Red Storm to Travel to Butler and Xavier

Friday, October 26

Indianapolis, Ind. (Hinkle Fieldhouse)

6:00 PM

St. John's University

Butler

10/26/2018 9:20:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

St. John’s looks for season sweep of both teams

By: Eric Robinson

The St. John's volleyball team will travel to Butler and Xavier this weekend to continue the second half of BIG EAST play.

Both games will be streamed live with live stats available for both matches.

The Red Storm is coming off a 2-0 week following victories at home over Villanova and Georgetown.

Butler will look to rebound in the BIG EAST after a 4-7 start to the conference season. The Bulldogs split their two matches last weekend defeating Providence in three sets on Thursday before falling in three to Creighton on Saturday.

Bri Lilly leads the conference in blocks per set and is currently ninth in the nation in total blocks with 119. The senior currently has 432 blocks in her career in Indianapolis and ranks 11th among active players in Division I in the category. Lilly was unanimously selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team after being named to the All-BIG EAST First Team in 2017 after leading the conference with 1.23 blocks per set last season.

Rejections have been a strength for the Bulldogs in recent years as Butler led the BIG EAST in blocks per set in 2017 (2.69) and currently lead the conference this season as well (286) .

St. John's took the first meeting between these two teams in five sets back on September 22nd. Efrosini Alexakou posted 22 kills and Hanna Wagner led the Red Storm with five blocks. The Bulldogs still lead the all-time series 8-3, having won four out of five matches at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Xavier sits tied for fifth in the conference with a 5-6 record after a 1-1 weekend. The Musketeers started the weekend with a five-set loss at Creighton on Thursday before knocking off Providence in four sets on Saturday.

Meredith Klare sits seventh in the conference with 4.41 digs per set. The senior has moved from fourth into second in program history in career digs during the 2018 season, currently totalling 1,834 in her four years at Xavier, which is 16th among active Division I athletes.

Senior McKena Estes also moved into the top-10 list in career assists against Providence, with 2,034 in her career.

After serving on Xavier's staff from 2008-2010, Christy Pfeffenberger returned to the program in 2015 by being named the head coach of the Musketeers.

The Red Storm took the first match of 2018 against Xavier at home on September 21st. Erica Di Maulo posted 60 assists in a five-set victory, while Amanda Sanabia recorded career dig 1,000 in the victory. Xavier still leads the all-time series 10-2 over the Johnnies.