St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
New Mexico
St. John's Volleyball Falls To UNM, 3-0
9/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 12, 2008
LINCOLN, Neb. - The St. John's volleyball team lost to New Mexico, 3-0 (23-25, 33-35, 23-25), on Saturday in the first round match of the Ameritas Players Challenge, hosted by the University of Nebraska. With the loss, the Red Storm falls to 5-4 on the season, while the Lobos improve to 8-0.
Seniors Casie Brooks, Valeria Kovaleva and Wioleta Leszczynska each recorded double-doubles in the loss. Brooks recorded 10 kills and 14 digs, Kovaleva registered 12 kills and 20 digs and Leszczysnka had 41 assists and 14 digs. Sophomore Kun Song matched Kovaleva's team-high of 12 kills while recording eight digs. Senior Chen Chen rounded out the Red Storm players with double-digit kills by picking up 10, while senior Lena Yee tallied 15 digs in the STJ back row. Chen, Song, Kovaleva and freshman Darlene Ramdin all equaled the match-high with four total blocks.
After splitting the opening two points of the first set, the Lobos quickly went ahead 5-2 and remained in front when a UNM block to bring the score to 12-7 forced St. John's to call its first timeout. After the breather, the Red Storm picked up two straight on a block by Kovaleva and a New Mexico attack error. STJ used its final timeout trailing 15-9 and then came back to within two points at 16-14 on a Kovaleva kill, forcing UNM to call a timeout. The Red Storm tied the score at 17-17 on a Lobo attack error and Brooks gave St. John's its first lead on a kill. When another Brooks kill gave St. John's a 20-18 lead, UNM used its second timeout. New Mexico tied the score at 21-21, but Kovaleva put STJ ahead again with a kill. The Lobos took a 23-22 lead with a kill and held on for a 25-23 win.
The second set began with the Red Storm picking up the first two points. Play was back and forth until STJ built up a 10-6 lead on kills by Ramdin, Brooks and Kovaleva and forced UNM to use its first timeout. After the breather, the Lobos grabbed four of the next six to come within two points at 12-10 and St. John's used its first timeout. Back in action, New Mexico took the next three points to grab its first lead of the set, 13-12. From that point on there were 17 tie scores as the set would go well into extended play. The Red Storm had set-point seven times but UNM fought back to tie it each time, before grabbing three straight points for the win as a STJ attack error ended the set, 35-33. The Lobos went into the locker room up 2-0.
Set three was back-and-forth through 19-19, as neither team would take more than a two-point lead. The Red Storm called its first timeout after UNM tallied three straight kills to take a 22-19 lead late in the set. After the breather, STJ stormed right back and tied the score, 22-22, as kills by Leszczynska and Kovaleva sandwhiched a Lobos attack error. New Mexico went ahead on the next play with a kill, but Chen would answer right back with a kill for St. John's to tie it. However, a UNM kill and block ended play, 25-23, as the Lobos won the match 3-0.
For New Mexico, senior Jeanne Fairchild had a match-high 19 kills, while sophomore Jade Michaelsen led all players with 47 assists. Senior libero Gayle Tripp recorded a match-best 26 digs in the winning effort.
Up next for St. John's will be the consolation match of the Ameritas Players Challenge on Saturday. The Red Storm will square off against the LSU Tigers at 1:30 p.m. EST at Nebraska's NU Coliseum.
