St. John's University Athletics
STJ Volleyball Hosts Rutgers Friday As Part Of Homecoming Weekend
10/9/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 9, 2008
STJ vs. Rutgers (Oct. 10, 2008 at 7 p.m.)
QUEENS, N.Y. - The St. John's volleyball team will take on Rutgers Friday night as part of Homecoming Week festivities on campus. First serve in the BIG EAST matchup between the Red Storm (12-7, 3-1 BIG EAST) and the Scarlet Knights (1-12, 0-4 BIG EAST) is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Taffner Field House.
Friday's match will feature a live broadcast on RedStormSports.com as part of StormTracker All-Access presented by Allstate, with commentary by Matt Shortis. In addition, live stats will be available via St. John's GameTracker.
STORMWATCH
St. John's enters the weekend with a 12-7 overall record (3-1 BIG EAST) and hits the hardwood for the first time since defeating Syracuse, 3-1, on Sunday, Oct. 5, at Syracuse.
The Red Storm has posted a 30-2 record in BIG EAST play over the past three seasons, the best winning percentage (.938) in the conference during that time.
Brooks Named To BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Red Storm senior Casie Brooks was named to the BIG EAST volleyball weekly honor roll for her efforts during St. John's 1-1 weekend on the road at Marquette (Oct. 3) and Syracuse (Oct. 5). In STJ's 3-1 loss to the Golden Eagles, Brooks led all players with 16 kills. She then helped St. John's rebound to defeat the Orange, 3-1, by picking up a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs.
Where They Fare
In The NCAA:
- The Red Storm ranks eighth in the nation in assists per set with 13.27.
- STJ's 14.10 kills per set ranks the team 16th in the NCAA.
- St. John's ranks 40th amongst all DI schools with 15.82 digs per set.
- Senior Wioleta Leszczynska ranks eighth amongst the nation's setters with 11.47 assists per set.
In The BIG EAST:
- St. John's currently ranks first in the conference in assists per set (13.27) and kills per set (14.10).
- The Red Storm is second amongst BIG EAST schools with 15.82 digs per set and holding opponents to a .168 hitting percentage.
- Leszczynska leads the conference setters with 11.47 assists per set.
- In digs per set, senior Lena Yee ranks third in the BIG EAST with 4.34.
- Senior Valeria Kovaleva ranks eighth in the conference with 3.84 digs per set and checks in at tenth with 3.19 kills per set.
- In BIG EAST matches only, senior Chen Chen ranks fifth in the conference with 1.25 blocks per set.
- Leszczysnka and freshman Darlene Ramdin are tied for sixth in the BIG EAST with 0.44 service aces per set in conference matches.
Scouting The Scarlet Knights
Under first-year coach CJ Werneke, Rutgers enters the weekend with a 1-12 overall record including losses in each of its four conference contests thus far. The Scarlet Knights most recently dropped a pair of BIG EAST matches to Seton Hall (3-0, Oct. 4) and Villanova (3-0, Oct. 5). In 2007, RU finished the year with a 3-22 record (1-13 BIG EAST).
Rutgers returns 10 letterwinners from last year's squad, including three starters, and welcomes in four newcomers in 2008. Sophomore Caitlin Saxton leads the Scarlet Knights with 2.81 kills per set, while junior Jamie Godfrey leads the defense with 3.05 digs per set. Freshman Kellie Pence has registered a team-high 7.73 assists per set.
Friday's match will be the 15th meeting between the Red Storm and the Scarlet Knights, with St. John's holding an 8-6 lead in the series.
On Deck
The Red Storm returns to the court Saturday, Oct. 18, when the team plays host to the University of Connecticut. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m.
