Aging is inevitable, and for many, it signals the beginning of a new chapter - one where you cross off bucket list items and live life to the fullest, on your own terms. However, for some women, aging is a horrible prospect, filled with chronic fatigue, irritability, and inability to perform in the bedroom. If you're concerned about life in middle age and beyond, we've got great news: there are easy, proven steps that you can take to help stop the negative effect of aging.
Global Life Rejuvenation was founded to give women a new lease on life - one that includes less body fat, fewer mood swings, and more energy as you age. If you're ready to look and feel younger, it's time to consider HRT (hormone replacement therapy), and growth hormone peptides. These therapies for men and women are effective, safe, and customized to fit your goals, so you can keep loving life as you get older.
HRT, and growth hormone peptide therapies bridge the gap between your old life and the more vibrant, happier version of you. With a simple click or call, you can be well on your way to a brighter future. After all, you deserve to be the one in charge of your wellness and health. Now, you have the tools to do so - backed by science and applied by our team of HRT experts with more than 13 years of experience.
As women age, their hormones begin to go through changes that affect their day-to-day lives. For women, hormone deficiency and imbalance usually occur during menopause and can cause chronic fatigue, hot flashes, and mood swings, among other issues. Hormone replacement therapy helps correct hormone imbalances in women, helping them feel more vibrant and virile as they age.
Often, HRT treatments give patients enhanced quality of life that they didn't think was possible - even in their 60's and beyond.
The benefits for women are numerous and are available today through Global Life Rejuvenation.
As women age, their bodies begin to go through significant changes that affect their quality of life. This change is called menopause and marks the end of a woman's menstrual cycle and reproduction ability. Though there is no specific age when this change occurs, the average age of menopause onset is 51 years old. However, according to doctors, menopause officially starts 12 months after a woman's final period. During the transition to menopause, women's estrogen and other hormones begin to deplete.
As that happens, many women experience severe symptoms. These symptoms include:
The symptoms of hormone deficiency can be concerning and scary for both women and their spouses. However, if you're getting older and notice some of these symptoms, there is reason to be hopeful. Hormone replacement therapy and anti-aging medicine for women can correct imbalances that happen during menopause. These safe, effective treatments leave you feeling younger, healthier, and more vibrant.
The most common reason for menopause is the natural decline in a female's reproductive hormones. However, menopause can also result from the following situations:
Oophorectomy: This surgery, which removes a woman's ovaries, causes immediate menopause. Symptoms and signs of menopause in this situation can be severe, as the hormonal changes happen abruptly.
Chemotherapy: Cancer treatments like chemotherapy can induce menopause quickly, causing symptoms to appear shortly after or even during treatment.
Ovarian Insufficiency: Also called premature ovarian failure, this condition is essentially premature menopause. It happens when a woman's ovaries quit functioning before the age of 40 and can stem from genetic factors and disease. Only 1% of women suffer from premature menopause, but HRT can help protect the heart, brain, and bones.
For many women, menopause is a trying time that can be filled with many hormonal hurdles to jump through. A little knowledge can go a long way, whether you're going through menopause now or are approaching "that" age.
Here are some of the most common issues that women experience during menopause:
If you're a woman going through menopause and find that you have become increasingly depressed, you're not alone. It's estimated that 15% of women experience depression to some degree while going through menopause. What many women don't know is that depression can start during perimenopause, or the years leading up to menopause.
Depression can be hard to diagnose, especially during perimenopause and menopause. However, if you notice the following signs, it might be time to speak with a physician:
Remember, if you're experiencing depression, you're not weak or broken - you're going through a very regular emotional experience. The good news is that with proper treatment from your doctor, depression isn't a death sentence. And with HRT and anti-aging treatment for women, depression could be the catalyst you need to enjoy a new lease on life.
Hot flashes - they're one of the most well-known symptoms of menopause. Hot flashes are intense, sudden feelings of heat across a woman's upper body. Some last second, while others last minutes, making them incredibly inconvenient and uncomfortable for most women.
