St. John’s Comes Out on Top of Five-Set Match against Georgetown

Friday, October 29

Washington, D.C. (McDonough Arena)

5 p.m.

St. John's University

14-11,5-6Big East

Georgetown

5-17,1-10Big East

St. John's (NY)

Georgetown

St. John’s Comes Out on Top of Five-Set Match against Georgetown

10/29/2021 9:37:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Rachele Rastelli posted a career-high 35 kills

By: Jamie Goerke

WASHINGTON (Oct. 29, 2021) – The St. John's volleyball team defeated Georgetown in five sets on Friday night.

St. John's (14-11, 5-6 BIG EAST) took the first set by a wide margin of 25-15, before narrowly dropping the next two sets, 25-23, and 27-25. The Red Storm finished the match with set four and set five scores of 27-25, and 15-10, respectively.

Reigning BIG EAST Offensive Player of The Week Rachele Rastelli posted a career-high 35 kills on a .453 hitting percentage in the victory. Coupled with a service ace and seven block assists, Rastelli was responsible for 39.5 points of the Red Storm's 87.

The Parma, Italy, native was the last Johnnie to score more than 30 kills in a game when she recorded her then-career high 31 kills against Boston College earlier in the season. 35 kills is the most kills in a single game since Jackie Ahlers hit 35 kills against Princeton on Sept. 18, 2004. The Red Storm record for single-game kills in 39, set by Olga Roudovski (1997-2000).

35 kills lands Rastelli first in the BIG EAST and fifth in the nation for single-game kills in a five-set match this season.

Giorgia Walther tallied 10 kills, nine digs, four block assists and one ace while Ariadni Kathariou hit seven kills on a .462 clip along with the lone Red Storm solo block and 13 block assists. The 14 blocks for Kathariou are the most in a single match for a BIG EAST player this season. Iliana Rodriguez added in three service aces and 12 digs while Eleonora Tosi also threw in one service ace.

Tiziana Baumrukova and Wiktoria Kowalczyk both added in a kill along with 31 and 19 helpers, respectively. Kowalcyzk also added in a service ace. Sheena Yoshioka contributed a team-high 17 digs.

"I'm super proud of our squad today for grinding out another BIG EAST road win against a hungry and well-coached Georgetown team," said Head Coach Joanne Persico. "I thought Rastelli put on her superwoman volleyball cape, flew to the sets and crushed it. Overall, an outstanding job for our squad."

St. John's got off to an early 4-0 run in the first set led by Rodriguez with back-to-back aces. It was full steam ahead for the Red Storm as it dominated the first set with a score of 25-15. Rastelli put in five kills on a .444 clip while Kathariou added in three kills on a .750 clip. The Johnnies held Georgetown (5-7, 1-10 BIG EAST) to just seven kills on a .000 clip.

Down, 9-2, in the second set, St. John's jumped out to a 12-2 spurt to get ahead, 14-11. Rastelli notched four kills in the run. Tied at 23, an attack error and a Chanelle Smith kill gave the Hoyas the set, 25-23.

The third set was a back-and-forth affair up until the end. Three consecutive points gave Georgetown the set, 27-25.

The Red Storm was up 10-6 in the fourth set when the Hoyas took the lead, 12-11, on a 6-1 run. After a tie at 14, Georgetown held a lead until a Rastelli kill tied the set at 23. Tied again at 25, a service error and Rastelli kill pushed St. John's to a 27-25 set victory.

The fifth set was all St. John's as it recorded four of the first five points to get an early 4-1 lead. It was an attack error that closed the set, 15-10, and the match, 3-2.

The Red Storm continues its road trip on Saturday night at 7 p.m. at Villanova.