bread and Life's Johnny's Angels Awards Ceremony, Persico was among those honored for individuals who reflect the Vincentian spirit, while raising awareness for the organizations emergency food program and essential human services.
In 2023, Persico guided the St. John’s volleyball program to immense success as it saw its 13th and second consecutive 20-win season. Persico also led her squad to its fifth BIG EAST Tournament in the last six years, going all the way to the program’s third title game after taking down Marquette, 3-2, in the semifinal round. St. John’s also was selected for its third NIVC Postseason Tournament, making it to the second round. Persico also received a slew of post season awards following the 2023 campaign, as she and her coaching staff were selected as the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. The legendary St. John’s coach also was tabbed as the AVCA East Coach Region Coach of the Year. Erin Jones and Lucrezia Lodi were tabbed to the All-BIG EAST Team and Rashanny Solano Smith was named to the All-BIG EAST Freshman Team. Jones continued to rack up postseason awards, as she also notched her first AVCA East Coast Region Team Selection.
In 2022, St. John’s saw a series of post-season accolades which included Rachele Rastelli’s third AVCA All-East Coast Region Team Selection, and Giorgia Walther’s first selection as an AVCA All-East Coast Region honorable mention. Both Walther and Rastelli were unanimously selected to the All-BIG EAST Team. Lucrezia Lodi was tabbed to the All-BIG EAST Freshman Team as well. Persico led the Red Storm volleyball program to its 12th 20-win season. In addition to the BIG EAST Tournament, the Johnnies made their second all-time appearance in the NIVC. St. John’s swept Binghamton University in straight sets, en route to its first NIVC victory in program history before falling to the eventual tournament champions, Boston College, in the second round.
During the fall of 2021, St. John’s saw a string of post-season accolades as honorable mention All-American Rachele Rastelli was named BIG EAST Co-Player of the Year and joined Ariadni Kathariou on the All-BIG EAST Team. Giorgia Walther was tabbed to the league’s all-freshman team. In the spring of 2021, Persico coached the Johnnies to six victories in eight of their league matches to secure first place in the conference’s East Division and the No. 1 seed in the 2021 BIG EAST Tournament. Persico also coached her third BIG EAST Player of the Year in program history with junior outside hitter Efrosini Alexakou earning the conference’s top honor. Middle hitter Hui Ping Huang was the first Johnnie to earn the accolade during St. John’s NCAA Tournament Round of 16 run in 2007 before Wioleta Leszczynska captured the honor in 2008. Alexakou led the BIG EAST in conference play with 4.31 kills per set. She also ranked second in league play with 4.60 points per frame. Alexakou posted seven double-doubles this spring and averaged 2.77 digs per set on the season.
In 2019, Persico and the Red Storm became the first fourth seed to capture the BIG EAST Tournament Championship since the conference’s reconfiguration in 2013. St. John’s swept then-No. 10 Creighton in the semifinals before securing a four-set victory over then-No. 12 Marquette in the championship match. The Johnnies were awarded an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, making their third appearance in program history. Persico also captured her 500th career victory in 2019, closing out the season with a 22-12 overall record.
Persico has played a key role in the USA Volleyball program, and in the summer of 2017, she was selected to the USA Volleyball High Performance coaching staff. This squad contained some of the best young and upcoming volleyball players throughout the nation. The High Performance staff works to advance volleyball talent and build a stronger pipeline of athletes for the USA Olympic Teams.
Between 2006 and 2008, the Red Storm celebrated its most decorated stretch of volleyball and established itself as a national contender. Persico and the Red Storm went 31-5 in 2006, including a perfect 14-0 in BIG EAST Conference play, to earn the program’s first regular-season conference championship. St. John’s made its fourth appearance at the BIG EAST Championships, winning its first-ever postseason match against USF in the quarterfinals and earning its first NCAA Tournament bid. The Red Storm was the only BIG EAST team to advance to the second round of the 64-team tournament, as it defeated Albany, 3-1, in the opening round.
In 2007, Persico led the team to a program-best 33-4 record, its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament Round of 16 and finished the season with a No. 13 national ranking in the final CSTV/AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll. The squad finished atop the BIG EAST regular season standings for the second straight year and captured its first BIG EAST Tournament Title by sweeping Louisville on national television, 3-0, in the championship match. During the season, the squad picked up its first win over a ranked opponent when it defeated then-No. 24 Long Beach State at Carnesecca Arena on Sept. 1, 2007 and broke many program records with single-season bests in wins (33), 3-0 sweeps (23), kills (2,197), hitting percentage (.282) and assists (2,056).