Symptoms of hot flashes include:
Typically, hot flashes are caused by a lack of estrogen. Low estrogen levels negatively affect a woman's hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls body temperature and appetite. Low estrogen levels cause the hypothalamus to incorrectly assume the body is too hot, dilating blood vessels to increase blood flow. Luckily, most women don't have to settle for the uncomfortable feelings that hot flashes cause. HRT treatments for women often stabilize hormones, lessening the effects of hot flashes and menopause in general.
Mood swings are common occurrences for most people - quick shifts from happy to angry and back again, triggered by a specific event. And while many people experience mood swings, they are particularly common for women going through menopause. That's because, during menopause, the female's hormones are often imbalanced. Hormone imbalances and mood swings go hand-in-hand, resulting in frequent mood changes and even symptoms like insomnia.
The rate of production of estrogen, a hormone that fluctuates during menopause, largely determines the rate of production the hormone serotonin, which regulates mood, causing mood swings.
Luckily, HRT and anti-aging treatments in Lodi, FL for women work wonders for mood swings by regulating hormone levels like estrogen. With normal hormone levels, women around the world are now learning that they don't have to settle for mood swings during menopause.
Staying fit and healthy is hard for anyone living in modern America. However, for women with hormone imbalances during perimenopause or menopause, weight gain is even more serious. Luckily, HRT treatments for women coupled with a physician-led diet can help keep weight in check. But which hormones need to be regulated?
Lowered sexual desire - three words most men and women hate to hear. Unfortunately, for many women in perimenopausal and menopausal states, it's just a reality of life. Thankfully, today, HRT and anti-aging treatments Lodi, FL can help women maintain a normal, healthy sex drive. But what causes low libido in women, especially as they get older?
The hormones responsible for low libido in women are progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone.
Progesterone production decreases during perimenopause, causing low sex drive in women. Lower progesterone production can also cause chronic fatigue, weight gain, and other symptoms. On the other hand, lower estrogen levels during menopause lead to vaginal dryness and even vaginal atrophy or loss of muscle tension.
Lastly, testosterone plays a role in lowered libido. And while testosterone is often grouped as a male hormone, it contributes to important health and regulatory functionality in women. A woman's testosterone serves to heighten sexual responses and enhances orgasms. When the ovaries are unable to produce sufficient levels of testosterone, it often results in a lowered sex drive.
Often uncomfortable and even painful, vaginal dryness is a serious problem for sexually active women. However, like hair loss in males, vaginal dryness is very common - almost 50% of women suffer from it during menopause.
Getting older is just a part of life, but that doesn't mean you have to settle for the side effects. HRT and anti-aging treatments for women correct vaginal dryness by re-balancing estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. When supplemented with diet and healthy living, your vagina's secretions are normalized, causing discomfort to recede.
Uterine fibroids - they're perhaps the least-known symptom of menopause and hormone imbalances in women. That's because these growths on the uterus are often symptom-free. Unfortunately, these growths can be cancerous, presenting a danger for women as they age.
Many women will have fibroids at some point. Because they're symptomless, they're usually found during routine doctor exams. Some women only get one or two, while others may have large clusters of fibroids. Because fibroids are usually caused by hormone imbalances, hysterectomies have been used as a solution, forcing women into early menopause.
Advances in HRT and anti-aging medicine for women give females a safer, non-surgical option without having to experience menopause early. At Global Life Rejuvenation, our expert physicians will implement a customized HRT program to stabilize your hormones and reduce the risk of cancerous fibroid growth.
Endometriosis symptoms are much like the effects of PMS, and include pelvic pain, fatigue, cramping, and bloating. While doctors aren't entirely sure what causes this painful, uncomfortable condition, most agree that hormones - particularly xenoestrogens - play a factor.
Endometriosis symptoms are much like the effects of PMS and include pelvic pain, fatigue, cramping, and bloating. While doctors aren't entirely sure what causes this painful, uncomfortable condition, most agree that hormones - particularly xenoestrogens - play a factor.
Xenoestrogen is a hormone that is very similar to estrogen. Too much xenoestrogen is thought to stimulate endometrial tissue growth. HRT for women helps balance these hormones and, when used with a custom nutrition program, can provide relief for women across the U.S.
