St. John's University Athletics
Joanne Persico Announces 2026 Volleyball Schedule
6/4/2026 12:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Red Storm to start 29-match campaign on Aug. 28
QUEENS, N.Y. – St. John's Volleyball Head Coach Joanne Persico announced the program's 29-match schedule for the 2026 campaign on Thursday.
The slate features 13 non-conference matches, including two home tournaments, followed by 16 BIG EAST contests. Action gets underway on Aug. 28.
The Red Storm will host 14 home matches, including a pair of tournaments at Carnesecca Arena. Admission to every home game is free for all fans. Broadcast destinations will be announced at a later date and all match times are subject to change.
Last year, Persico became the 16th active head coach to reach the 600-win milestone and the first BIG EAST head coach to accomplish the feat. The only head coach in program history, Persico will enter her 33rd season at the helm of the program. The four-time Hall of Famer's lineup will be anchored by the 2025 BIG EAST Libero of the Year, Rashanny Solano Smith. In 2025, the Red Storm won four of its final six matches ending the campaign with a sweep over Seton Hall.
St. John's opens the season on the road at the Quest for the Crown hosted by Old Dominion in Norfolk, Va. On Friday, Aug. 28, St. John's will play two matches. First serve of the 2026 slate is against Elon at 1 p.m. and take on host Old Dominion at 7 p.m. Action from the ODU Volleyball Center concludes on Saturday against USC Upstate at noon. This is the first time that St. John's will face USC Upstate in any sport.
St. John's will then host the inaugural Lou Carnesecca Invitational from Sept. 4-5. Formerly the Red Storm Invitational, the event has been named after the legendary basketball head coach, who passed away at the age of 99 on Nov. 30, 2024. The tournament starts on Friday with a 1 p.m. match against Rider in Carnesecca Arena. At 7 p.m., the Red Storm return to the court for a matchup against UAB. On Saturday, the Johnnies conclude the weekend with a tilt against East Texas A&M, marking the first time St. John's will play East Texas A&M in any sport.
The Red Storm will play their first midweek match of the season on Tuesday, Sept. 8, against Fordham. The Rams are led by former Associate Head Coach Bryan Weber, who was named Fordham's head coach in February. First serve in Rose Hill Gym is set for 7 p.m.
St. John's will begin a seven-match homestand starting with the 12th Annual Jack Kaiser Volleyball Classic on Sept. 18. The Johnnies will play a doubleheader to open the tournament, with first serve against Penn scheduled for 1 p.m. and match two against Bryant at 7 p.m. The tournament concludes as the Red Storm will face Rutgers at 5 p.m. on Sept. 19.
BIG EAST action in Queens begins on Sept. 23, as St. John's welcomes Seton Hall for a 1 p.m. first serve. The Red Storm secured the season sweep of the Pirates to conclude the 2025 campaign in South Orange, N.J.
On Sept. 26, Creighton makes its way to the Big Apple for a Friday night match in Carnesecca Arena. First serve against the reigning BIG EAST Champions is set for 7 p.m. Creighton finished 2025 with a 28-6 overall record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals before falling to the eventual national runner-up, Kentucky.
The Johnnies wrap up their homestand with a pair of weekend matches. On Oct. 2, Xavier will make a trip to New York for the first time since 2024. First serve with the Musketeers is set for 7 p.m. The following day, the squad welcomes Butler for a 5 p.m. match at Carnesecca Arena.
St. John's will begin conference road play in New England, stopping at UConn on Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. and Providence on Oct. 10 at 3 p.m. Last year, the Red Storm captured both matches against the Friars, including a five-set thriller in Carnesecca Arena on Nov. 1, 2025. St. John's owns a 29-6 all-time record against the Friars.
The Johnnies will return home the following weekend to take on Marquette at 7 p.m. for a Friday night showdown. Two days later, DePaul will make its way to Queens for a 5 p.m. start on Oct. 18.
At the halfway point of the conference slate, the Red Storm hit the road for a four-match road trip. St. John's travels to Villanova on Oct. 23, with first serve from Jake Nevin Field House set for 6 p.m. The following day, the Johnnies head to the nation's capital to take on Georgetown in at 6 p.m.
The next weekend, the team will make its first of two trips to the Midwest to close out the month of October. St. John's heads to Indianapolis to take on Butler at 7 p.m. in historic Hinkle Fieldhouse. On Halloween, the Red Storm will square off with Xavier at the Cintas Center set at 4 p.m.
St. John's will wrap up regular season play with a pair of matches against Providence and UConn. First serve against the Friars on Friday, Nov. 6, is set for 7 p.m. The following day, the program will celebrate Senior Day against the Huskies at 6 p.m.
The regular season slate concludes with a Midwest swing to DePaul and Marquette. First serve on Nov. 13 against the Blue Demons is set for 8 p.m. ET. The Johnnies will make their way to Milwaukee for a 7 p.m. ET start against the Golden Eagles in their finale.
