St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
Kentucky
St. John's Volleyball Tames Wildcats, 3-1
9/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 5, 2008
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The St. John's volleyball team won its third consecutive match on Friday, defeating Kentucky, 3-1, in the first day of play at the Spring Hill Suites at Arundel Mills Invitational hosted by the University of Maryland. The scores of the match were 25-19, 26-24, 25-27 and 25-19. With the win, the Red Storm improves to 3-2 on the season while Kentucky also ends up at 3-2 with the loss.
Three players registered double-doubles for the Red Storm, as senior Casie Brooks led the way with a match- and career-high 21 kills while picking up 11 digs. Seniors Valeria Kovaleva and Wioleta Leszczynska each had their third double-doubles of the season. Kovaleva registered 15 kills and a match-high 15 digs, while Leszczynska had 51 assists to lead all players and 12 digs. Seniors Chen Chen and Lena Yee also contributed to the win as Chen had 13 kills and Yee recorded 11 digs.
The two teams traded points to start the first set with Kovaleva opening the action with a hard kill. Kentucky went ahead 3-1 but a kill by freshman Darlene Ramdin and a Wildcat attack error tied the score. The set remained close until the Wildcats went on a run and took a 13-8 lead, forcing St. John's to call a timeout. After the breather, the Red Storm came within two points on a service ace by junior Jia Yue Zhai, and then would eventually tie the score at 15-15 on a kill by Brooks. Kentucky would call a timeout then grab two quick points after to take the lead again. A Kentucky attack error would give St. John's the lead at 18-17 then Brooks, Chen and Kovaleva recorded kills to put STJ up 21-19 and UK used its final timeout. An ace by sophomore Kun Song ended the first set 25-19. The Red Storm held Kentucky to a .083 hitting percentage in the set.
The Wildcats opened set two with three straight points but a kill by Kovaleva and a UK attack error brought STJ within one point. Kovaleva tied the score with a kill then the Red Storm took a 5-4 lead on another Wildcat attack error. The Red Storm wouldn't relinquish the lead after UK tied the score three times, and the Wildcats called a timeout trailing 16-13. After the breather, Kentucky took five of the next six points to tie score at 18-18, but St. John's regained the lead with a kill by Brooks. A Wildcat service error and a Red Storm ace by Song put STJ up, 21-19. UK would tie the score late once more at 22-22. A left-handed kill by Kovaleva gave St. John's the lead 23-22 and Brooks widened the gap with a kill of her own to give the Red Storm set-point. After a Wildcat kill and block the score was tied 24-24 and STJ used its second timeout. After the minute-fifteen, Ramdin put on the roof for a block and Brooks ended the set, 26-24, with her tenth kill of the night and the Red Storm went into the locker room up two sets to none.
In set three, St. John's got on the board first with a kill by Chen, but UK built up a 10-6 lead and forced the Red Storm to use its first timeout. The Wildcats remained in front and STJ used its second timeout trailing 15-10. After the breather, the teams split the next six points and it was back-and-forth until a Kentucky kill gave UK set-point. St. John's staged a comeback late as two kills by Kovaleva sandwiched a Wildcat attack error and Kentucky used its first timeout leading 24-23. Kovaleva registered two more quick kills to give St. John's match-point, 25-24, and again UK would use a timeout. However, a UK kill and two blocks ended the set, 27-25, and the match was 2-1, St. John's.
The Red Storm built up a 3-1 lead to start set four, but UK would tie the score at 4-4 then take the lead on the next play. The score would be tied four more times until St. John's went ahead 11-9 on kills by Chen and Song. The Red Storm called a timeout leading 16-14 and on the next two plays Kovaleva and Brooks recorded kills to make the score 18-14, forcing Kentucky to use its first timeout. After the breather, it was two more quick kills by St. John's and the Wildcats burnt their second and final timeout trailing 20-14. Four straight points by UK brought the score to 20-18, and STJ would use its final timeout. After the minute-fifteen, St. John's grabbed the next three points and a kill by Chen gave the Red Storm match-point. A combined-block by Chen and Song ended the set, 25-19, and St. John's took the match, 3-1.
For the Wildcats, senior Queen Nzenwa and sophomore Lauren Rapp each registered a team-high 17 kills. Sophomore Ann Armes and junior BriAnne Sauer led the UK defense with 12 and 11 digs, respectively. Junior Sarah Rumely recorded a team-high 45 assists in the loss.
The Red Storm will return to action tomorrow morning to face the host-school, Maryland. First serve against the Terrapins is set for 10 a.m. at the Comcast Center Pavilion.