Hormone stability is imperative for a healthy sex drive and for a normal, stress-free life during menopause. HRT and anti-aging treatments for women balance the hormones that your body has altered due to perimenopause or menopause.
HRT for women is a revolutionary step in helping women live their best lives, even as they grow older. However, at Global Life Rejuvenation, we know that no two patients are the same. That's why we specialize in holistic treatments that utilize HRT, combined with healthy nutrition, supplements, and fitness plans that maximize hormone replacement treatments.
If you've been suffering through menopause, is HRT the answer? That's hard to say without an examination by a trusted physician, but one thing's for sure. When a woman balances her hormone levels, she has a much better shot at living a regular life with limited depression, weight gain, mood swings, and hot flashes.
Here are just a few additional benefits of HRT and anti-aging treatments for females:
Hormone imbalance causes a litany of issues. But with anti-aging treatments for women, females can better process calcium, keep their cholesterol levels safe, and maintain a healthy vagina. By replenishing the body's estrogen supply, HRT can relieve symptoms from menopause and protect against osteoporosis. But that's just the start.
Global Life Rejuvenation's patients report many more benefits of HRT and anti-aging medicine for women:
If you're ready to feel better, look better, and recapture the vitality of your youth, it's time to contact Global Life Rejuvenation. It all starts with an in-depth consultation, where we will determine if HRT and anti-aging treatments for women are right for you. After all, every patient's body and hormone levels are different. Since all our treatment options are personalized, we do not have a single threshold for treatment. Instead, we look at our patient's hormone levels and analyze them on a case-by-case basis.
At Global Life Rejuvenation, we help women rediscover their youth with HRT treatment for women. We like to think of ourselves as an anti-aging concierge service, guiding and connecting our patients to the most qualified HRT physicians available. With customized HRT treatment plan for women, our patients experience fewer menopausal symptoms, less perimenopause & menopause depression, and often enjoy a more youth-like appearance.
Growth hormone peptides are an innovative therapy that boosts the natural human growth hormone production in a person's body. These exciting treatment options help slow down the aging process and give you a chance at restoring your youth.
Sermorelin is a synthetic hormone peptide, like GHRH, which triggers the release of growth hormones. When used under the care of a qualified physician, Sermorelin can help you lose weight, increase your energy levels, and help you feel much younger.
Human growth hormone (HGH) therapy has been used for years to treat hormone deficiencies. Unlike HGH, which directly replaces declining human growth hormone levels, Sermorelin addresses the underlying cause of decreased HGH, stimulating the pituitary gland naturally. This approach keeps the mechanisms of growth hormone production active.
Ipamorelin helps to release growth hormones in a person's body by mimicking a peptide called ghrelin. Ghrelin is one of three hormones which work together to regulate the growth hormone levels released by the pituitary gland. Because Ipamorelin stimulates the body to produce growth hormone, your body won't stop its natural growth hormone production, which occurs with synthetic HGH.
Ipamorelin causes growth hormone secretion that resembles natural release patterns rather than being constantly elevated from HGH. Because ipamorelin stimulates the natural production of growth hormone, our patients can use this treatment long-term with fewer health risks.
One of the biggest benefits of Ipamorelin is that it provides significant short and long-term benefits in age management therapies. Ipamorelin can boost a patient's overall health, wellbeing, and outlook on life.
When there is an increased concentration of growth hormone by the pituitary gland, there are positive benefits to the body. Some benefits include:
Whether you are considering our HRT and anti-aging treatments for women in Lodi, FL, we are here to help. The first step to reclaiming your life begins by contacting Global Life Rejuvenation. Our friendly, knowledgeable HRT experts can help answer your questions and walk you through our procedures. From there, we'll figure out which treatments are right for you. Before you know it, you'll be well on your way to looking and feeling better than you have in years!
866-793-9933Party City plans to close over 30 stores in the US following its bankruptcy filing in January.The party-supplies retailer said it planned to close 22 stores in February, according to ...