Persico and the Red Storm extended their accomplishments internationally in the summer of 2007, becoming the first U.S. women’s volleyball team to compete in Vietnam. St. John’s participated in the Vietnam Television (VTV) Cup International Women’s Volleyball Tournament, which showcased 11 teams from nine different countries with SJU representing the United States. Persico coached her team to a silver medal after defeating club teams from China and Vietnam, and national teams from Sri Lanka, Thailand and Japan.
A 2006 and 2007 College Volleyball Update (CVU) Honorable Mention Coach of the Year and 2006 AVCA Northeast Region Coach of the Year, Persico has coached one AVCA All-American and 17 honorable mentions, 14 AVCA Northeast Regional All-Americans, two AVCA Northeast Region Freshmen of the Year, three AVCA East Coast All-Region First Team selections, four BIG EAST Player of the Years, one CVU National Setter of the Year, two National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) All-Americans, a three-time winner of the BIG EAST Libero of the Year, three BIG EAST Rookies of the Year, one BIG EAST Tournament MOP, two ECAC All-Stars and 44 All-BIG EAST selections. Persico is a two-time BIG EAST Coach of the Year recipient, earning the honor in both 2006 and 2018. She was also awarded the AVCA Division I Northeast Region Volleyball Coach of the Year in 2006 and named to the Collegiate Volleyball Update National Coach of the Year honorable mention in 2007.
According to the American Volleyball Coaches Association, Persico also owns the distinction of being part of the 7% of volleyball head coaches who have stayed at one university and have coached for over 15 years as well as being part of just 3% of all female head coaches who have been at one university as a head coach for 15 years.
In addition to her reputation on the court, Persico’s high academic standards have made a consistent impact on all of her squads in the classroom. The 2024 season marked the 29th time in 32 seasons of the program’s existence that the squad has earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.
Red Storm volleyball has received the AVCA Team Academic Award, which honors teams that display excellence in the classroom by maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher, on 18 separate occasions, including most recently the 2024-2025 academic year with a 3.82 GPA, the hightest in program history. The '24-'25 academic year also marked the 12th consecutive season the volleyball program has won the award.
Individually, her student-athletes have also earned prestigious academic recognition, including CoSIDA/CSC Academic All-District honors for standouts such as Robyn Kurasaki, Caitlin Rimgaila, Gabriela Petkova, Rachele Rastelli, Eleonora Tosi, Giorgia Walther, and Wiktoria Kowalczyk. Both Rimgaila (2006) and Wioleta Leszczynska (2007) were named St. John’s Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In addition, Persico has coached over 65 BIG EAST Academic All-Stars.
Persico is also an active member of the St. John’s community and speaks at many events including the annual Women of Distinction Dinner, Campus Ministry Lectures, Women in Sports Days, New York’s Empire State Games, and even sang the opening day national anthem at Citi Field on March 29, 2009.
As the founder of the program, the Queens-native head coach earned a dual degree from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications and the Maxwell School of Business in 1987 in just three years, while earning three letters on the Orange’s volleyball team. Persico was one of the first New York City volleyball players to receive a volleyball scholarship to play for SU and capped her outstanding career with an induction into the Orange Plus Hall of Fame in 1988. The former setter was named BIG EAST Player of the Year and team MVP following her senior campaign in 1986. She was a GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American and a member of the BIG EAST All-Academic team. In 1985, she received the Verhulst Award, which is given to Syracuse’s Sportswoman of the Year. and in 1986, Persico was named BIG EAST Player of the Year at Syracuse. Persico has since obtained her M.B.A. from St. John’s in 1991, holds her professional diploma, and is currently a doctoral candidate in instructional leadership at SJU.
A St. Francis Prep High School graduate and volleyball standout at the Queens school, Persico was selected as an inaugural member of the Catholic High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1991. In 2004, she was inducted into her third New York State Hall of Fame, the St. Francis Prep High School Hall of Fame, which also includes former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre and NFL coaching legend Vince Lombardi. She was awarded a seat on the St. Francis Prep Board of Trustees and served as President of the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) for Brooklyn and Queens from 2007-09. In 2013, she was selected as an inaugural member of the St. Francis Prep Ring of Honor Award. Located in Queens, St. Francis Prep is the largest private catholic high school in the country. In 2014, Persico was inducted into the St. Francis Prep Inagural Ring Of Honor.
Persico also competed in the U.S. Volleyball Nationals in 2009, the top level of open volleyball in the country, teaming up with former Olympians and AVCA All-Americans, as well as standout NCAA student-athletes, on the Exterminators Volleyball Club. She is a 30-year veteran and one of the most decorated players in Empire State Games history. In 2008, the New York City women’s team became the first team in the open division to win five consecutive gold medals, as it defeated Long Island in a one-set playoff, 25-17. Persico led teams to the gold medal in 1998 and 2004-08, the silver in 2002-03 and the bronze medal in 1999.
