St. John's University Athletics
Friday, August 28
Norfolk, Va.
1 p.m.
St. John's University
vs
Elon
Photo by: Brittney Dietz
St. John’s Volleyball Opens 2026 Campaign at the Quest for the Crown
8/26/2026 2:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Live Stats vs. ElonLive Stats at Old DominionLive Stats vs. USC UpstateMatch Notes 1-32026 Volleyball Record Book
Action from Norfolk, Va., begins on Friday afternoon at the Old Dominion Volleyball Center
QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John's volleyball team is set to kick off its 33rd season this weekend at the Quest for the Crown, hosted by Old Dominion in Norfolk, Va. Action from the Old Dominion Volleyball Center begins on Friday with a pair of matches against Elon at 1 p.m. and Old Dominion at 7 p.m. The following day, the Red Storm will square off against USC Upstate for a noon first-serve.
Live stats for the 2026 opening weekend can be found at RedStormSports.com.
Head Coach Joanne Persico and her squad look to continue the momentum from the end of the 2025 season, when they won four of their last six BIG EAST matches. Both losses came at the hands of teams who made it at least the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. St. John's began the run when Persico claimed her 600th career victory over UConn on Halloween night in Carnesecca Arena.
The Red Storm followed with victories over Providence, DePaul and Seton Hall, to bring her victory total to 603. The fifth longest active head coach at a single Division I volleyball program, Persico ranks 12th among active Division I skippers. The four-time hall of famer is believed to be the only person in BIG EAST Conference history to be named Player of the Year and Coach of the Year in the same sport. In 1986, she was named the BIG EAST Player of the Year during her senior season at Syracuse. Persico won BIG EAST Coach of the Year in 2006 and had twice led the Coaching Staff of the Year (2018 and 2023).
Upon the conclusion of the 2025 regular season, senior Rashanny Solano Smith was named the BIG EAST Libero of the Year. Solano Smith became the 15th player in St. John's volleyball history to win a BIG EAST major award, and the first major award winner since Persico led the 2023 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. The Costa Rica native became the first St. John's player to win Libero of the Year since Amanda Sanabia did so in 2018.
The defensive maestro was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST time last Thursday, marking the second time she has made the preseason all-league team. Solano Smith was the only libero named to the squad.
In addition to Solano Smith, six student-athletes return from last year's roster. St. John's Volleyball welcomed a total of 10 new players this summer, a combination of five freshmen and five transfers.
The Red Storm will begin the Quest for the Crown with a matchup against Elon. St. John's holds a 2-0 record over the Phoenix, with both contests taking place at a neutral site.
The last time the two teams played each other was on Sept. 10, 2005, when the Johnnies came out with a 3-1 win.
Head Coach Matt Troy enters his second season leading the Phoenix. Troy returns 11 of his 15 players from a season ago, including a Preseason All-CAA Honorable Mention pick in Catherine Rucker. Last year, Rucker anchored the front line as a middle blocker and rejected a total of 63.0 shots, while registering 131 kills.
Friday's contest against Old Dominion will be the first time St. John's has played the Monarchs. ODU is in just its seventh year of existence as a Division I program, all of which have been under the direction of Head Coach Fred Chao. Elisa Maggi enters her senior season coming off a year when she fired 315 kills as an opposite hitter. She also notched 353 digs, averaging 3.84 per set.
St. John's will conclude the weekend with its first match with USC Upstate. This will be the first time that the two institutions will play each other in any sport. USC Upstate is coming off a 14-14 year in 2025. The squad went 7-7 in Big South play, falling in the first round of the Big South Tournament to UNC Ashville, 3-0.
The Spartans were selected to finish third in the conference's coaches' poll and received three All-Big South Preseason Team nods. The reigning Big South Setter of the Year, Kamyla Vega David returns for her junior campaign following an impressive season. The First Team All-Big South selection dished out 1,120 assists and was named Preseason Setter of the Year and earned a spot on the all-league preseason team.
