WASHINGTON – Georgetown University's volleyball team begins BIG EAST play as it hosts St. John's to the Hilltop on Wednesday. The Hoyas are coming off a 3-0 weekend at the Dig The District Invitational and posted a 7-5 mark in nonconference play.
First serve is set for 5 p.m. Live stats and video can be found at www.GUHoyas.com with Monika Moore calling the play-by-play.
Three different Hoyas average at least three kills per set, led by
Iva Vujosevic (Bar, Montenegro / Niko Rolovic / UMES) with 3.71 kps. Reigning BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week
Symone Speech (Oak Park, Ill. / Oak Park-River Forest) and
Alyssa Sinnette (Pearland, Texas / Dawson) add 3.24 and 3.09 kps, respectively.
Olivia King (Ardmore, Pa. / Lower Merion) chips in 2.19 kps as well.
Margo Pivonka (Broadview Heights, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit) paces the offense with 9.11 assists per set.
Defensively,
Kenzie Higareda (Woodbridge, Va. / Forest Park) anchors the back row with 4.77 digs per set and was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for the second time this season.
Jessica Cusi (Pacifica, Calif. / Lick-Wilmerding) and Vujosevic add 2.70 and 2.55 dps, respectively, while Sinnette is just shy of two digs a frame with 1.98 dps.
At the net, Speech has been credited with 35 blocks on the season for an 0.92 average.
Brennan Wilhite (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. / Cathedral Catholic) adds 0.49 bps with
Margo Snipe (Washington, D.C. / Ridgewood [N.J.]) chipping in 0.46 bps.
St. John's (11-4) is coming off a 3-0 weekend at UConn's Dog Pound Challenge to win its third tournament title of the year. The Red Storm defeated Rutgers, Holy Cross and the host Huskies as Efrosini Alexakou earned Tournament MVP and BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors.
Alexakou leads SJU with 3.00 kills per set with Rachele Rastelli adding 2.93 kps and Kayley Wood chipping in 2.52 kills a frame. Erica DiMaulo, a preseason All-BIG EAST selection, paces the offense with 9.72 assists per set.
On the defensive end, Amanda Sanabia averages 4.90 digs a set while Hanna Wagner posts 0.96 blocks per set.
Wednesday's meeting will be the 30th all-time between the BIG EAST rivals with the Red Storm holding a 20-9 advantage. St. John's has won the last nine showdowns and Georgetown's last victory was a five-set thriller in 2013.
Following Wednesday's action, Georgetown hits the road as it continues BIG EAST play on the road against Villanova on Saturday at 2 p.m.