Party City plans to close over 30 stores in the US following its bankruptcy filing in January.
The party-supplies retailer said it planned to close 22 stores in February, according to documents filed in bankruptcy court in February.
In April, the retailer announced that it would close another nine stores in California, Indiana, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Michigan. Four more stores – in California, Texas, and Massachusetts – have now joined the list, A&G Real Estate Partners, the real-estate advisor auctioning the stores, announced Tuesday.
Party City had already closed and vacated 28 stores in 13 states prior to filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on January 18, and it is now asking the court to release it from those leases, Retail Dive reported. The chain operated 823 retail locations, 770 of which were company-owned, according to court documents filed in January.
The retailer has struggled since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Sales lagged during lockdowns, and supply-chain disruptions in the years since have hampered inventory levels and helium has been in short supply, Reuters reported.
Correction: February 20, 2023 — An earlier version of this story misidentified the state home to one of the announced Party City closings. Party City said it would auction off 12 stores in six states, not seven, including a location at 1510 N West Ave. in Jackson, Michigan, not Jackson, Mississippi.
Sign up for notifications from Insider! Stay up to date with what you want to know.
Subscribe to push notifications
A former career finance man-turned-bakery-owner has created a bread that affects blood sugar at the same level as an apple. No, really.Robert Kovacs, owner of Orlando’s Bakery in Lodi, has been developing his low-carb, low-glycemic bread for about six years. The bread sits at a 39 on the glycemic scale (on par with that of an apple) and was created with diabetics in mind.Kovacs claims his creation is a game changer in the world of low-carb breads – something that will allow diabetics to reintroduce th...
A former career finance man-turned-bakery-owner has created a bread that affects blood sugar at the same level as an apple. No, really.
Robert Kovacs, owner of Orlando’s Bakery in Lodi, has been developing his low-carb, low-glycemic bread for about six years. The bread sits at a 39 on the glycemic scale (on par with that of an apple) and was created with diabetics in mind.
Kovacs claims his creation is a game changer in the world of low-carb breads – something that will allow diabetics to reintroduce the normally carb-heavy food back into their diet.
Lake-side dining:North Jersey lake-side restaurants offer elevated dining with panoramic views
Ice cream Food Crawl:These fancy ice cream flavors are kid-approved
Speakeasies:Step back in time to the Prohibition era at these North Jersey speakeasies
“I had one young man come to me – he’s a Type 1 diabetic – and say he hasn’t had bread for 12, 13 years. He tried it and he came back 90 minutes later saying the pump didn’t pump any insulin,” Kovacs says.
Lounging on a high top chair at the counter of Orlando’s Bakery, Kovacs has a passion for his bread. He’s eager to talk, spread the word, like a man sitting on a socially-conscious goldmine.
He says the bread has a small but dedicated following. He doesn’t yet sell 1,000 loaves a week, but those who know come back, he says, even when the product is sold out – once, twice, three times – to get their hands on a loaf. His speaks with a cadence that's somehow both even and urgent when describing product.
The topic is weighty and scientifically complicated, but when it comes to bread, he’s ready to talk.
Kovacs started developing his bread in 2012, when he heard about a diabetic-friendly flour being developed in Europe. He bought the patent and brought it to the U.S., and in 2016 began producing it large-scale. He also has been working with Ingredion, a starch manufacturer, which makes a high amylose resistant corn starch perfect for his purposes. The advanced flour and corn starch are two of the mechanisms he uses to make sure the bread won't cause a spike in blood sugar.
Never heard of high amylose resistant corn starch? Let’s back up. In layman's terms, starches are either made of amylose or amylopectin (both are types of polysaccharides). Foods that are high in amylose are digested slower than other foods, making them less likely to increase blood glucose or insulin – a win for diabetics, whose pancreases don’t react to blood sugar increases normally. A resistant starch is not fully broken down and absorbed, which is what gives it its name – it resists digestion.
So, the high amylose resistant starch is comparatively good for people wanting to maintain steady blood sugar levels, though that’s not the only feather in the health-conscious cap of this bread.
