St. John’s Defeats Colgate in Four Sets

Saturday, September 4

Albany, N.Y. (University Gym)

4 p.m.

St. John's University

2-4,0-0Big East

Colgate

1-4,0-0Patriot

St. John's (NY)

Colgate

9/4/2021 8:05:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

St. John’s goes 2-1 in Albany

ALBANY, N.Y. (Sept. 4, 2021) – The St. John's volleyball team defeated Colgate, 3-1, at SEFCU Arena on Saturday. The match was the last for the Red Storm in the Crowne Plaza Albany – The Desmond Hotel Volleyball Classic.

Both Rachele Rastelli and Eleonora Tosi were named to the All- Tournament Team. The two Johnnies join a duo from Cornell, Casey Justus and Joanna Chang, Colgate's Libby Overmyer and UAlbany's Regan Wright.

St. John's (2-4) took the first frame, 25-18, before the Raiders took the second set, 25-18. The Johnnies then closed the match with set victories of 25-11 and 25-16.

After recording her 1,000th kill yesterday, Rastelli put down a match-high 17 kills against Colgate (1-3). The senior also added in three service aces.

Efrosini Alexakou followed Rastelli with 16 kills to go along with one service ace and 15 digs. Giorgia Walther contributed eight kills and one service ace while Tiziana Baumrukova tallied 50 assists, two kills, one service ace and the lone St. John's block of the afternoon. Tosi added in 11 kills along with five block assists.

"I'm super proud of our squad today," said Head Coach Joanne Persico. "Through some injury adversity this team learned how to close out matches. I am very excited for the future of St. John's as we continue to grow together. I am extremely proud of Rastelli as she reached her 1,000th kill in a St. John's uniform. What an outstanding accomplishment."

Ahead 3-2 in the early going of the first set, an Alexakou kill sparked a 15-5 run to quickly stretch the Johnnies' lead to 10, 17-7. The Raiders responded with four straight points to lessen St. John's lead before the Red Storm put forth 5-0 spurt to open the lead back up, 23-11. Colgate battled to narrow the St. John's lead to six, 24-18, before Alexakou closed out the set with a kill.

With the second set tied at 12, an attack error by Alexakou sent Colgate on an 8-1 spurt to open a seven-point lead, 20-13. The Johnnies responded with consecutive points to pull within five, but were unable to get any closer, as the Raiders took the set, 25-18, and evened the match at one a side.

St. John's dominated the third set, closing on a 17-4 run to move ahead in the match, 2-1. Alexakou tallied six kills for the Red Storm on that decisive tear. Rastelli also recorded six kills in the third set alone.

St. John's came out strong in the fourth set, taking seven of the first 10 points to force a quick Colgate timeout. Colgate clawed back within two, 9-7, but that was as close as the Raiders would get the rest of the way, as a 10-2 run later in the set opened a double-digit lead that all but sealed the match for the Red Storm.

The Red Storm will return to action on Tuesday afternoon with its home opener against Rhode Island. The match is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. in Taffner Field House.