Erica Di Maulo, setter for the Red Storm Women’s Volleyball team has had a run that places her among the best in program history.
Di Maulo now sits in second place in program history with assists. She is also one service ace away from standing alone in first place in program history in that category.
“It’s an honor for me to be second all-time,” Di Maulo said. “I’ve been here for four years now and I see St. John’s as my home.”
Di Maulo comes from Milan, Italy where she also played for the Italian club team Progetto Volley Orago. She served as captain from 2012 to 2015, she also won the U16 Italian Championship in 2013.
In her first three seasons Di Maulo has been selected to three All-Big East first teams, along with sharing the honors for Big East Freshman of the Year.
“It’s such an honor to know that I’m in the conference best team for the first three years,” Di Maulo said. “It helps me be motivated to work hard every time.”
For Di Maulo since this season hasn’t ended yet she said that her favorite season would have to be last season. She credits making her first Big East tournament as being one of the reasons why last season was one of her favorite seasons.
Even the best athletes go through their struggles. Di Maulo always preferred to confide in herself whenever she was struggling on the court and stressed the importance of extra practice.
When her final game is over Di Maulo says that she will miss the facilities of St. John’s University as well as the environment around campus.
“I think I will never play with such good facilities that I played with here.” Working together with her teammates and coaches were very important to Di Maulo even with teammates coming and going the chemistry they built on the court was important to fight for wins. With her coaches Di Maulo said they pushed her and her teammates hard during the season and the offseason to stay ready.
Di Maulo’s volleyball career doesn’t end here, however. She plans on playing professionally whether here or in her native country of Italy.
“For now, I want to enjoy playing volleyball as much as I can because it is my passion,” Di Maulo said. “It’s the thing I love the most, so I want to continue it.”
One of the most consistent players on the Red Storm for all her four years, Di Maulo says that there isn’t much to her consistency. Just go out on the court and have fun while pushing her teammates and coaches to be on top of their game.
Di Maulo’s hard work and leadership on the court for head coach Joanne Perisco was among the qualities that defined Di Maulo as a player for Perisco.
“Erica is a great leader, and Erica is a great person,” said Perisco. “Her numbers, her statistics, her incredible record-breaking assist that she just earned this year is a byproduct of her core values she learned from her family.”
Coach Perisco says that Di Maulo’s legacy will be her ability to push not just herself and her teammates but the coaches as well. Perisco thinks that with Di Maulo on the court the Red Storm can go toe to toe with any opponent.
As the season winds down for volleyball and Di Maulo’s historic Red Storm career is nearing its end she is not thinking about herself. The goal is simple, make the Big East tournament, win that, then make an NCAA tournament appearance and finish the season strong.
A high goal has been set by for Di Maulo and the Red Storm ahead of being only a month away before the Big East Tournament. Di Maulo will be looking to set the tone for the rest of her team on the front line doing what she has been doing for the past four years and even before that, just having fun playing volleyball.