Ready for more jargon? Resistant starches typically fall into one of four categories: RS1 through RS4. To be considered RS1 or RS2 starches, no chemical modification can take place – only physical (grinding, pounding, etc.). Kovacs uses only RS2 starches in his bread, so they haven’t been chemically modified. According to Kovacs, many other low-carb bread manufacturers use RS4 starches, making them chemically modified and, therefore, less natural.
“That’s why we feel we are in a league of our own, and that the product is truly revolutionary in the marketplace right now,” he says after slugging through a few minutes of technical talk.
But a healthy starch does not good bread make, and Kovacs needed to turn healthy into tasty – a task he didn’t take lightly. According to Kovacs, diets that emphasize losing weight by cutting carbs, like the Atkins Diet, fail because carb substitutes frankly don’t taste good.
“The European standpoint is, there are many, many low carb/zero carb products, but in the food business, taste is king,” Kovacs says.
His point is – you can find no-carb bread out there, but it won’t taste as good as his, which comes in two varieties: traditional and whole grain. He knows the flavor is good because most of his taste tests were done by the harshest critics of all – kids.
“We wanted to get an unfiltered, honest opinion about the product,” he says. “Actually, juvenile diabetes is exploding in this country. I think offering tasty alternatives for children is perhaps even more important than for adults.”
So why has no one else tried the methods he has to achieve healthy, delicious bread?
“In the bakery business, innovation happens on a very small mom and pop level – the Orlando’s level,” Kovacs asserts. Big box manufacturers are looking for sure bets, he says, and aren’t willing to sink a million dollars into a project like this.
Currently, his bread is manufactured large-scale at Alma Baking and can be found at Orlando's Bakery, select ShopRites, Uncle Giuseppe's Marketplaces (their biggest retail partner) and other niche health stores. It will also soon be found at Maywood Marketplace in Maywood.
Kovacs' father and grandmother had diabetes, but his persistence in developing a bread that people can enjoy sacrifice-free goes deeper than that. The Bergen County native used to work in the field of finance, but when the stock market crashed in ’08, he entered a “very dark period” of his life.
He also worked a bit in property development and was once hired to build out a bakery in Orlando, Florida. This trip sparked a desire in Kovacs to enter the bakery business. He came back and bought Orlando’s in 2017 – meaning his focus on the low-carb bread predates him even owning a bakery.
When asked if buying Orlando’s and developing the bread pulled him out of that “dark” time, he shrugs.
“I’m from a finance background," he says. "That’s very far removed from even the real economy or society. I wanted to have that positive connection to people, and I thought this was a very forward thinking, great product.”
As he speaks, one of his workers whizzes by, the scent of a fresh loaf of bread following him, and tosses back a knowing glance.
“He really needed a change,” he says.
Kovacs smiles sheepishly at him, clearly more comfortable talking about the product than his personal life, and comments, “It’s also only two points on the Weight Watcher’s scale.”
A world-class golf course, a racquet center, a private yacht club, and much more – all yours to enjoy, so long as you have a spare million dollars lying around.The Shell Bay Club in Hallandale Beach, South Florida, opened on Tuesday — a private leisure and residential development...
A world-class golf course, a racquet center, a private yacht club, and much more – all yours to enjoy, so long as you have a spare million dollars lying around.
The Shell Bay Club in Hallandale Beach, South Florida, opened on Tuesday — a private leisure and residential development designed by Witkoff Group and PPG Development for "connoisseurs of life well lived."
Sprawled out along the Intracoastal Waterway, much of the 150-acre plot is dedicated to an 18-hole private golf course, designed by Australian two-time major winner Greg Norman.
Clocking in at 7,254 yards in length, boasting no tee times and a "world-class caddy program," the course is flanked by a 20,000-square-foot clubhouse, a 12-acre practice facility and a nine-hole par three course.
"The course at Shell Bay will be one of the most unique, pure golf experiences I have ever designed," Norman said in a press release.
"Completely isolated from its surroundings, the walkable layout will capture the true essence of the game with immaculately conditioned fairways, sweeping sandbelt-style bunkers and contoured greens that test every club in your bag.
