Red Storm Sweeps Providence for Fourth Straight Win

Saturday, March 20

Queens, N.Y. (Carnesecca Arena)

3 PM ET

St. John's University

9-3 (5-2)

Providence College

5-3 (3-3)

Providence

St. John's

Red Storm Sweeps Providence for Fourth Straight Win

3/20/2021 7:10:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

The Johnnies picked up back-to-back victories over the Friars this weekend

By: Jared Anderson

QUEENS, N.Y. (March 20, 2021) – The St. John's volleyball team captured its fourth straight BIG EAST victory on Saturday afternoon, taking down Providence in straight sets at Carnesecca Arena.

Set scores were 25-10, 25-15, and 25-17, all in favor of the Red Storm.

Maria Angelica Palacios was nearly unstoppable on the offensive side of the ball, racking up nine kills on 13 attacks. The senior middle blocker posted a .538 hitting percentage while adding one block and one dig.

Tiziana Baumrukova tallied a match-high 31 assists in the win. The Johnnies' setter also recorded three digs, two blocks and two kills.

Sophomore libero Iliana Rodriguez led both teams with 16 digs while sending out two aces and one assist.

Rachele Rastelli registered 10 kills and five blocks, hitting at a .529 clip. Efrosini Alexakou also notched 10 kills for the Red Storm and upped nine balls.

Junior middle blocker Ariadni Kathariou was a force on defense, reeling in a match-high seven blocks. She also picked up four kills and four digs.

St. John's (9-3, 5-2 BIG EAST) jumped out to a quick six-point lead in the opening frame, 9-3. Providence (5-3, 3-3 BIG EAST) scored two of the next three points, 10-5, before the Red Storm ran off on an 8-1 spurt with a kill from Palacios putting the Johnnies up by 12, 18-6. St. John's continued to dominate, as Palacios put down her sixth kill on her seventh attack to place the Johnnies at set point, 24-9. The Friars scored on the next play, 24-10, but a kill from Alexakou gave the Red Storm the first frame, 25-10.

The Johnnies went on top by four to start the second, 10-6. After Providence knotted the score with a kill from Emma Nelson, 13-13, the Red Storm sounded off on an 8-1 stanza to take a seven-point lead, 21-14. The Friars notched a kill on the following play, 21-15. However, a pair of kills from Kathariou and Rastelli closed out a 4-0 run to give St. John's the second set, 25-15, and a 2-0 match lead.

The Friars came out determined in the third, grabbing an 8-4 lead. The Johnnies responded by scoring five straight points to go on top by one, 9-8. The two programs continued to battle it out, as Providence picked up an ace to stay within one midway through the frame, 14-13. A 6-1 spurt helped the Red Storm pull away with an ace from Jordan McCalla giving St. John's a six-point lead, 20-14. Despite the Friars scoring on the next two plays, 20-16, the Johnnies put together a 5-1 scoring run to secure the third set and match, 25-17.

St. John's will take on Villanova in its final match of the regular season this Tuesday at Carnesecca Arena. The contest is slated for a 5 p.m. start time.