St. John's University Athletics
Red Storm Volleyball Travels to Villanova and Rutgers
11/4/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 4, 2005
QUEENS, N.Y. - The St. John's women's volleyball team concludes the season's road games this weekend against Villanova on Friday, Nov. 4 and Rutgers on Sunday, Nov. 6. First serve Friday is at 7 p.m. at Nevin Gymnasium, while Sunday afternoon's game begins at 2 p.m. at College Ave Gym in New Brunswick, N.J.
- NATIONAL RANKINGS
St. John's has fallen one spot to No.8 in the Northeast according to the RKPI Regional Rankings conducted by RichKern.com and the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). The Red Storm, whose overall ranking is 69, sits two spots above Villanova (No. 10 - 92 overall).
- STORMWATCH
The Red Storm enters the weekend's contests 20-7 overall and 6-4 in the conference. According to head coach Joanne Persico-Smith, this year's squad possesses a chemistry she hasn't seen in a long time.
The Red Storm has already past last years conference record of 1-9 and is ranked sixth in the BIG EAST, which currently earns them a trip to this year's conference tournament. Working towards its third tournament berth in program history, the Red Storm has out hit its opponents 26 to 16 percent. Only twice has St. John's been pushed to five games this season. The first was a non-conference invitational match against Binghamton on Sept. 3 and the second against Syracuse on Oct. 23. Both matches resulted in losses for St. John's.
"There is a great sense of balance with this team. A lot of people have been stepping up and helping us keep steady. We have one of the most mentally and physically prepared teams I've ever had; and they happen to be the most resilient team I've ever had. They don't let a few errors frazzle them. And, I'm lucky because resiliency is something you can't recruit or teach it simply comes with growth."
~ Head Coach Persico-Smith
- LAST TIME OUT
St. John's women's volleyball took a 3-0 victory over Georgetown Sunday afternoon at McDonough Arena. The Red Storm was lead by Shameka Mitchell (Lakeland, Fla.) who recorded 11 kills and Anicia Wood (Wotton Terrace, Barbados) who had nine total blocks. Freshmen Hui Ping Huang (The Republic of China), Casie Brooks (Victorville, Calif.) and Kathleen Yee (Honolulu, Hawaii) also stood out for St. John's. Huang recorded 9 kills and 12 digs, while Brooks had 18 assists and Yee had a match-high 14 digs. Leading two games to none, the Red Storm quickly closed out the game with efforts from sophomore Laura Sudano (East Setauket, N.Y.) who hit four of her five attempts (.800).
- RIGHT SIDE RIGHTEOUSNESS
LaToya Blunt's (Vacaville, Calif.) match-high kills (24) in the game against Syracuse gave the sophomore right side hitter a season total of 270 kills, tying her for second on the team. The past weekend's total of 22 kills (15 vs. USF, 7 vs. Georgetown) increased Blunt's season total to 292. Blunt has also recorded 65 blocks this season and 333.5 points. She entered her second year with the Red Storm off one of the best freshman campaigns in St. John's history. A starter throughout her first season, she finished third on the team with 306 kills and fourth with a .184 hitting percentage. She was third in total blocks with 98 and in assists with 49.
- FRESHMAN FEVER
St. John's continues to lead the BIG EAST conference in assists with 15.97 per game, while freshman setter Brooks is ninth in assists posting 10.92 per game. Brooks has been a constant source of energy and strength in the setter position. She leads St. John's with 7.26 assists per game (681) for the season and is first with 36 service aces. Brooks recorded a personal best 52 assists against Marquette on Oct. 22.
Another freshman standout for the Red Storm is outside hitter Huang. She is fourth in the conference with a .384 hitting percentage with 4.47 kills per game. She leads St. John's with a .345 overall season hitting percentage. Huang is second on the team for the most service aces, 34, this season and is third on the team in defensive digs with 2.29 per game (199).
- HAWAIIAN CONNECTION
Freshman libero Yee has successfully controlled the back line this fall for the Red Storm. Yee, who hit a personal best 34 digs against Notre Dame (Oct. 8), is first on the team with 4.04 digs per game (368). Yee has also recorded 11 service aces and 31 assists. Yee is eight in the conference with 3.83 digs per game in BIG EAST matches (138).
In conference only matches, junior Patti Hardiman (Honolulu, Hawaii) is fifth in the BIG EAST with 16 service aces (0.44 per game). For St. John's, Hardiman is second in defensive digs with 265 (3.08 per game). The outside hitter has also notched 248 kills and 29 service aces for the entire season.
- OH CAPTAINS, MY CAPTAINS
Wood and Mitchell, this year's co-captains, have also been constants for St. John's. The two balance the Red Storm's offense and defense at the net. Wood leads the Red Storm with 98 total blocks (17 solo, 81 assist), while Mitchell has recorded 322 kills, placing her first on the team and second in blocking with 66 total.
- PAST WEEKLY HONORS
Red Storm outside hitter Huang was named BIG EAST Player of the Week for week seven (Oct. 3 to Oct. 9). In the game against Notre Dame, Huang had a match-high and personal-best 25 kills. The total was also a season-high by any Red Storm player this year. She hit just over 45 percent, while adding eight digs and two blocks. For the season, Huang boasts a team-best hitting percentage of .337. The outside hitter is tied for the team lead with 28 aces and averages 2.23 digs per game. Her consistency at the net has paid off, as she has recorded 225 kills and 38 blocks on the year.
