February 21, 2020
Volleyball Team Wins BIG EAST Championship
The St. John’s Volleyball team stunned the nation by defeating Marquette University en route to its second-ever BIG EAST Tournament Championship, becoming the first fourth-seeded team to win the tournament since the conference’s reconfiguration in 2013.
“First of all, we thank God for allowing us to do what we love and for allowing the players on our team to stay healthy all year for the most part,” said Head Coach Joanne Persico. “We have always had good team chemistry, but I thought in tough moments, we stayed composed.”
The team received an automatic bid to the 2019 NCAA Tournament, where they were defeated by Texas A&M. The Red Storm ended its 2019 campaign with a 22–12 record and the Johnnies' third-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament. Coach Persico earned her 500th career victory this season.
The team’s success this season was due in part to the play of Erica Di Maulo and Efrosini Alexakou, who were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-East Coast Region Team.
Men's Soccer earns NCAA Tournament Bid
Following a remarkable season in which the team was ranked as high as No. 4 in the nation, St. John’s Men's Soccer earned a spot in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
After receiving a first-round bye, the Red Storm downed Syracuse to advance to the round of 16—the 12th such appearance in the history of the program. The team’s run came to an end in the third round of the tournament, as the Red Storm fell to No. 1 Virginia. St. John’s earned a bid to the tournament for the 21st time in the past 28 seasons, including four trips to the College Cup, and a 1996 National Championship. The Johnnies finished this season with a record of 14–5–1, tied for the team’s highest win total since 2008.
Accolades for Men's and Women's Soccer
Women's Soccer
Reflecting their outstanding accomplishments on the pitch this season, members of both the Men’s and Women’s Soccer programs were honored by both the BIG EAST Conference and United Soccer Coaches.
After scoring 11 goals for the Red Storm women’s program for the second consecutive season, Forward Zsani Kajan was named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year. Zsani, a redshirt-junior, tallied a BIG EAST-best 15 points and seven goals over nine conference contests. The native of Budapest, Hungary, is only the second player in the history of the program to win the award, joining former Red Storm star Rachel Daly, who won it in 2015 and 2013.
Zsani added two more awards to her résumé, earning a spot on the United Soccer Coaches Division I All-East Region First Team and a unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team.
First-year student Isabelle Aviza was selected to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team, and goalkeeper Naya Lipkens was honored for her work on and off the field by being named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team.
Men's Soccer
Forward Tani Oluwaseyi was honored with BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year honors for Men’s Soccer. He is the first St. John’s player to win the award since Medufia Kulego won it in 1996. Tani amassed 27 points on 11 goals and five assists this season, and nationally, he ranked 16th in game-winning goals with five. He was also honored with www.frontrowsoccer.com’s Men’s College Player of the Year award, and earned All-Region First Team honors from United Soccer Coaches.
Three of Tani’s teammates also earned spots on the United Soccer Coaches’ All-Region Third Team—Brandon Duarte, Einar Lye, and Jan Hoffelner. The trio earned BIG EAST accolades, as well.
Brandon scored two goals and three assists this season, and registered six of his seven points during conference action. The midfielder was also honored with a place on the All-BIG EAST Second Team.
After tallying five goals and five assists, Einar was included on the Third Team All-BIG EAST. BIG EAST Co-goalkeeper of the Year, Jan finished the season with 0.82 goals against average and a .775 save percentage. He also played a part in nine total shutouts for the Red Storm.
Men’s Head Coach Dave Masur ’03Ed.D. and the St. John’s staff earned BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year accolades. Dr. Masur also earned Men’s College Coah of the Year accolades from Front Row Soccer. In his 29 years at the helm of the Red Storm, Dr. Masur has led the team to nine BIG EAST Conference tournament titles and six regular season conference crowns. He now boasts 21 NCAA berths on his résumé, including 12 appearances in the round of 16 and four trips to the College Cup and the 1996 National Championship. His 422 career wins are good enough for seventh among active Division I head coaches.
Aliann Pompey Named President of The Panam Sports Athletes’ Commission
St. John’s Track and Field Assistant Coach Aliann Pompey has been named President of the Panam Sports Athletes’ Commission and will represent the thousands of athletes who compete at the Pan American Games for the next four years.
“I am thrilled and honored by the confidence of my fellow commissioners to elect me as President,” Ms. Pompey said. “I look forward to what I am sure will be a collaborative effort and group success.”
A native of Guyana, the four-time Olympian has been active in the international circuit since her running days, also serving on the National Sports Commission for her home country of Guyana. She has also been an active member of the Metropolitan Conference in New York, serving as the league's President.
“We are very proud of Coach Pompey on her appointment as the next
President of the Panama Sports Athletes' Commission,” said Mike Cragg, Director of Athletics. “Aliann consistently showcases a deep commitment to excellence and always places an emphasis on the well-being of athletes.”