The passion and desire to play college volleyball started two years ago for Kerri Johnson when she went to a St. John’s match at Carnesecca Arena. With every dig and every spike, she fell in love.
“I remember it was a game that was so impressive that my mom and I looked at each other and just said, ‘Wow, this is what Division I volleyball looks like,’” Johnson said.
St. John’s was in the midst of its best season ever. The Red Storm went on to win 31 games and became only the second Big East team ever to advance to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. They finished the season ranked No. 13 in the country.
Because of the program’s stature, Johnson never expected to one day wear red and white, but the dream was always in her mind.
Now, the Preston star has come full circle. Johnson, a dominant 6-foot outside hitter, received a nice financial package to attend St. John’s and has a guaranteed spot on the team as a walk-on this fall. As a junior and senior, she will be on athletic scholarship.
“I’m so, so happy and thankful for this awesome opportunity,” Johnson said. “Playing for St. John’s is something I never thought was possible when I was at that first game with my mom.”
The Bronx native has come so far since then, though. Blessed with natural athleticism, leaping ability and raw power, Johnson was always a star at Preston. But it took a change of position to really get her to the next level. Johnson started out her volleyball career as a middle hitter, but made the change to outside at a USA Volleyball High Performance camp last summer.
“I didn’t think she would be able to play at that level in the middle – she was a little too small,” said Merlin Thompson, her club coach with Creole Big Apple. “She went outside, she hit a few balls and everyone went ‘wow.’”
Johnson said the coaches at the Colorado Springs camp moved her over to fully get the most out of the torque in her big swing.
“Hitting outside for me was like a whole new game,” she said. “I get a bigger approach and I generate more power in my swings. Hitting in the middle was always just a quick set for me, so the hit was never too powerful. But hitting outside is like a completely different situation. I hit so much harder, block so many more balls and get to pass in the back row.”
Perhaps the best part about Johnson, Thompson said, is that time is on her side. She only began playing volleyball seriously two years ago, making the transition from basketball. Thompson says she’s still in her infant stages of volleyball – especially playing outside hitter – and the sky is the limit.
“She’s going to get better,” Thompson said.
The renowned coach, who was also a mentor to St. John’s coach Joanne Persico-Smith, isn’t sure what kind of impact Johnson will make right away with the Red Storm. But he knows one thing: She’ll work extremely hard.
“This season is going to be all about building and developing for me,” Johnson said. “I am mentally prepared to work hard the whole season and be glad for whatever game time I get.”
Eventually, Johnson says she wants to play regularly at the Jamaica, Queens school. More so, she’s hoping to be a role model. New York City is not a hotbed for girls volleyball and it’s severely under recruited.
“I want to be the player who other athletes look up to and say I want to be at that level,” Johnson said. … “I want to be the player who other girls from the CHSAA can look at and be an inspiration to. I didn’t have anyone to look up to who graduated from my league.”
In other words, she wants to instill that passion and desire in other girls, kind of the same way the St. John’s team did with her two years ago.
“It’s just such a great feeling to know,” Johnson said, “that I am a part of the St. John’s volleyball family.”