Following this weekend's tournament, the Johnnies will return to Queens and host the Lou Carnesecca Invitational. Previously known as the Red Storm Invitational, the Carnesecca Invitational honors the legacy of Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and former St. John's basketball head coach Lou Carnesecca.
The Red Storm will play host to Rider, UAB and East Texas A&M from Sept. 4-5 in Carnesecca Arena. This will mark the first time UAB and East Texas A&M will match up with the Red Storm in each program's history.
Live stats for the 2026 opening weekend can be found at RedStormSports.com.
Head Coach Joanne Persico and her squad look to continue the momentum from the end of the 2025 season, when they won four of their last six BIG EAST matches. Both losses came at the hands of teams who made it at least the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. St. John's began the run when Persico claimed her 600th career victory over UConn on Halloween night in Carnesecca Arena.
The Red Storm followed with victories over Providence, DePaul and Seton Hall, to bring her victory total to 603. The fifth longest active head coach at a single Division I volleyball program, Persico ranks 12th among active Division I skippers. The four-time hall of famer is believed to be the only person in BIG EAST Conference history to be named Player of the Year and Coach of the Year in the same sport. In 1986, she was named the BIG EAST Player of the Year during her senior season at Syracuse. Persico won BIG EAST Coach of the Year in 2006 and had twice led the Coaching Staff of the Year (2018 and 2023).
Upon the conclusion of the 2025 regular season, senior Rashanny Solano Smith was named the BIG EAST Libero of the Year. Solano Smith became the 15th player in St. John's volleyball history to win a BIG EAST major award, and the first major award winner since Persico led the 2023 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. The Costa Rica native became the first St. John's player to win Libero of the Year since Amanda Sanabia did so in 2018.
The defensive maestro was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST time last Thursday, marking the second time she has made the preseason all-league team. Solano Smith was the only libero named to the squad.
In addition to Solano Smith, six student-athletes return from last year's roster. St. John's Volleyball welcomed a total of 10 new players this summer, a combination of five freshmen and five transfers.
The Red Storm will begin the Quest for the Crown with a matchup against Elon. St. John's holds a 2-0 record over the Phoenix, with both contests taking place at a neutral site.
The last time the two teams played each other was on Sept. 10, 2005, when the Johnnies came out with a 3-1 win.
Head Coach Matt Troy enters his second season leading the Phoenix. Troy returns 11 of his 15 players from a season ago, including a Preseason All-CAA Honorable Mention pick in Catherine Rucker. Last year, Rucker anchored the front line as a middle blocker and rejected a total of 63.0 shots, while registering 131 kills.
Friday's contest against Old Dominion will be the first time St. John's has played the Monarchs. ODU is in just its seventh year of existence as a Division I program, all of which have been under the direction of Head Coach Fred Chao. Elisa Maggi enters her senior season coming off a year when she fired 315 kills as an opposite hitter. She also notched 353 digs, averaging 3.84 per set.
St. John's will conclude the weekend with its first match with USC Upstate. This will be the first time that the two institutions will play each other in any sport. USC Upstate is coming off a 14-14 year in 2025. The squad went 7-7 in Big South play, falling in the first round of the Big South Tournament to UNC Ashville, 3-0.
The Spartans were selected to finish third in the conference's coaches' poll and received three All-Big South Preseason Team nods. The reigning Big South Setter of the Year, Kamyla Vega David returns for her junior campaign following an impressive season. The First Team All-Big South selection dished out 1,120 assists and was named Preseason Setter of the Year and earned a spot on the all-league preseason team.
Following this weekend's tournament, the Johnnies will return to Queens and host the Lou Carnesecca Invitational. Previously known as the Red Storm Invitational, the Carnesecca Invitational honors the legacy of Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and former St. John's basketball head coach Lou Carnesecca.
The Red Storm will play host to Rider, UAB and East Texas A&M from Sept. 4-5 in Carnesecca Arena. This will mark the first time UAB and East Texas A&M will match up with the Red Storm in each program's history.
Players Mentioned
L/DS
/ Women's VolleyballSaturday, November 01
Friday, October 31
Tuesday, October 14
Saturday, September 13