Yee entered the American Volleyball Coaches Association weekly 30-Dig club with 34 digs in the contest against Notre Dame (0ct. 8). Hardiman and Mitchell have also received BIG EAST honor roll mentions this season for week's three and four respectively.
- RED STORM GRABS 19th SWEEP
Sunday's 3-0 victory over Georgetown marked the 19th time this season the Red Storm made a sweep of its opponent. The season record is also an All-Time record in the program's history.
- OVERTIME
St. John's has gone to overtime seven times this season. The Red Storm went to four games against Hofstra (Sept. 14) in the Queens Nassau Cup, against Cincinnati (Sept. 23) and No. 4 Louisville (Sept. 25) in the opening matches of conference play, against No. 9 Notre Dame (Oct. 8) and this past weekend against Marquette (Oct. 22). Twice the Red Storm has been pushed to five games this season. The first was against Binghamton (Sept. 3) at the Crusader Classic at the College of the Holy Cross and the second time against Syracuse (Oct. 23). St. John's is 2-5 in contests pushed to overtime.
- SURVEYING THE WILDCATS
Villanova has gotten the best of the Red Storm in this young rivalry. The 'Cats have won nine of the 13 matches played, including the last three straight. Villanova returns six starters plus last year's libero. Among the returners are Adrian Semrau and Celine Nguyen. Semrau, a junior middle blocker, posted 356 kills and 62 total blocks in 2004, while Nguyen, a senior outside hitter, recorded 302 kills and 381 digs.
Freshman Alona Cherkez posted her fifth straight double double of the year, 12th total, by recording 14 kills and 14 digs against Marquette. In the BIG EAST, Villanova has three of its athletes ranked in the top ten. Sophomore Kacy Sellers is fourth in aces (0.50 per game) and seventh in hitting percentage (.328). Junior Jenna Link stands sixth in assists (11.81 pg), while Cherkez ranks eighth in kills (4.04 pg) and eighth in points (4.51 pg).
- LAST TIME OUT BETWEEN THE CATS AND RED STORM
After leading 2-0 in games, the Red Storm fell to Villanova, 3-2 (30-23, 33-31, 28-30, 23-30, 11-15) on Nov. 7, 2004 at Alumni Hall. Junior Jackie Ahlers led the Red Storm attack with 24 kills and 10 digs, while Blunt added 17 kills and 11 digs. Senior Yana Ruban finished with 13 kills and four blocks and setter Lisa Tedder (Coos Bay, Ore.)notched 60 assists and 14 digs. Libero Nicole Colaluca recorded 28 digs in the five-game loss to the Wildcats.
Villanova rallied to a quick lead by aggressive serving by Kacy Sellers in the start of the fourth game. The Wildcats extended their lead to 25-16 with four straight errors by the Red Storm. St. John's fought back late in the game with several unanswered points, but was not enough as Villanova took the game 30- 23, forcing a game five.
In the deciding game, the two teams were tied throughout the sixth point until Villanova pulled ahead 8-6 to switch sides. Although the two teams fought hard, resulting in several long rallies late in the game, the Wildcats pulled ahead and stole the game, 15-11.
- SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
Sunday marks the 12th meeting between both teams, with St. John's holding a slight 6-5 advantage in the all-time series. Rutgers is led by junior Lora Yankauskas and senior Ashleigh Young, who are among the conference leaders in kills, points and blocks per game. In 2004, Yankauskas posted 334 kills, 71 total blocks and 146 digs, while Young recorded 171 kills, 92 total blocks and 26 service aces.
Currently, Yankauskas ranks sixth in both kills and points per game with 4.21 and 4.84, respectively, while Young is 10th in the BIG EAST with 1.16 blocks per game. Senior Courtney Stout is first on team with a 3.12 digs-per-game average and freshman Roxy Calder leads RU with 8.76 assists per game.
- LAST TIME OUT BETWEEN THE KNIGHTS AND RED STORM
The St. John's volleyball team captured its first BIG EAST conference win of 2004 on Oct. 29 over rival Rutgers, 3-0 (30-28, 30-28, 30-22) at Alumni Hall. Newcomer Alena Putintseva led St. John's with 14 kills (.381 hitting pct.) and nine digs while co-captain Jackie Ahlers added 12 kills and seven blocks. Right side hitter Blunt notched 11 kills and seven blocks in the three game sweep over Rutgers.
Putintseva connected with setter Tedder (39 assists) five out of seven times in game one to set the tone for the Red Storm. In game two, the Red Storm's defensive effort at the net was unstoppable putting the ball down a total of eight times, with Wood, Blunt and Ahlers touching at least four balls. Although Rutgers attempted a late game run with serving by Jocelyn Greenwald, it was not enough at St. John's stole game two, 30-28.
In game three, Tedder served the first five points to give St. John's an early lead. The Scarlet Knight would not give up, going on several runs with aggressive serving by libero Courtney Stout and Casey Castillo. The Red Storm would not let up, and took game three in decisive fashion, 30-22.
- ON DECK FOR ST. JOHN'S
The Red Storm returns home for its final matches of the season next weekend. St. John's hosts West Virginia on Friday, Nov. 11 and Pittsburgh on Saturday, Nov. 12. Saturday night coach Persico-Smith and the St. John's community will honor its graduating volleyball seniors in a pre-game ceremony. First serve for both games is at 7 p.m.
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