Box Score

Queens, N.Y. -- For the first time in 26 matches this season, Villanova played in a five-set match, as the Wildcats (17-9, 8-5 BIG EAST) outpaced the St. John's Red Storm (13-14, 4-10 BIG EAST) 25-19, 21-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-7, Friday night at Carnesecca Arena.

The young Wildcat squad played like veterans in the unchartered set, outhitting the Red Storm .316 to .053 in the final frame. With the set tied at 4-4, Villanova exploded on an 11-3 run to capture the BIG EAST victory. Allie Loitz (Bonita, Calif./Bonita Vista) connected on five of her 19 kills in the shortened set, as the junior outside hitter tallied her third double-double in as many matches.

Tonight's match marked the first five-set match that Wildcats have played in nearly a calendar year, falling to Xavier 3-2 on November 7, 2015 in their last five-setter. Coach Josh Steinbach was pleased with his team's effort in the final set tonight.

"I thought it was our best set of the night, both on offense and defense," explained Steinbach. "St. John's played well and it was a must-win match for us. We're happy that we were able to grind out a win on the road."

Sophomore outside hitter Darcy Wolf (Allentown, Pa./Central Catholic) added 14 kills on the night for the Villanova offense, while Claire Crutchfield (Falls Church, Va./Bishop O'Connell) totaled nine.

Defensively, three Wildcats reached the 10-dig mark, with freshman libero Regan Lough leading the way with 25 digs. Followed by Loitz and freshman setter Emma Decker (LaGrange, Ill./Nazareth Academy each recorded 10. Decker also dished out 47 assists to complete the double-double.

With the first set tied at 15-15, kills from sophomore middle blocker Amanda Pedersen-Henry (Murrieta, Calif./Vista Murrieta), Crutchfield, Decker, Wolf, along with a Loitz ace sparked a 5-1 run to give Villanova breathing room with a 20-16 advantage. Following a St. John's timeout, the Wildcats kept the momentum with a 4-3 run to take a 24-19 lead. On set point, Decker smacked one of the Wildcats' nine aces on the night as Villanova took a 1-0 lead.

The Wildcats started slow in the second stanza, falling behind the Red Storm 10-3. Following a timeout, a Villanova run cut the lead to just two at 11-8 after a 5-1 run, but the Red Storm would extend their lead to six at 17-11. Villanova would slash the St. John's advantage to three at 20-17, but the Johnnies were able outlast a Wildcat comeback, taking the frame 25-21 to tie the match at 1-1.

The third set started in Villanova's favor, with the Wildcats jumping to a 10-3 advantage. St. Johns called both of their timeouts early on in the frame to halt the Villanova momentum, as the Red Storm slashed the lead to just two points at 15-13. The Wildcats and Red Storm traded points, but Villanova kept a slim lead for the time being. With the Wildcats holding on to their lead at 22-21, kills by Wolf, Loitz and Crutchfield gave the the third game as the Wildcats took a 2-1 lead.

The Johnnies jumped to a 10-4 advantage to force an early Wildcat timeout. Villanova would immediately clip the St. John's lead to just two after a Remy Fairchild (Southlake Texas, Southlake Carroll Senior) kill at 13-11. The Red Storm jumped to a five-point edge at 21-16, and were able to hold off the Wildcats, taking the set 25-21 to tie the match at 2-2.

In Villanova's first fifth set in 363 days, the Wildcats dominated play to secure their eighth BIG EAST win of the season. With the victory, the Wildcats remain in the fourth slot in the BIG EAST standings, keeping their hopes for a playoff berth to the BIG EAT Tournament alive.

The Wildcats will face Seton Hall tomorrow night at 7 p.m. to complete the tri-state road trip.