St. John's University Athletics
Friday, October 31
Queens, N.Y. (Carnesecca Arena)
7 p.m.
St. John's University
3
vs
1
UConn
Persico Notches 600th Career Victory; Volleyball Downs UConn in a Friday Night Thriller, 3-1
10/31/2025 10:57:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Persico becomes the first volleyball head coach in BIG EAST history to reach 600-win milestone
QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John's volleyball team (7-17, 3-8 BIG EAST) secured a much-needed home victory over UConn (16-7, 5-6 BIG EAST) on Friday night, 3-1. Head Coach Joanne Persico cemented herself in St. John's and BIG EAST history, collecting her 600th career victory. Persico is the first volleyball head coach in league history to collect 600 wins.
Persico becomes the 16th active head coach to reach the 600-win milestone. The Queens, N.Y., native is in her 32nd year at the helm of the volleyball program, the only head coach in its history. A three-time BIG EAST Coach of the Year, Persico is the winningest head coach at a single BIG EAST program.
During her tenure, she has led the Red Storm to an NCAA Round of 16 appearance, three NCAA Tournament selections, an NIVC Fab Four appearance, four regular season BIG EAST Championships and two BIG EAST Tournament titles.
The set scores were 15-25, 25-16, 25-17 and 25-22. After dropping the first set, the Red Storm powered past the Huskies behind a .317 hitting percentage across sets two through four. St. John's saw offensive production from seven different players, including three in double figures. Defensively, the Johnnies posted a season-best 66 digs in a four-set match along with 10 total team blocks.
Ella Parker and Martina Ghezzi paced the St. John's attacking unit with 15 kills, followed by Chloe Bell with a career-high 10 kills. Erin Jones quarterbacked the offense with 34 assists. On the defensive side of the net, Rashanny Solano Smith collected a match-high 21 digs. Jones followed with 16 digs to notch her sixth double-double of the season and was one kill away from a triple-double, finishing with nine. Ludovica Zola, Kya Harris, Bell ad Ghezzi each registered two total blocks.
The two teams traded points early in the first set to a 7-7 tie before UConn went on a 6-2 run to force a St. John's timeout. The Huskies extended the lead to as many as 12 enroute to taking the frame, 25-15.
The Red Storm responded with a 10-3 run to open the second frame. A Bell kil and a Zola block pushed the lead to 13-6. St. John's lead opened to as many as seven at 17-10 and maintained a healthy lead as the frame progressed. After a UConn service error triggered set point, Ghezzi sealed the frame with a cross-court rocket to take the frame, 25-16, and level the match at a set apiece.
St. John's carried the momentum into the third stanza, highlighted by Jones. After firing a kill, the Albuquerque, N.M., native served back-to-back aces and forced the Huskies to take a timeout at 8-3. The Red Storm continued to apply pressure and the lead grew to six at 13-7. After another UConn timeout, Parker notched her 10th kill of the match and put the Johnnies ahead by nine, 16-9. The Huskies came back to cut the lead to two at 19-17, but a Bell kill put an end to the run. With the Douglasville, Ga., native at the service line, the Red Storm rattled off five straight to take the stanza, 25-17, and a 2-1 set advantage.
UConn opened the fourth set with a lead, but the Johnnies tied it at 6-6 following a Solano Smith kill. The Huskies went up two points, but the edge was erased on a highlight solo rejection by Ghezzi, 13-13. Both squads went point for point down the stretch, exchanging haymakers to 20-20. The Red Storm ended the set on a 5-2 run, 25-22, cementing the win and Persico's name in the history books.
St. John's is back in action tomorrow afternoon for its second match of the season with Providence. Prior to the match, the program will celebrate Alumni Day a pre-match reception at 1 p.m., followed by a 3 p.m. first serve with the Friars.
Persico becomes the 16th active head coach to reach the 600-win milestone. The Queens, N.Y., native is in her 32nd year at the helm of the volleyball program, the only head coach in its history. A three-time BIG EAST Coach of the Year, Persico is the winningest head coach at a single BIG EAST program.
During her tenure, she has led the Red Storm to an NCAA Round of 16 appearance, three NCAA Tournament selections, an NIVC Fab Four appearance, four regular season BIG EAST Championships and two BIG EAST Tournament titles.
The set scores were 15-25, 25-16, 25-17 and 25-22. After dropping the first set, the Red Storm powered past the Huskies behind a .317 hitting percentage across sets two through four. St. John's saw offensive production from seven different players, including three in double figures. Defensively, the Johnnies posted a season-best 66 digs in a four-set match along with 10 total team blocks.
Ella Parker and Martina Ghezzi paced the St. John's attacking unit with 15 kills, followed by Chloe Bell with a career-high 10 kills. Erin Jones quarterbacked the offense with 34 assists. On the defensive side of the net, Rashanny Solano Smith collected a match-high 21 digs. Jones followed with 16 digs to notch her sixth double-double of the season and was one kill away from a triple-double, finishing with nine. Ludovica Zola, Kya Harris, Bell ad Ghezzi each registered two total blocks.
The two teams traded points early in the first set to a 7-7 tie before UConn went on a 6-2 run to force a St. John's timeout. The Huskies extended the lead to as many as 12 enroute to taking the frame, 25-15.
The Red Storm responded with a 10-3 run to open the second frame. A Bell kil and a Zola block pushed the lead to 13-6. St. John's lead opened to as many as seven at 17-10 and maintained a healthy lead as the frame progressed. After a UConn service error triggered set point, Ghezzi sealed the frame with a cross-court rocket to take the frame, 25-16, and level the match at a set apiece.
St. John's carried the momentum into the third stanza, highlighted by Jones. After firing a kill, the Albuquerque, N.M., native served back-to-back aces and forced the Huskies to take a timeout at 8-3. The Red Storm continued to apply pressure and the lead grew to six at 13-7. After another UConn timeout, Parker notched her 10th kill of the match and put the Johnnies ahead by nine, 16-9. The Huskies came back to cut the lead to two at 19-17, but a Bell kill put an end to the run. With the Douglasville, Ga., native at the service line, the Red Storm rattled off five straight to take the stanza, 25-17, and a 2-1 set advantage.
UConn opened the fourth set with a lead, but the Johnnies tied it at 6-6 following a Solano Smith kill. The Huskies went up two points, but the edge was erased on a highlight solo rejection by Ghezzi, 13-13. Both squads went point for point down the stretch, exchanging haymakers to 20-20. The Red Storm ended the set on a 5-2 run, 25-22, cementing the win and Persico's name in the history books.
St. John's is back in action tomorrow afternoon for its second match of the season with Providence. Prior to the match, the program will celebrate Alumni Day a pre-match reception at 1 p.m., followed by a 3 p.m. first serve with the Friars.
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
S/RH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
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