St. John’s Drops OUTRIGGER Invitational Opener to Utah Valley, 3-0

Thursday, September 4

Honolulu, Hawaii (Stan Sheriff Center)

10:45 p.m. ET

St. John's University

0-4,0-0Big East

Utah Valley

3-2,0-0WAC

Utah Valley

St. John's (NY)

St. John’s Drops OUTRIGGER Invitational Opener to Utah Valley, 3-0

9/5/2025 10:17:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Utah Valley BoxScore

The match featured 20 tied scores and 10 lead changes

HONOLULU, Hawaii (Sept. 5, 2025)- The St. John's volleyball program fell in their OUTRIGGER Invitational opener late Thursday night against Utah Valley.

The Johnnies (0-4, 0-0 BIG EAST) were able to push past 25 points in the third set, but ultimately fell to Wolverines (3-2, 0-0 WAC) in straight stanzas. The scores of the frames were 25-23, 25-14 and 29-27.

As a team, the St. John's attack saw nine different players register a kill and only three players collected five or more. On the defensive side of the net, the Red Storm blocked a season-high six blocks.

Senior Erin Jones led the home team attack with eight kills. A pair of freshmen in Martina Capponcelli would pace the team with 18 assists and Martina Ghezzi with 12 digs.
To start the first set, both the Wolverines and the Red Storm traded points to 3-3. A Jones kill fueled a 4-0 run for the home team, but the visitors responded a 4-0 run of their own. Neither team was able to build any substantial lead and traded points throughout the set. St. John's was able to take advantage of several attack and service errors by the Wolverines. However, late in the frame the visitors went on a 5-2 run and take the lead, 20-19, their first lead since the 2-1 mark. On the brink of set point, a kill from Jones and blocks from Chloe Bell and Ludovica Zola forced Utah Valley to take a timeout. The stoppage proved to be successful as an Avery Page kill gave the visitors the first set, 25-23.

A block from Bell got things started in the second frame, as teams went back-and-forth bringing the score to 5-5. Following a Zola kill and a Capponcelli service ace, the Utah Valley went on a 6-1 run bringing the score to 11-8. As teams traded points during the middle part of the stanza, the Wolverine lead would bubble to as many as five, forcing St. John's to take a timeout at 15-10. The visitors continued to grow, ending the set on a 6-0 run, 25-14.

To open the third set, Utah Valley came out flying with a quick 6-2 run, as both Red Storm points came from opposing service errors. The first point scored by the home team offense came from Kendall White, but a series of Wolverine points forced St. John's to take their first timeout of the set at 10-3. Coming out of the timeout, the trading of points continued as Utah Valley held onto their lead. Thanks to back-to-back service aces from Rashanny Solano Smith, the Johnnies were able to generate a small run to cut the lead to four at 14-10. Later in the set, a 5-1 St. John's run capped off with a White and Kya Harris block forced the visitors to take a timeout, 22-20. Out of the timeout, another Harris block brought the Johnnies within one, 22-21. On the verge of match point, the Red Storm clawed back and used a service error and blocks from White and Harris to have a set point of their own at 25-24. In the end, the visitors were able to rattle off two points and bring an end to the marathon third set, 29-27.

The Red Storm are back in action Friday for the second match of the OUTRIGGER Invitational. First serve against San Jose State is for 10:45 p.m. ET in Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.