"It will be a place where you can totally immerse yourself in the game."
Immersion comes at a price, however, with membership initiation fees for The Shell Bay Club coming in at $1 million.
Tenants living in the 108 residences and penthouses that make up the 20-story condominium tower overlooking the course receive automatic social club membership, with the option to pay the additional fee for the golf course.
Opening next year, the minimum unit cost is $3 million, a spokesperson for C&R PR agency said, with penthouses starting from $11 million.
There is no option to have a golf-only membership, the spokesperson added.
By contrast, initiation fees for Georgia's Augusta National Golf Club, host of The Masters, range from $250,000 to $500,000, according to Forbes in 2021.
"Golf is the most undersupplied asset in the Miami market, and consequently, Shell Bay is a generational opportunity to create the first new private course in the area in 25 years," Witkoff Group Co-CEO Alex Witkoff added in the press release.
Shell Bay Club members also have access to a range of amenities, including admission to the Shell Bay Yacht Club, which offers a 48-slip private marina to give residents with private vessels and charters direct access to the Atlantic Ocean.
The site's racquet club boasts hard, clay, and grass surfaces, as well as courts for pickleball and padel, while a member's pavilion encompasses spas, social rooms and a pro shop.
Residences — which come with butler service — are kitted out with floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views over the course, with managing hospitality group Auberge Resorts Collection set to open a boutique resort for guests on site in 2025.
QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John's volleyball team fell to South Florida in five sets, 3-2, in the Super 16 Round of the NIVC Tournament inside Carnesecca Arena. The scores of the sets were 25-23, 25-21, 19-25, 25-27 and 14-16.Giorgia Walther paced the Red Storm (24-11, 13-5 BIG EAST) with 17 kills at a 31.6 percent clip. The junior also packed on four digs and a solo block....
QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John's volleyball team fell to South Florida in five sets, 3-2, in the Super 16 Round of the NIVC Tournament inside Carnesecca Arena. The scores of the sets were 25-23, 25-21, 19-25, 25-27 and 14-16.
Giorgia Walther paced the Red Storm (24-11, 13-5 BIG EAST) with 17 kills at a 31.6 percent clip. The junior also packed on four digs and a solo block.
Erin Jones and Lucrezia Lodi each notched 10 kills in the match. Jones contributed nine assists, eight digs and a match-high five blocks. Lodi added four digs, an assist and a rejection.
Ludovica Zola logged nine kills at a 52.9 hitting percentage to go along with four block assists and a dig.
Wiktoria Kowalczyk led her squad with 36 assists paired with six digs and two kills.
Rashanny Solano Smith collected 15 digs to go along with four helpers and an ace.
South Florida's Maria Clara Andrade led the match with 28 kills. Caroline Dykes tallied 60 helpers with a team-high 15 digs.
Four Johnnies registered three kills apiece in the first stanza. The two squads battled out to a 6-6 tie at the start of the match. St. John's went on an 8-4 run that featured four combined kills from Zola, Lodi and Walther, putting them up by four, 14-10. The Bulls responded quickly with four consecutive points to knot the frame up at 14-all. Tied at 20, the Red Storm used a 3-1 run to go up by two, 23-21, but South Florida put down back-to-back kills to retie the game at 23. Two straight points from a Magda Stambrowska kill and a Bree Martin ace put the first set away, 25-23, in the Johnnies' favor.
Walther led the Red Storm with four kills in the second game. Much like the first frame, the two programs exchanged points to an 8-8 tie to kick off the second period. The Johnnies went on the first run of the set, logging five straight points off three kills, a block and a Bulls error to go up, 13-8 and force a USF Timeout. Down by three, 17-14, South Florida put together a 5-3 stretch to only trail by one, 20-19. The Johnnies were able to hold off the pressure from the Bulls, capping off a 25-21 second set victory with a USF attack error.
