St. John’s Falls to No. 9 Creighton

Friday, November 1

Omaha, Neb. (D.J. Sokol Arena)

6:30 PM (ET)

St. John's University

14-10, 6-5BIG EAST

No. 9 Creighton

18-3, 11-0BIG EAST

St. John's

Creighton

11/1/2019 9:07:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score

The Johnnies will return to action when they face Providence on Sunday afternoon

By: Jared Anderson

            OMAHA, Neb. (Nov. 1, 2019) – The St. John's volleyball team fell to No. 9 Creighton in three sets on Friday night at D.J. Sokol Arena.

            Set scores were 25-22, 25-13 and 25-22, all in favor of the Bluejays.

            Efrosini Alexakou put down a match-high 13 kills while also adding seven digs and two service aces.

            Senior Amanda Sanabia notched a match-leading five service aces for the Red Storm, two more than Creighton's team total. The Johnnies' libero also added eight digs and two assists. Sanabia has collected 1,734 career digs.

            Erica Di Maulo dished out 22 helpers and upped six digs. The senior setter also recorded one block on the night. She now has 4,620 career assists and is 131 shy from becoming the program's all-time leader.

            St. John's (14-10, 6-5 BIG EAST) got off to a slow start in the opening set after Creighton (18-3, 11-0 BIG EAST) jumped out to an early 9-4 lead. As the set wore on, the Bluejays continued to push the pace after a kill from Jaela Zimmerman kept Creighton in front by eight, 16-8. The Johnnies continued to work their way back as a kill from Kayley Wood and a service ace from Alexakou helped bring the Johnnies within three, 22-19. Despite a pair of kills by Rachele Rastelli with the Bluejays sitting at match point, 24-22, Creighton held on to take the set, 25-22.

            The Red Storm struggled in the second frame as the Bluejays scored five consecutive points to take a 9-2 lead. After an attack error by Creighton, the Bluejays sparked another 5-0 run to stay on top, 14-3. Back-to-back kills from Alexakou and a service ace from Klara Mikelova later cut the St. John's deficit to 19-9. With the Bluejays holding a 13-point lead at match point, 24-11, an Alexakou kill helped keep the frame alive, 24-12. However, Creighton went on to capture the set, 25-13, and a 2-0 match lead.

            As the third frame fell underway, both sides worked to capture the lead before a pair of service aces from Mikelova and a kill from Alexakou put St. John's out in front by three, 8-5. Creighton erased the deficit and knotted the game at 10 before another 3-0 spurt by the Red Storm reclaimed the lead, 13-10. After a kill by Erica Kostelac evened the score, 15-15, the two teams traded points until a kill from Wood set the score at 20 apiece. A service ace from Sanabia helped St. John's take a late lead, 22-21, but the Bluejays scored four unanswered points to close out the match and set, 25-22.

            St. John's returns to action when the team takes on Providence this Sunday afternoon at Alumni Hall. The start time is slated for 1 p.m.