St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
11-5,2-1Big East
Villanova
5-10,1-2Big East
St. John’s Drops BIG EAST Road Opener at Villanova, 3-1
9/30/2022 10:57:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Red Storm snaps eight match win streak
VILLANOVA, Pa. (Sept. 30, 2022) – The St. John's volleyball team struggled to find a groove as the Red Storm fell to Villanova, 3-1, at Jake Nevin Fieldhouse on Friday night.
Reigning BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week, Rachele Rastelli notched a match-high 16 kills. The NCAA assists' leader, Wiktoria Kowalczyk tallied 36 assists and seven digs. Lucrezia Lodi registered a team-high 10 digs, nine kills, and five service aces. Giorgia Walther also added nine kills.
Villanova (5-10, 1-2 BIG EAST) used its home court advantage in the first set, earning the 25-15 victory to start the match. In front of a packed house, the Wildcats executed an 8-1 run to jump out to a 13-5 lead and never looked back. Magda Stambrowska and Lodi led the attack for the Red Storm (11-5, 2-1 BIG EAST) with three kills each.
The Wildcats kept the momentum from the first frame into the second stanza, recording the 25-21 victory. The Red Storm showed fight in the set, forcing seven ties and four lead changes. Rastelli led the way during the set as she notched a set-high five kills.
St. John's broke out quickly and led for the entirety of the third stanza. The Red Storm established control early in the set by holfing the 5-1 edge. A 4-0 run that included a pair of blocks from the Johnnie squad put the team ahead, 20-12, late in the frame. Lodi closed the 25-16 victory with three consecutive aces while Walther led the offensive attack with five kills.
Villanova sought revenge in the fourth set, jumping out to a 14-2 lead. The Johnnies responded with a 9-0 run of their own, cutting the deficit to three. The advantage was just enough for the Wildcats as Riley Homer ended the Johnnie comeback with a kill to give Villanova the 15-11 edge. Despite a back-and-forth battle, Villanova tallied three-straight points to take the fourth set, 25-17.
The Red Storm will conclude its two-match road trip with a 5 p.m. contest at Georgetown Saturday night at McDonough Arena.
