Red Storm Downs Villanova in Three Sets

Friday, October 19

Queens, N.Y. (Carnesecca Arena)

7:00 PM

St. John's University

17-8 (6-4BE)

Villanova

11-11 (4-6BE)

Villanova

St. John's

10/19/2018 9:34:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

St. John’s improves to 6-4 in BIG EAST play

By: Eric Robinson

Box Score

The St. John's volleyball team opened the second half of the conference season with a sweep of Villanova at home on Friday night.

St. John's used a hitting percentage of .271 on the match to defeat the Wildcats. Villanova also recorded 12 service errors in the three frames, while the Johnnies put up six aces on their end of the serve.

Efrosini Alexakou led the attack for the Red Storm with 14 kills and added 12 digs for her ninth double-double of the season. Erica Di Maulo added 42 assists and 15 digs for the Johnnies, serving as the team leader in both categories for the match and recording her twelfth double-double of 2018.

Kayley Wood and Hanna Wagner also served as key contributors on the offensive side of the ball putting up 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Wagner hit .471 on the match and added three blocks for the Red Storm.

The Johnnies opened up the night with a dramatic 33-31 first set win with both teams having chances to take the set. Alexakou led the way with seven kills for the Red Storm in the opening frame while Nia Diaz had four kills and hit .333 in the set. Di Maulo delivered 22 assists to help St. John's.

Villanova led 19-17 and again at 23-22, but the Red Storm took the next two points in a set that was tied at 20 different points throughout the frame. The Johnnies also had seven set points in the first set and finally used a Rachele Rastelli kill to take a 1-0 set lead. Rastelli finished the match with nine kills, five of which came in the opener.

The Red Storm used a comeback in the second set 25-20 after dropping the first six points in the frame. The Johnnies were down as many as seven before mounting a comeback using two kills each by Wagner and Wood as part of a 10-2 run by St. John's. Wood had four kills in the set to tie Alexakou for the team lead.

Lexie Lobdell had two service aces in the set and with the score tied at 20-20, the Johnnies took the next five points using two kills by Alexakou to take a 2-0 set lead.

St. John's hit .385 in the third to secure the match and the sweep over the Wildcats. Alexakou, Rastelli, and Wagner each had three kills and after taking the lead at 4-3, the Red Storm did not trail again for the rest of the set with a kill by Wood finishing the match and improving St. John's conference record to 6-4.

The Red Storm will return to action on Saturday at 5 p.m. against Georgetown at Carnesecca Arena.