St. John's University Athletics
St. John??' Volleyball Defeats Syracuse 3-0
11/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
The St. John???s volleyball team served up its 20th three-game sweep of the season against Syracuse on Friday night at the Women???s Building in Syracuse, N.Y. With the win, the Red Storm tied two program records and improved its winning streak to 17 matches. St. John???s is now 26-1 on the season and 11-0 in BIG EAST action, while Syracuse drops to 11-21 overall and 5-7 in conference play.
The Red Storm tied the school???s record for most wins in a single volleyball season, 26, and produced 20 three-game sweeps to tie the program???s single season mark. The win was St. John???s first victory over head coach Joanne Persico-Smith???s alma mater Syracuse since 2003, and the first time the team swept the Orange since 2001.
Sophomore Hui Ping Huang (The People???s Republic of China) led St. John???s with a match-high 14 kills and three service aces. Senior Caitlin Rimgaila (Trooper, Pa.) registered 12 kills and junior Latoya Blunt (Vacaville, Calif.) posted 11 kills and three total blocks. Senior Patti Hardimon (Honolulu, Hawaii) recorded her 13th double-double of the season with 10 kills and 15 digs, while tying the match-high three aces. Junior setter Wioleta Leszczynska (Bielsko-Biala, Poland) dished out 47 assists, while libero Kathleen Yee (Honolulu, Hawaii) collected a team-best 16 digs in the victory.
Syracuse took an early 4-1 lead in game one with Emily Kaier recording the first point of the game. St. John???s rallied back to tie the score, 7-7, with back-to-back attacks from Casie Brooks (Victorville, Calif.) and Hardimon. The Orange took the lead back with kills from Sarah Morton and Kaier, but the Red Storm knotted the score again, 12-12. The two teams battled through the next eight rallies before St. John???s was able to pull through on a kill from Rimgaila. The Red Storm kept the advantage and finished the first game, 30-20, on a successful attack from Huang.
The Red Storm and Orange went head-to-head in the beginning of the second game, but St. John???s pulled ahead with a two-point lead with a kill from Rimgaila, 8-6. Syracuse quickly tied the game again, 8-8, on a block assists from Morton and MacTavish. The two team battled point-for-point until St. John???s was able to grab the advantage with three points from Huang. The Red Storm continued its control of the board with points from Rimgaila and Hardimon. St. John???s ended game two, 30-19, off a kill from Leszczynska.
The Orange took control of the third game, making a six-point lead for itself on kills from April Quigley, Samantha Ainsworth and Morton, 15-9. However, the Red Storm was not ready to back down and knotted the score, 16-16 on three straight points from Huang. Syracuse answered back quickly taking a one-point lead but Rimgaila slammed the ball down to tie the score the final time, 17-17. St. John???s never looked back as it stormed past Syracuse, 30-21, to win the match.
MacTavish recorded a team-best eight kills, while Quigley dished out 24 assists. Morton posted a match-high five total blocks, while libero Joscie Kaup tallied a match-high 21 digs.
The Red Storm returns to action on Sunday, Nov. 5 against the Golden Eagles of Marquette. First serve is scheduled for 3 p.m., at the Al McGuire Center.
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