A pair of St. John’s volleyball players have been recognized by the BIG EAST Conference for their recent performances. Rashanny Solano Smith was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week, while Erin Jones earned a spot on the weekly honor roll, according to an announcement from the league office on Monday.
This is the first time in the 2025 season that two members of St. John’s have appeared together on the conference’s weekly list. Solano Smith received her first honor, and Jones was recognized for the fifth time this year.
Over nine sets played during the weekend, Solano Smith recorded 45 digs and 11 assists, contributing to St. John’s two victories. She averaged 5.00 digs per set and had match-high dig totals in both matches.
On Friday against UConn, Solano Smith registered 21 digs, four assists, one kill, and a service ace in a 3-1 win. In Saturday’s match against Providence, she tallied 24 digs, seven assists, and another ace as St. John’s secured a narrow 3-2 victory.
As of Sunday night, Solano Smith ranks third in total digs (381) and fourth in digs per set (4.05) among all players in the BIG EAST.
Erin Jones took over full-time setting duties for St. John’s during these matches and delivered 89 assists across nine sets—an average of 9.88 per set. Against UConn, she had a match-high 34 assists along with nine kills and sixteen digs for her sixth double-double of the season.
In Saturday’s contest versus Providence at home in Queens, Jones achieved a career-high with 55 assists while also recording seven kills and thirteen digs for her seventh double-double this year. The last St. John’s player to reach at least 55 assists was Wiktoria Kowalczyk with sixty helpers in September 2022 against UConn.
Jones’ total of fifty-five assists is currently tied for sixth-most in a five-set match within the BIG EAST this season.
St. John’s will play its final regular-season road games next weekend: traveling to Milwaukee to face Marquette on November 7 at 8 p.m., followed by a trip to Chicago to play DePaul on November 8 at 5 p.m.
