Dec. 7, 2007

Box Score

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - After dropping the first two games, the Red Storm volleyball team fought all the way back to even the match at two apiece, but lost a heartbreaker in the fifth and deciding game as the USC Trojans triumphed over St. John's 3-2 in the NCAA Tournament's Regional Semifinal match on Friday in Gainesville, Fla. The loss ends the Red Storm's best season in the 14-year program history at 33-4, while USC improves to 28-4 and will face the winner of the Texas/Florida match later Friday.

Senior Hui Ping Huang had a match- and career-high 29 kills along with a .481 hitting percentage, while Wioleta Leszczynska recorded a double-double with 61 assists and 13 digs. Senior Dana DeMayo stepped up huge for St. John's as she also had a double-double with 14 kills and a match- and career-high 29 digs. Senior LaToya Blunt and junior Valeria Kovaleva had great matches as well for the Red Storm as Blunt had 15 kills and a team-high six blocks and Kovaleva picked up nine kills and 17 digs. Juniors Lena Yee and Chen Chen helped St. John's along the way, as Yee picked up 17 digs and Chen recorded six kills.

The Red Storm grabbed a quick 3-1 lead in game one but the Women of Troy answered right back to tie it. With USC leading 8-7, St. John's grabbed two points on a kills by Chen and DeMayo. The game remained tight into the 15th-point timeout with USC leading 15-13. The Red Storm fell behind 18-14, but fought back to tie it at 19-19 on a kill by Leszczynska. A service ace by Huang followed by a strong kill by Blunt put the Red Storm up 22-20. DeMayo added another kill, forcing the Women of Troy to burn their first timeout at 23-20. After the breather, USC busted back into it with three straight points, but a pair of USC attack errors put St. John's up by two late, 25-23. A crosscourt-kill by Blunt put the Red Storm up 27-24, but the Women of Troy got within one and St. John's called its second timeout. Back from the minute-fifteen, USC picked up three straight points, giving them game point. A block by Zoe Garrett ended game one, 30-27.

Game two started with two kills by Huang early but USC controlled the opening portion of this game, jumping out to a 6-2 lead and forcing St. John's to use its first timeout. The Women of Troy extended its lead to 10-4, and St. John's tried to inch its way closer, grabbing three of the next four points to pull within four at 11-7. The Red Storm got within three at 18-15, but the Women of Troy stayed in command. Kovaleva picked up two kills late to get the Red Storm within four again at 28-22, but USC grabbed the next two points to take the game, 30-22. A block by Jessica Gysin ended the game, and St. John's went into the locker room down 2-0.

The two teams exchanged leads to start game three, and the Red Storm went up by two, 6-4, on a Huang ace and a Blunt kill. St. John's grabbed a five point lead at 12-7 on a kill by Huang, forcing USC to take its first timeout. After the breather, the Red Storm extended the lead to 15-8 and USC started to bite back, coming within four at 17-13 and St. John's called a timeout. An ace and a Red Storm attack error got the Women of Troy to within two, 17-15. When USC was called for a back-row attacker violation and Yee picked up a service ace to put St. John's up 22-16, USC used its second timeout. The Women of Troy fought back to within two late at 26-24, but a kill by Blunt, an ace by freshman Kayla Motoyama, and a kill by DeMayo gave St. John's game point. Blunt ended game three, 30-26, with a slide-kill, putting the Red Storm within one game in the match.

A kill and a block by Huang started game four, and St. John's maintained an early lead. USC tied it at 6-6 on a kill by Garrett. St. John's went back up, though, grabbing three straight to make it 9-6. With the Women of Troy within one point at 11-10, a long volley was ended by a kill by Asia Kaczor, tying the game. USC reached the 15th-point timeout with a 15-13 lead. The Red Storm tied it up 16-16 on a kill by Chen and a Leszczynska service ace. Each time USC would go up by one, St. John's would tie it, until Huang picked up an ace to give the Red Storm a 21-20 lead, and the Women of Troy used a timeout. After the breather, St. John's picked up two more points on a USC attack error and another Huang ace. The Red Storm extended the lead to 25-21, and the Women of Troy fought back with two straight, but a kill by Blunt put a halt to the rally. A kill by Huang gave St. John's game point, and an attack error by the Women of Troy tied the match up, as St. John's won game three 30-24.

The deciding fifth game started with four straight points by USC and St. John's had to call an early timeout. After the breather, Huang picked up her 28th kill of the match to make it 4-1. The Women of Troy took an 8-1 lead into the 8th-point switch. St. John's was feeling rally all day long, though, and picked up the next two points before calling its second timeout. After the breather, St. John's grabbed another three more points. St. John's tied it at 8-8 with a block by Blunt and Kovaleva. The game was back and forth from there, but USC took a three-point lead at 13-10 on a kill and two Red Storm attack errors. A kill by Kacior gave the Women of Troy game point, and St. John's remarkable comeback fell short on the next play, as USC took game five 15-10, ending the match 3-2.

For the Women of Troy, Kaczor led the team with 25 kills while sophomore Taylor Carico had a match-high 71 assists. Freshman Garrett led all players, picking up 7 total blocks and sophomore libero Alli Hillgren picked up a team-high 26 digs.