St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
Pittsburgh *
St. John's Volleyball Sweeps Pitt, 3-0
10/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 26, 2008
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The St. John's volleyball team defeated the Pitt Panthers, 3-0, Sunday afternoon at the Fitzgerald Field House. With the 25-15, 25-18, 25-23 win, STJ improves to 16-7 on the season, while the Panthers fall to 14-10 (6-3 BIG EAST). The Red Storm now sits atop the BIG EAST Conference with a 7-1 record in league play.
Leading the Red Storm on the afternoon was senior Valeria Kovaleva, who registered a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs. Kovaleva tallied a .308 hitting percentage and two blocks. Sophomore Kun Song recorded a match-high .429 hitting percentage, picking up 10 kills, four digs and two blocks. Freshman Darlene Ramdin registered a match-high six total blocks (two solo and four assisted), while chipping in with four kills.
Seniors Casie Brooks and Chen Chen recorded nine and seven kills, respectively. Brooks added eight digs, five assists and three blocks, while Chen put up four blocks. Classmate Lena Yee registered 10 digs and two service aces. Senior Wioleta Leszczynska had 30 assists, seven digs and three blocks.
The first set was close in the beginning until the Red Storm strung together eight straight points to take a 14-5 lead. Pitt responded with three consecutive points, but STJ got three in a row back to take a 17-8 lead and force the Panthers to use their final timeout. St. John's rode out the momentum to a 25-15 win. Kovaleva led all players in the set with five kills. The Red Storm kept Pitt to just a .062 hitting percentage in the set.
Ramdin was a part of three of St. John's first five points of the second set, registering two kills and a block as STJ built an early 5-2 lead. The Panthers would fight back to tie the score with three straight, but the Red Storm responded with three of its own. The set was closely contested until, with St. John's leading 11-10, the Red Storm tallied five consecutive points and forced Pitt to call its first timeout down 16-10. Back from the breather, STJ worked up a 21-14 lead and the Panthers used their final timeout. After the quick break, the Red Storm earned set point on a kill by Kovaleva, and Chen ended the set, 25-18, three plays later with a kill of her own. St. John's went into the locker room up two sets to none.
The Red Storm grabbed the first two points of the third set as Ramdin registered consecutive blocks, combining with Brooks on the second. Pitt responded by taking a 4-3 lead, but St. John's regained the lead, 5-4, after a kill by Song and a Panthers attack error. The set remained close, with Pitt tying the score three times, until STJ broke out with three straight to take a 14-11 lead and forced the Panthers to call its first timeout. After the breather, the Red Storm tallied two more on a Pitt attack error and Yee's second service ace of the rotation. STJ tallied three consecutive points to take a 19-13 lead and the Panthers used their second timeout. Back in action, Pitt tallied two straight and the Red Storm tried to break the momentum by calling time. Pitt rallied back to within one point after a block and an attack error made it 24-23, but a kill by Brooks ended the set, 25-23, and the Red storm took the match in straight sets.
For Pitt, senior Kelly Campbell recorded a double-double with match-highs in kills (13) and digs (13). Senior Allyson Hodnik registered a match-high 31 assists, while junior libero Michelle Rossi had 10 digs. Senior Jessica Moses had a team-high five blocks.
The Red Storm will return home next weekend to take on the Villanova Wildcats (Sat., Nov. 2 at 2 p.m.) and the Seton Hall Pirates (Sun., Nov 3 at 2 p.m.). Both matches will be held at the newly-renovated Carnesecca Arena.