The 2026 BIG EAST Volleyball Tournament will take place from Nov. 20-22 at D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha, Neb.
The slate features 13 non-conference matches, including two home tournaments, followed by 16 BIG EAST contests. Action gets underway on Aug. 28.
The Red Storm will host 14 home matches, including a pair of tournaments at Carnesecca Arena. Admission to every home game is free for all fans. Broadcast destinations will be announced at a later date and all match times are subject to change.
Last year, Persico became the 16th active head coach to reach the 600-win milestone and the first BIG EAST head coach to accomplish the feat. The only head coach in program history, Persico will enter her 33rd season at the helm of the program. The four-time Hall of Famer's lineup will be anchored by the 2025 BIG EAST Libero of the Year, Rashanny Solano Smith. In 2025, the Red Storm won four of its final six matches ending the campaign with a sweep over Seton Hall.
St. John's opens the season on the road at the Quest for the Crown hosted by Old Dominion in Norfolk, Va. On Friday, Aug. 28, St. John's will play two matches. First serve of the 2026 slate is against Elon at 1 p.m. and take on host Old Dominion at 7 p.m. Action from the ODU Volleyball Center concludes on Saturday against USC Upstate at noon. This is the first time that St. John's will face USC Upstate in any sport.
St. John's will then host the inaugural Lou Carnesecca Invitational from Sept. 4-5. Formerly the Red Storm Invitational, the event has been named after the legendary basketball head coach, who passed away at the age of 99 on Nov. 30, 2024. The tournament starts on Friday with a 1 p.m. match against Rider in Carnesecca Arena. At 7 p.m., the Red Storm return to the court for a matchup against UAB. On Saturday, the Johnnies conclude the weekend with a tilt against East Texas A&M, marking the first time St. John's will play East Texas A&M in any sport.
The Red Storm will play their first midweek match of the season on Tuesday, Sept. 8, against Fordham. The Rams are led by former Associate Head Coach Bryan Weber, who was named Fordham's head coach in February. First serve in Rose Hill Gym is set for 7 p.m.
St. John's will begin a seven-match homestand starting with the 12th Annual Jack Kaiser Volleyball Classic on Sept. 18. The Johnnies will play a doubleheader to open the tournament, with first serve against Penn scheduled for 1 p.m. and match two against Bryant at 7 p.m. The tournament concludes as the Red Storm will face Rutgers at 5 p.m. on Sept. 19.
BIG EAST action in Queens begins on Sept. 23, as St. John's welcomes Seton Hall for a 1 p.m. first serve. The Red Storm secured the season sweep of the Pirates to conclude the 2025 campaign in South Orange, N.J.
On Sept. 26, Creighton makes its way to the Big Apple for a Friday night match in Carnesecca Arena. First serve against the reigning BIG EAST Champions is set for 7 p.m. Creighton finished 2025 with a 28-6 overall record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals before falling to the eventual national runner-up, Kentucky.
The Johnnies wrap up their homestand with a pair of weekend matches. On Oct. 2, Xavier will make a trip to New York for the first time since 2024. First serve with the Musketeers is set for 7 p.m. The following day, the squad welcomes Butler for a 5 p.m. match at Carnesecca Arena.
St. John's will begin conference road play in New England, stopping at UConn on Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. and Providence on Oct. 10 at 3 p.m. Last year, the Red Storm captured both matches against the Friars, including a five-set thriller in Carnesecca Arena on Nov. 1, 2025. St. John's owns a 29-6 all-time record against the Friars.
The Johnnies will return home the following weekend to take on Marquette at 7 p.m. for a Friday night showdown. Two days later, DePaul will make its way to Queens for a 5 p.m. start on Oct. 18.
At the halfway point of the conference slate, the Red Storm hit the road for a four-match road trip. St. John's travels to Villanova on Oct. 23, with first serve from Jake Nevin Field House set for 6 p.m. The following day, the Johnnies head to the nation's capital to take on Georgetown in at 6 p.m.
The next weekend, the team will make its first of two trips to the Midwest to close out the month of October. St. John's heads to Indianapolis to take on Butler at 7 p.m. in historic Hinkle Fieldhouse. On Halloween, the Red Storm will square off with Xavier at the Cintas Center set at 4 p.m.
St. John's will wrap up regular season play with a pair of matches against Providence and UConn. First serve against the Friars on Friday, Nov. 6, is set for 7 p.m. The following day, the program will celebrate Senior Day against the Huskies at 6 p.m.
The regular season slate concludes with a Midwest swing to DePaul and Marquette. First serve on Nov. 13 against the Blue Demons is set for 8 p.m. ET. The Johnnies will make their way to Milwaukee for a 7 p.m. ET start against the Golden Eagles in their finale.
The 2026 BIG EAST Volleyball Tournament will take place from Nov. 20-22 at D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha, Neb.
Players Mentioned
L/DS
/ Women's VolleyballSaturday, November 01
Friday, October 31
Tuesday, October 14
Saturday, September 13