QUEENS, NY -- The University of Delaware volleyball team saw its historic run come to an end as the Blue Hens bowed to the St. John’s University Red Storm, 3-1, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night at Carnesecca Arena.

Delaware also saw its season-best 11-match winning streak come to an end with the loss.

"It's emotional, because it's been an absolutely stellar season," said head coach Bonnie Kenny, later adding, "I am proud of the team, I am proud of the program, and I am proud of the administration who helped get this program to where it is. St. John's was a little better than we were tonight, but we're not that far away."

The Red Storm (33-3), led by eight foreign players representing four different continents, has not lost a contest in the last two years at home. They currently sport a 24-match home winning streak dating back to October 23, 2005 when they fell to Syracuse, 3-2.

Despite St. John's impressive pedigree, Delaware (31-5) gave the Red Storm all that it could handle. The Blue Hens were led by freshman Katie Dennehy (at right), who played like an upperclassman, leading the Hens with 22 kills while posting a .512 hitting percentage.

Sophomore Michelle LaLonde also had an outstanding match, notching 19 kills, seven digs, and two blocks.

Kelly Gibson and Colleen Walsh both added 10 kills apiece, while Megan Welch led the Hens with 57 assists and four blocks. Steph Barry also paced the team with 27 digs.

Despite the loss, the Blue Hens did accomplish something that no other team from the Colonial Athletic Association ever had: they won a game in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

In the first frame, Delaware looked like the experienced squad, notching the first two points and three of the first four.

The No. 12 seed Red Storm answered the early Blue Hen rally, scoring seven straight points to take an 8-3 lead.

Delaware refused to get flustered by the Red Storm rally, eventually tying the game at 8-8. With the game still tied four points later, the Blue Hens took eleven of the next fifteen points to grab a 21-14 advantage led by four kills by Dennehy and three from LaLonde.

As they continued to do all night, St. John’s came storming back, cutting their deficit to two at 22-20 after tallying six of the next seven points. The Blue Hens had an answer, however, as they blocked their way to the win, notching three stops in the last 11 points, including the clincher by LaLonde and Walsh to capture the first set, 30-23.

In the second set, Delaware came out strong once again, taking an 11-9 lead before stretching it to an 18-10 advantage after recording seven of the next eight points behind two kills by Dennehy and an ace from Stephanie Barry.

The Blue Hens could not close out the match, through, letting a key opportunity slip through their fingers as the Red Storm rallied from an eight-point deficit to take a two-point lead at 28-26.

Although Delaware retied the game at 28, St. John’s scored the final two points of the set, as a kill by Latoya Blunt sealed the game at 30-28.

Following the intermission, the two teams fought to a 7-7 tie before the Blue Hens rolled off three straight points to grab a 10-7 lead. The Red Storm answered with their own three-point run to tie the game at 10.

The game remained tied at 22-22 as the teams continued to trade rallies before Delaware took three of the next four points to grab a 26-23 lead.

Down three, St. John’s answered with a late rally of their own, taking a 28-27 lead before the Blue Hens tied the game back up at 29.

That was as close as the Blue Hens would come to winning, as the Red Storm notched the last two points of the set to win, 31-29, and take a two-games-to-one lead.

Despite trailing in the match, Delaware refused to go down quietly, grabbing the first two points of the fourth frame. As usual, the Red Storm had an answer, going on a 7-1 run led by three straight kills by Blunt.

Trailing by four, the Blue Hens answered with their own rally to take a 10-9 lead as LaLonde notched two kills, a block, and an assist during that stretch.

The two teams were evenly matched over the next 17 points, battling to an 18-18 tie before St. John’s reeled off six straight points to take a 24-18 lead.

Although the Hens continued to battle as valiantly as they had all season, eventually reeling off four straight points to cut their deficit to two at 24-22, the Red Storm ended Delaware’s season after closing the match on a 6-1 run.

St. John's was led by Hui Ping Huang, who had a match-high 24 kills. Wioleta Leszczynska also had 58 assists, while Lena Yee added 30 digs.

Although the season ended with a loss, the 2007 edition of the Blue Hens has truly been the finest in Delaware history. This year’s squad shattered the program record for the best winning percentage in a season with their .861 mark, while their 16.31 kills-per-game rate also set a new school record.

On an individual level, Steph Barry, who earlier broke the school’s single-season digs record, finished the year with 831, over 100 more than the previous record holder.

Walsh and Welch, the two co-captains on the team, both capped their careers with phenomenal senior seasons as well. Walsh recorded 564 kills this year, the second highest single-season total in Delaware history.

Welch also paced the Hens with 1,714 assists in 2007, which set a new single-season record.

"It was an awesome season," said Welch. "I'm proud of this team and this program. It was a great season to end on."

Boxscore