St. John's University Athletics
KURASAKI NAMED BIG EAST ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
9/15/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Kurasaki has inherited the starting setter role this season, and is averaging 10 assists per game. On Tuesday, she helped the Storm to a dramatic five-game victory over St. Peter's College in SJU's home opener, assisting on 68 of the team's 71 kills. Kurasaki also put up a phenomenal defensive effort with 26 digs in the match.
The Storm hosted the SJU Classic last weekend in Alumni Hall and took on Manhattan in the first match on Friday. Kurasaki tallied 38 assists as the Storm swept the Jaspers in three straight (15-11, 15-11, 15-9).
The Storm then swept the St. Francis Terriers in three straight (15-4, 16-14, 15-6) for their sixth consecutive win of the season. SJU's six-match winning streak to open the season was the best ever in the seven-year history of the program. Head Coach Joanne Persico-Smith rested Kurasaki in this match in preparation for the title-clincher with Princeton later in the day.
With the tournament title on the line, St. John's topped the Tigers in the first game, 15-9. The second game went Princeton's way, 15-12, but St. John's roared back to take the third game, 15-4. One game away from the Classic crown, the Tigers held off the Red Storm in the fourth game, 15-13, to force a deciding rally-scoring fifth game.
The fifth game was a see-saw battle the entire way, with the Tigers outlasting the Storm 17-15 to earn their second win of the season. Kurasaki totaled 60 assists, seven digs, three aces and a pair of block assists in the losing effort. St. John's, Princeton and Manhattan all finished with 2-1 records on the weekend.
St. John's is now 6-1 overall on the season, and will close out its five-match homestand tomorrow afternoon hosting non-conference opponent Hofstra in Alumni Hall at 4:30 p.m. Hofstra, the defending AMERICA EAST conference champion, is 2-5 on the season.
