St. John’s Wins on Senior Day, Knocks off Providence in Four Sets

Saturday, November 3

Queens, N.Y. (Carnesecca Arena)

5:00 PM

St. John's University

21-9 (10-5BE)

Providence

8-17 (2-12BE)

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Providence	15	18	31	14	1
St. John's	25	25	29	25	3

St. John’s Wins on Senior Day, Knocks off Providence in Four Sets

11/3/2018 7:51:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Erica Di Maulo moves into tenth on season assists leaderboard in victory

By: Eric Robinson

Box Score

After celebrations for both Head Coach Joanne Persico and the 2018 seniors, the St. John's volleyball team defeated Providence in four sets on Saturday afternoon at Carnesecca Arena.

With the win, the Red Storm are guaranteed to finish over .500 in the BIG EAST for the first time since 2008.

Coach Persico was honored before the event for her 25 years at the helm of the St. John's volleyball program, and in between the second and third sets of the match.

"What a wonderful day to be a Johnnie as we had all of our alumnae in full force today to celebrate the program's 25^th anniversary and to support our current team," Coach Persico said. "We were able to focus on the match and compete and once again pull out the big W."

Before the match began, seniors Nia Diaz, Lexie Lobdell, and Yanjiao Zhao were all honored prior to the beginning of the first set.

Efrosini Alexakou led the way during the match with 21 kills and added 10 digs for a double-double. The freshman recorded her 300th kill of the season in the victory, as did Rachele Rastelli. Rastelli finished the match with eight kills and three blocks.

Erica Di Maulo finished with 47 assists, and in the process, passed herself from 2016 for tenth on the program season assists leaderboard. Kayley Wood also performed well offensively hitting .421 on the match and coming in right behind Alexakou with 20 kills, tying a career high.

St. John's held Providence to a -.033 hitting percentage in the first set as a team, winning 25-15. Alexakou led the team with four kills while Hanna Wagner added three of her team-leading seven blocks defensively.

The Red Storm controlled the set from the start jumping out to an 8-2 lead. The Friars went on a run in the middle of the set, cutting the lead to three at 15-12, but St. John's would finish the frame on a 10-3 run to finish the frame, giving them the first set 25-15.

The Johnnies carried that momentum into the second set, hitting .323 as a team. Wood took charge with seven kills in the second set alone while Di Maulo added 10 assists in the frame. The Red Storm took control of the set with the score tied 9-9. Two kills by Wood and two service aces by Alexakou helped give St. John's the lead they would not give back. Wood finished off the set as well with back-to-back kills at 23-18 giving the Red Storm a 2-0 set lead.

The third set went back-and-forth with the Friars staying alive in the match, taking it 31-29. Wood led the way with eight kills followed by Alexakou with seven. As a team, the Johnnies recorded six blocks in the third frame with Wagner leading the way with three.

The Red Storm were down as many as five behind 19-14 before a 7-2 run tied it at 21. St. John's took the next three points to give them a match point opportunity at 24-21. The Friars would score the next four points to give them a set point of their own and the teams would trade points until Providence put home two in a row with the score tied at 29 to keep them alive.

St. John's finished Providence in the fourth set hitting .571 as a team, taking it 25-14. The Red Storm converted 17 of 28 chances in the frame with Alexakou knocking home eight of 12 chances for a .667 set hitting percentage of her own.

The Red Storm took the lead at 5-4 and went on to score 20 of the next 30 points in the set. After the second career kill by Yanjiao Zhao, the Red Storm took the match on an attack error by Providence to give the Johnnies the match on Senior Day.

The Johnnies will next travel to Seton Hall on Friday, Nov. 9.