St. John's University Athletics
Three Johnnies Named to Volleyball Preseason All-BIG EAST Team; St. John’s Picked to Finish Fourth
8/21/2025 11:27:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Erin Jones, Lucerzia Lodi and Rashanny Solano Smith selected to 12-player preseason all-conference team
NEW YORK– A trio of St. John's volleyball players were named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, as announced by the conference office on Thursday. Seniors Erin Jones and Lucrezia Lodi and junior Rashanny Solano Smith were selected for the honor.
As a team, the Red Storm were picked to finish fourth in the coach's poll. This is the fourth consecutive year that St. John's has been projected to finish in the top four.
After finishing fourth in the BIG EAST last season, St. John's accumulated 79 points in the coach's poll. Creighton received all first-place votes, with Marquette (84) and UConn (80) in a close race for second with the Johnnies on their heels. Creighton has won the BIG EAST 10 of the last 11 seasons, with the Red Storm winning the conference title in 2019 to break up the Bluejay run.
Jones, Lodi and Solano Smith are a part of the 14-player team as selected by the 11 coaches of the conference. The three honorees match the program's highest since 2019, when Efrosini Alexakou, Amanda Sanabia and Erica DiMaulo. This is Jones's second Preseason Team honor and second unanimous selection, Lodi's second honor and Solano Smith's first.
Jones has been one of the best players in the BIG EAST over the past three seasons. Most notably setting the conference record for triple-doubles in a season with eight in 2024. She finished the year with 504 kills, 316 assists and 405 digs, all while swinging a .275 hitting percentage. Those marks were good enough to be in the top five in kills, top 15 in hitting % and digs, and tied for most aces in five set matches (5). The Albuquerque, N.M. native, finished the year with a unanimous All-BIG EAST Team selection and an AVCA North All-Region Team honor.
Lodi returns to Queens for her final year, as she comes in as one of the best hitters in the BIG EAST. During the 2024 campaign, the Italian native amassed 362 total kills, 2.81 K/S, and 244 total digs. On Oct. 24, 2024, the outside hitter set a career-high 24 kills in a win over Villanova, which marked one of the top-five highest kill marks in a single-match during the 2024 season.
After a busy off season playing for her home country of Costa Rica, Solano Smith will look to solidify herself as one of the best liberos in the conference. Being named as one of two liberos on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, the junior recorded 519 total digs in 2024 ranking third in the conference and fourth in digs per set. She recorded double-digit digs in all but five games last season.
Led by Head Coach Joanne Persico, the St. John's volleyball program open their season on Friday, August 29 at the Louisville Invitational. First serve against Morehead State is set for 4:30 p.m ET.
BIG EAST Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll (first-place votes)
Creighton (10) 100
Marquette (1) 85
UConn 80
St. John's 79
Villanova 63
DePaul 53
Xavier 47
Seton Hall 31
Butler 29
Georgetown 27
Providence 11
Preseason BIG EAST Volleyball Player of the Year: Ava Martin, Sr., OH, Creighton
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
McKenna Brand, So., L/DS, UConn
Doga Kutlu, Gr., S, UConn
Emma Werkmeister, Sr., OH, UConn
Jaya Johnson, So., RS/MB, Creighton
Ava Martin, Sr., OH, Creighton*
Kiara Reinhardt, Sr., MB, Creighton*
Hattie Bray, Sr., MB, Marquette*
Natalie Ring, Jr., OH, Marquette
Erin Jones, Sr., S/RS, St. John's*
Lucrezia Lodi, Sr., OH, St. John's
Rashanny Solano Smith, Jr., L/DS, St. John's
Abby Harrell, Jr., OH, Villanova
Campbell McKinnon, So., MB, Villanova
Margo Kemp, RS-So., MB, Xavier
^Denotes tie in voting
*Denotes unanimous selection
As a team, the Red Storm were picked to finish fourth in the coach's poll. This is the fourth consecutive year that St. John's has been projected to finish in the top four.
After finishing fourth in the BIG EAST last season, St. John's accumulated 79 points in the coach's poll. Creighton received all first-place votes, with Marquette (84) and UConn (80) in a close race for second with the Johnnies on their heels. Creighton has won the BIG EAST 10 of the last 11 seasons, with the Red Storm winning the conference title in 2019 to break up the Bluejay run.
Jones, Lodi and Solano Smith are a part of the 14-player team as selected by the 11 coaches of the conference. The three honorees match the program's highest since 2019, when Efrosini Alexakou, Amanda Sanabia and Erica DiMaulo. This is Jones's second Preseason Team honor and second unanimous selection, Lodi's second honor and Solano Smith's first.
Jones has been one of the best players in the BIG EAST over the past three seasons. Most notably setting the conference record for triple-doubles in a season with eight in 2024. She finished the year with 504 kills, 316 assists and 405 digs, all while swinging a .275 hitting percentage. Those marks were good enough to be in the top five in kills, top 15 in hitting % and digs, and tied for most aces in five set matches (5). The Albuquerque, N.M. native, finished the year with a unanimous All-BIG EAST Team selection and an AVCA North All-Region Team honor.
Lodi returns to Queens for her final year, as she comes in as one of the best hitters in the BIG EAST. During the 2024 campaign, the Italian native amassed 362 total kills, 2.81 K/S, and 244 total digs. On Oct. 24, 2024, the outside hitter set a career-high 24 kills in a win over Villanova, which marked one of the top-five highest kill marks in a single-match during the 2024 season.
After a busy off season playing for her home country of Costa Rica, Solano Smith will look to solidify herself as one of the best liberos in the conference. Being named as one of two liberos on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, the junior recorded 519 total digs in 2024 ranking third in the conference and fourth in digs per set. She recorded double-digit digs in all but five games last season.
Led by Head Coach Joanne Persico, the St. John's volleyball program open their season on Friday, August 29 at the Louisville Invitational. First serve against Morehead State is set for 4:30 p.m ET.
BIG EAST Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll (first-place votes)
Creighton (10) 100
Marquette (1) 85
UConn 80
St. John's 79
Villanova 63
DePaul 53
Xavier 47
Seton Hall 31
Butler 29
Georgetown 27
Providence 11
Preseason BIG EAST Volleyball Player of the Year: Ava Martin, Sr., OH, Creighton
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
McKenna Brand, So., L/DS, UConn
Doga Kutlu, Gr., S, UConn
Emma Werkmeister, Sr., OH, UConn
Jaya Johnson, So., RS/MB, Creighton
Ava Martin, Sr., OH, Creighton*
Kiara Reinhardt, Sr., MB, Creighton*
Hattie Bray, Sr., MB, Marquette*
Natalie Ring, Jr., OH, Marquette
Erin Jones, Sr., S/RS, St. John's*
Lucrezia Lodi, Sr., OH, St. John's
Rashanny Solano Smith, Jr., L/DS, St. John's
Abby Harrell, Jr., OH, Villanova
Campbell McKinnon, So., MB, Villanova
Margo Kemp, RS-So., MB, Xavier
^Denotes tie in voting
*Denotes unanimous selection
Players Mentioned
S/RH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
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