St. John's University Athletics
Friday, November 15
Queens, N.Y. (Carnesecca Arena)
7:00 PM
St. John's University
3
vs
0
Seton Hall
Persico Earns 500th Career Victory Against Seton Hall
11/15/2019 11:19:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
St. John's rides a four-game win streak after picking up a straight-set win over the Pirates
QUEENS, N.Y. (Nov. 15, 2019) – Head coach Joanne Persico recorded the 500th victory of her career as the St. John's volleyball team picked up a straight-set win over Seton Hall on Friday night at Carnesecca Arena.
Set scores were 25-18, 25-14, and 25-17, all in favor of the Red Storm.
Persico's achievement helped the Johnnies establish a four-game win streak and marked the team's third consecutive straight-set victory.
"When you think of [500 career victories], you just think of all the great players that have helped us get to that point," said Persico. "I'm really proud of our product, I'm really proud of all the young players that have played for me and now all of the alumnus that are so successful. I want to thank all of the players who played for me in 1994 and 1995 when I was a rookie coach as well as my first athletic director, the legendary Jack Kaiser. They created the foundation of strong core values in which our program operates and was built on. I'd like to thank my longtime associate head coach Mario Treibit as well as my hard-working and talented assistant Bryan Weber for all of their dedication and loyalty. I want to thank the administration here, our athletic director, all of our senior associate athletic directors and especially our president for believing in me, supporting me and just letting me be me."
Setter Erica Di Maulo recorded a career milestone of her own after dishing out 42 helpers against the Pirates to become the program's all-time leader with 4,777 assists. Di Maulo passes St. John's great Robyn Kurasaki's former record of 4,751. The senior also notched 12 digs, three service aces and three kills in the win.
Sophomore right side hitter Rachele Rastelli led the way on offense for the Red Storm after putting down a match-high 15 kills while hitting at a .393 clip.
Efrosini Alexakou registered 12 kills and seven digs while middle blocker Hanna Wagner led the team with three blocks.
St. John's got off to a slow start in the opening set after trailing Seton Hall, 6-1. However, the Johnnies tied the score back up midway through the frame after an attack error from the Pirates set the score at 13-13. The two teams traded points until a kill from Rastelli put the Red Storm up by one, 16-15. The Johnnies continued to build off of their momentum, as a service ace from Sheena Yoshioka capped off a 4-0 spurt to give St. John's a five-point lead, 20-15. After an Alexakou kill put the Red Storm at set point, 24-18, a service ace from Amanda Sanabia helped the Johnnies take the first frame, 25-18.
The Red Storm came out swinging in the second set as three kills from Rastelli helped St. John's establish an early nine-point lead, 10-1. Seton Hall struggled to cut the deficit after a service ace from Rastelli helped keep the Johnnies ahead, 15-6. Despite the Pirates putting together a 4-1 run to push Seton Hall within six, 16-10, the Red Storm unloaded kills from Alexakou, Klara Mikelova and Rastelli to keep St. John's on top by nine, 21-12. The two teams traded points before a pair of kills from Mikelova helped the Johnnies capture the second frame, 25-14, and a 2-0 match lead.
St. John's and Seton Hall stood neck-and-neck at the beginning of the third set after the two teams remained knotted up, 7-7. The Red Storm tied the score with the Pirates two more times before a service error from Seton Hall put the Johnnies ahead by two, 15-13. Following a timeout from the Pirates, St. John's scored five unanswered points to establish a seven-point lead, 20-13. Seton Hall's Julia Wilkins kept the Pirates within seven late in the set after putting down back-to-back kills, 23-16. The two teams exchanged points, 24-17, as a kill from Di Maulo closed out the match for the Red Storm, 25-17.
The Johnnies will return to action when the team takes on Seton Hall this Sunday afternoon at Walsh Gymnasium. The start time is slated for 1 p.m.
Set scores were 25-18, 25-14, and 25-17, all in favor of the Red Storm.
Persico's achievement helped the Johnnies establish a four-game win streak and marked the team's third consecutive straight-set victory.
"When you think of [500 career victories], you just think of all the great players that have helped us get to that point," said Persico. "I'm really proud of our product, I'm really proud of all the young players that have played for me and now all of the alumnus that are so successful. I want to thank all of the players who played for me in 1994 and 1995 when I was a rookie coach as well as my first athletic director, the legendary Jack Kaiser. They created the foundation of strong core values in which our program operates and was built on. I'd like to thank my longtime associate head coach Mario Treibit as well as my hard-working and talented assistant Bryan Weber for all of their dedication and loyalty. I want to thank the administration here, our athletic director, all of our senior associate athletic directors and especially our president for believing in me, supporting me and just letting me be me."
Setter Erica Di Maulo recorded a career milestone of her own after dishing out 42 helpers against the Pirates to become the program's all-time leader with 4,777 assists. Di Maulo passes St. John's great Robyn Kurasaki's former record of 4,751. The senior also notched 12 digs, three service aces and three kills in the win.
Sophomore right side hitter Rachele Rastelli led the way on offense for the Red Storm after putting down a match-high 15 kills while hitting at a .393 clip.
Efrosini Alexakou registered 12 kills and seven digs while middle blocker Hanna Wagner led the team with three blocks.
St. John's got off to a slow start in the opening set after trailing Seton Hall, 6-1. However, the Johnnies tied the score back up midway through the frame after an attack error from the Pirates set the score at 13-13. The two teams traded points until a kill from Rastelli put the Red Storm up by one, 16-15. The Johnnies continued to build off of their momentum, as a service ace from Sheena Yoshioka capped off a 4-0 spurt to give St. John's a five-point lead, 20-15. After an Alexakou kill put the Red Storm at set point, 24-18, a service ace from Amanda Sanabia helped the Johnnies take the first frame, 25-18.
The Red Storm came out swinging in the second set as three kills from Rastelli helped St. John's establish an early nine-point lead, 10-1. Seton Hall struggled to cut the deficit after a service ace from Rastelli helped keep the Johnnies ahead, 15-6. Despite the Pirates putting together a 4-1 run to push Seton Hall within six, 16-10, the Red Storm unloaded kills from Alexakou, Klara Mikelova and Rastelli to keep St. John's on top by nine, 21-12. The two teams traded points before a pair of kills from Mikelova helped the Johnnies capture the second frame, 25-14, and a 2-0 match lead.
St. John's and Seton Hall stood neck-and-neck at the beginning of the third set after the two teams remained knotted up, 7-7. The Red Storm tied the score with the Pirates two more times before a service error from Seton Hall put the Johnnies ahead by two, 15-13. Following a timeout from the Pirates, St. John's scored five unanswered points to establish a seven-point lead, 20-13. Seton Hall's Julia Wilkins kept the Pirates within seven late in the set after putting down back-to-back kills, 23-16. The two teams exchanged points, 24-17, as a kill from Di Maulo closed out the match for the Red Storm, 25-17.
The Johnnies will return to action when the team takes on Seton Hall this Sunday afternoon at Walsh Gymnasium. The start time is slated for 1 p.m.
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
RS
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
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