St. John’s Takes Down Ole Miss 3-1 To Open 2023 Campaign

Friday, August 25

Fort Myers, Fla. (Alico Arena)

4 p.m.

St. John's University

1-0,0-0Big East

Ole Miss

0-1,0-0SEC

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
St. John's (NY)	18	25	25	25	3
Ole Miss	25	20	23	23	1

St. John’s Takes Down Ole Miss 3-1 To Open 2023 Campaign

8/25/2023 7:50:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Ole Miss V. St. John's Box Score (PDF)

Friday marks the first Red Storm victory over an SEC opponent in eight years

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The St. John's volleyball team opened up its 2023 season with a 3-1 victory over Ole Miss at the Florida Gulf Coast Invitational in Fort Myers, Fla.

The victory marked the first Red Storm win against an SEC opponent, since Sept. 19, 2015, when it defeated Auburn, 3-0.

"I am super proud of this squad for staying composed and executing our game plan," said Head Coach Joanne Persico. "Credit to Ole Miss as they would not go away, but in the end our team chemistry, hustle and NYC heart prevailed."

After falling in the opening set, the Johnnies rallied for three consecutive wins. The Red Storm took the match by scores of 18-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-23.

Lucrezia Lodi paced the way for the Johnnies, registered 18 kills to go along with five digs. Preseason All-BIG EAST Selection Giorgia Walther finished her season debut with 13 kills at an impressive 37.5 percent clip to go along with six digs. Erin Jones had a team-best 25 assists, which sits just two shy of her career high. Ludovica Zola served her way to a career-high two aces.

Newcomers Rashanny Solano Smith and Sujeili Mermella, each contributed a service ace in their collegiate debuts. Solano also picked up nine digs, while Mermella had 5.

Anna Bair led the way for the Rebels with 15 kills, two digs and an ace, en route to a team-high 18 points. Both Vivian Miller and Julia Dyess provided 12 kills and six digs for Ole Miss. The Rebels contributed 56 kills and 14 total blocks as a team in the loss.

Ole Miss controlled much of the first set, winning it 25-18. The Rebels broke a 7-7 tie with four straight points capped off by a Sasha Ratliff ace. The Johnnies tied things back up at 12 points apiece, which was fueled by two-straight kills by Eleonora Tosi. Ole Miss went on an 8-2 stretch, putting them back on top, 20-15. A Dyess kill closed the door on St. John's and the Rebels took a 1-0 lead in the match.

After not playing in the opening frame, Walther tore up the second set, powering home five kills and digging out two balls. The Johnnies rolled to an early 9-2 lead in the second set, which they never surrendered, powered by 4 combined slams from Walther, Zola and Lodi. Ole Miss slowly crept back into the match, cutting the Red Storm's lead down to one, 16-15, after three straight kills from Miller and Dyess. Three Walther kills and two attack errors on Ole Miss would put them away, 25-20.

The Red Storm eventually prevailed in a back-and-forth third set that featured 13 ties and four lead changes between the two sides. A Lodi kill knotted things up at 22, before the Rebels took nudged ahead. An Ole Miss attack error and two punches from Lodi, quickly closed the frame for the Red Storm, as it took a 2-1 lead into the fourth frame. Lodi led the Johnnies in the third game with seven kills.

After a 9-9 tie early in the fourth set, St. John's went on a 10-4 run to boast a six-point lead, 19-13. The Rebels put together a late rally, going on a 9-2 run to take a 22-21 lead over the Johnnies. A Jones kill tied things back up for the Johnnies and a Tosi kill gave the Johnnies back a lead that they didn't relinquish and solidified starting the 2023 campaign in the win column.

Friday's win marked just the fourth in program history over an SEC school.

The Johnnies will return to the court tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. when they take on Arizona State.