St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
Howard
St. John's Volleyball Sweeps Howard, 3-0
9/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 19, 2008
BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The St. John's volleyball team defeated Howard, 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-19) on Friday in the first match of the Courtyard LaGuardia Volleyball Classic at the Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center on the campus of Long Island University. With the win, the Red Storm evens its record at 6-6 overall, while the Bison fall to 2-11.
Senior Wioleta Leszczynska recorded the match's only double-double with 33 assists and 10 digs. Classmates Valeria Kovaleva and Lena Yee led all players in kills and digs, respectively. Kovaleva had 11 kills and picked up nine digs, while Yee registered 12 digs and had five assists. Sophomore Kun Song contributed to the win with eight kills and seven digs, while senior Chen Chen and freshman Darlene Ramdin had eight kills and two blocks apiece. Senior Casie Brooks chipped in with seven kills, six digs and five assists.
In the first set, the Bison tallied the first point on a kill but St. John's quickly responded and built up a 7-3 lead, forcing Howard to use its first timeout. After the breather, the Red Storm scored six of the next seven points to take a 13-4 lead. STJ reached 20 points first at 20-10 on a kill by Ramdin, but Howard grabbed the next five points to make it 20-15. Brooks ended the momentum with a kill. With St. John's leading, 23-16, the Bison used its second timeout and then scored the next three points after. Leszczynska gave the Red Storm set-point with a kill and on the next play Kovaleva ended the set, 25-19, with a kill.
Howard built up a 4-0 lead to start the second set and the Red Storm quickly burnt its first timeout. After the breather, a Bison service error got STJ on the board, but Howard took three of the next four points to stay ahead 7-2. A kill by Leszczynska brought STJ within two points at 12-10 and Kovaleva made it a one-point affair on the next play with a kill. The Red Storm would eventually tie it at 13-13 on a block by Song and freshman Jordan Haskins. A kill by Song gave St. John's its first lead of the set, 14-13, and Howard used its first timeout after an attack error made the score 15-13. After the minute, the Red Storm went on a 6-2 run and the Bison used its second timeout trailing 21-15. Two Howard blocks made the score 23-18, but STJ held on for the win as a service ace by Yee ended the set, 25-18, and the Red Storm took a 2-0 lead in the match.
St. John's scored the first two points of the third set on a solo-block by Chen and a service ace by Leszczynska. The Red Storm quickly built up a 6-1 lead, forcing Howard to use its first timeout. STJ remained ahead throughout and forced Howard to use its second timeout when a kill by Chen made the score 23-16. Back from the break, a Bison blocking error gave St. John's match-point but Howard grabbed the next two points to make it 24-19. Chen ended it with a kill, 25-19, and the Red Storm completed the sweep, 3-0.
For the Bison, Elyssa Lee led the team with 10 kills and eight digs, while Grace DeMichelis registered 23 assists. Janel James contributed with seven digs five blocks.
The Red Storm returns to the court tomorrow in the second day of action at the Courtyard LaGuardia Volleyball Classic. St. John's will take on the Huskies of Houston Baptist at Noon before finishing out the tourney against the host LIU Blackbirds at 5 p.m.
