Volleyball Prepares for BIG EAST Competition

QUEENS, N.Y. - St. John's volleyball (4-8, 0-0 BIG EAST) will open BIG EAST conference play at home for the fourth straight season at Carnesecca Arena this weekend, with matches against Villanova and Georgetown. The Red Storm have won each of its last three BIG EAST home openers, dating back to a 3-0 win over Providence in 2022.

First serve against the Wildcats (9-2, 0-0 BIG EAST) is set for 7 p.m. on Friday evening, and Hoyas (7-6, 0-0 BIG EAST) ready for a 5 p.m. start on Saturday. Both matches this weekend will be streamed on ESPN+.

Entering BIG EAST play, Head Coach Joanne Persico is within three wins of 600 career victories. Persico, in her 32^ndseason at the helm, ranks 15th among active head coaches in career wins. The four-time BIG EAST regular season champion is the winningest head coach at a single BIG EAST program.

At the Syracuse Invitational last weekend, the Red Storm clashed with Le Moyne for the first time and walked away with the inaugural win, as six different Johnnies recorded kills in a convincing 3-0 decision. The following day, St. John's downed Siena 3-1 behind a then season-high 54 team kills. Later that evening, the Johnnies played a five-set thriller against Syracuse setting their season-high of 55 team kills but ultimately fell short. Rashanny Solano Smith and Chloe Bell were named to the All-Tournament Team for their efforts.

Senior Erin Jones was named the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll, the conference announced on Monday afternoon. The Albuquerque, N.M., native collected her third and fourth triple-doubles of the season against Siena and Syracuse, adding a double-double against Le Moyne. She finished the tournament averaging 3.16 kills per set, 5.0 assists per set and 2.50 digs per set.

The week prior, the opposite hitter was tabbed the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week for her contributions during the Jack Kaiser Volleyball Classic. Heading into conference play Jones leads the team with 3.15 kills, adding 3.33 assists and 2.48 digs per set.

Villanova enters the weekend with a top three record in the BIG EAST. The team started the season 8-0, picking up key wins over Notre Dame and Fairfield in the early going. However, last weekend the Wildcats suffered their first setbacks of the season, dropping back-to-back matches to South Dakota and Drake. Villanova then rebounded with a 3-2 victory over Wichita State to register their ninth win of the season. The Wildcats are undefeated in five set matches, sporting a 3-0 record heading into conference matches. Abby Harrell leads Villanova in kills per set with 3.84, good enough for fifth in the conference and Alyssa Nelson paces the offense with 6.21 assists per set. Preseason All-BIG EAST selection Campbell McKinnon currently leads the BIG EAST in hitting percentage, swinging at a .478 clip.

Similarly, Georgetown enters the weekend as one of the hottest teams in the conference, winning six of its last seven matches.  Last weekend, the Hoyas went 2-1 with victories over Norfolk State and Charleston Southern. They fell in a competitive 3-2 match at Clemson, which is the only five-set blemish on the season after winning their previous four matches that went the full distance. Dionna Mitchell leads the team with 3.13 kills per set and Juleigh Urbina dishes out 6.47 assists per set to pace the Georgetown offensive efforts. Jade Smith averages 2.59 digs per set and is one of three Hoyas to average more than 2 digs per set. Head Coach AJ Bonetti entered his first season at the helm of the program at the beginning of the 2025 campaign. Before Georgetown, Bonetti was an assistant coach at Maryland.

Prior to the start of the match on Friday, the team and the athletic department will honor St. John's alum Derek "DJ" Southerland, who passed away in April. He was a member of the SJU-TV Production team and a devoted fan of all Red Storm athletic programs. Commemorative rally towels will be given away to the first 500 fans. Before the tribute, St. John's will spotlight its NIVC Fab Four banner to highlight the program's best postseason finish.

Following the weekend, St. John's goes on the road to face Providence next Friday at 7 p.m. in Rhode Island. The next day, the Johnnies make their way to Storrs for a 4 p.m. match with UConn.

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Players Mentioned

Chloe Bell

Erin Jones

Rashanny Solano Smith

St. John's University Athletics