QUEENS, N.Y.- UConn volleyball squared off against St. John's in Queens on Friday night in the second meeting between the two teams this season. 

UConn got off to a roaring start in the first, taking the first five points of the match to force the Johnnies into a timeout. Doga Kutlu poured in an ace, and freshmen Loren Winn and Anna Herman each had kills in the early going. Errors dictated the flow of the first set, with each side plagued with service and attacking miscues, as UConn maintained their five point advantage at 11-6. Kutlu stayed dialed in, with her second and third aces coming in consecutive serves as the Huskies stayed ahead 16-11. Taylor Pannell and Hanna Tylska fueled the UConn offense, extending the visitors' advantage all the way to 21-13. Pannell poured in the fifth UConn ace of the set, as the Huskies took the first frame 25-16. 

Emma Werkmeister and Winn chipped in kills, and reigning BIG EAST defensive player of the week McKenna Brand sent in another Husky ace early in the second. Gioriga Walther and Erin Jones kept the Johnnies close in the frame, each with a termination to keep the UConn lead at 7-5. Lucrezia Lodi ran off two rapid kills, but another Kutlu ace kept the Huskies in front at 12-10 to push St. John's into a timeout. Kutlu continued to star for UConn, with two more aces in the second to maintain the edge at 15-12 in favor of the Huskies. Jones got the Red Storm even at 17-all with her fifth and sixth kills of the night. The star power was on display for both teams, with Werkmeister responding with two terminations to re-up the UConn lead at 21-17. Magda Stambrowksa led the Red Storm all the way back, with the hosts taking six of eight points to close the gap to 24-23 and put pressure on the Huskies, but a St. John's error lifted UConn in the second, 25-23.

Kutlu's 6^th ace of the night got the Huskies started in the third, as the senior continued her stellar play that has been a staple for UConn all season. Brand and Grace Maria got in on the action in the third, each contributing aces to the outstanding team effort. A chaotic rally got the St. John's faithful to their feet, with the Red Storm flipping the momentum in the third, cutting the UConn lead to 16-15. With their backs against the wall, SJU would not go away, trailing by a slim one-point margin at 21-20. The Huskies had the final word on Friday, as Tylska punctuated the third set with two late kills, lifting UConn to a sweep on the road.

Werkmeister led the Huskies with 12 kills, with Kutlu littering the stat sheet with 34 assists, 8 digs, and 6 aces. St. John's, who clinched a spot in the conference tournament with the Xavier loss, was led by Walther's 14 kills in the defeat.

Ace in the Hole: The 13 aces from UConn tied the most in a single match all season (9/20 vs Brown). Kutlu's 6 aces were the second most by a Husky this season (Werkmeister: 7 against Brown). 

Up Next: UConn concludes their regular season tomorrow night against Villanova in Philly. St. John's welcomes Providence in their regular season finale.