Jan. 15, 2008

QUEENS, N.Y. - For the second consecutive year, St. John's volleyball head coach Joanne Persico-Smith was named a National Coach of the Year Honorable Mention by the College Volleyball Update, announced on Monday. She joins Jolene Jordan Hoover of Clemson, Tim Horsman of Dayton and Matt Peck of Middle Tennessee as this year's honorable mentions. The CVU.com National Coach of the Year was Oregon's Jim Moore.

The Red Storm had a program-best 33-4 overall record, including a 13-1 BIG EAST record, sharing the top spot with Louisville and earning the regular season title for the second straight year. St. John's also caputured its first BIG EAST Championship, defeating Louisville, 3-0, in the final match of the tournament and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the team's second straight appearance in the national event.

The Red Storm hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, picking up wins over Long Island and Delaware to reach the regional semifinals, hosted by the University of Florida, for the first time in program history. St. John's faced perennial powerhouse USC in the Round of 16 and fought until the very end, but fell just short of a remarkable comeback and lost 3-2.

Persico-Smith has guided the Red Storm for 14 seasons and has a 292-170 career record, leaving her just eight wins shy of the 300 mark.