The third set featured seven total ties and two lead changes. Neither school could develop any significant momentum from the start of the set, leading to a 14-14 tie. The Johnnies went on a quick 3-1 run to go up by two, 17-15, but the Bulls responded with back-to-back kills to knot the frame back up at 17. South Florida went on a 5-1 stretch of their own to go up by four, 22-18 and rode their momentum to a 25-19 set three victory.
Both St. John's and USF exchanged blows with one another to an 8-8 stalemate before the Bulls used a 6-2 run to go up by four, 14-10. The Red Storm provided an immediate answer by ringing up four straight points to tie the frame at 14-all. The Bulls went on a 5-1 run, growing their lead back to four, 19-15, but the Johnnies went on a 5-1 run of their own, knotting the frame up at 20-all. USF held off two St. John's match points at 24-23 and 25-24 to earn their own set point, 26-25. An Andrade kill capped off the set in South Florida's favor, 27-25, evening out the match at two games apiece.
Walther paced the final set with five slams. The Red Storm quickly fell behind, 5-1, at the start of the fifth stanza. Walther then pounded four straight kills to knot the frame at 5. Tied at 9-all, the Bulls earned a 3-1 run to go up by two late, 12-10. USF kept its foot on the gas to the first match point of the set, 14-12, but the Johnnies contested the point with two straight scores, tying the frame at 14. USF put together back-to-back points to take the final set and the match, 16-14.
The Red Storm finished its 2023 season with a 24-11 overall record and its third appearance in the BIG EAST title match in program history.
After winning the opening two sets of what would become their final match of the season, the St. John’s Women’s Volleyball team fell to the University of South Florida in the Super 16 round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) Tournament on Dec. 2.South Florida battled their way back into the game to sweep the back end of the sets. For the Bulls, sophomores Maria Clara Adrande...
After winning the opening two sets of what would become their final match of the season, the St. John’s Women’s Volleyball team fell to the University of South Florida in the Super 16 round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) Tournament on Dec. 2.
South Florida battled their way back into the game to sweep the back end of the sets. For the Bulls, sophomores Maria Clara Adrande and Buse Hazan led the charge with a combined 45 kills and five aces. Collectively the team acquired 68 kills with an attacking percentage of .290% and 11 aces. They were bested by St. John’s in the first two sets, which is where they racked up the majority of their 26 combined errors.
For St. John’s, outside hitter Georgia Walther led the team with 17 kills, four digs and one block. Close behind her were Big East All-Conference players Lucrezia Lodi and Erin Jones with 10 apiece. Jones added on nine assists, eight digs and five blocks to her stat sheet. Lodi finished the match with four digs, an assist and a rejection.
Sharing the spotlight was middle blocker Ludovica Zola with nine kills, hitting 52.9 percent on the night. Up top, setter Wiktoria Kowalczyk helped the team with 36 assists, six digs and two kills. In the back court libero Roshanny Solano-Smith had 15 digs, four assists and an ace in her service game.
The opening set of the match was defined by a multitude of South Florida communication errors as they let the ball drop on a few points from St. John’s serve. On the state sheet they out played the Johnnies in kills and attacking percentage with 15 and .314%, but the Johnnies delivered a gutsy performance and relied heavily on their back court defense to hold points together. At the end of the set they tallied 11 digs compared to the Bulls eight.
Both teams opened the match up trading points back and forth. Halfway through the set, St. John’s went on a four-point scoring run capitalized by Zola, Walther and Lodi to bring the score to 14-10. South Florida would continue to battle back and close the gap, eventually bringing the score to 20 all. With the score at 23-22 in the Johnnies favor, they allowed for the ball to drop in the back court and tie it up once more and force St. John’s into a timeout to regroup. Middle blocker Magda Stambrowska would answer the call and slam it down for the Red Storm to take the one point lead, followed by an ace by defensive specialist Bree Martin to close out the first set, 25-23.
The second set, 25-21,continued to be a battle of back and forth exchanges of points. After steadying an 8-8 tie, the Red Storm pulled away with their first lead of the set and went on a 5-0 scoring run off of a string of kills led by Zola and an error for the Bulls. South Florida would continue to battle back, but St. John’s would maintain their lead and hold off the pressure from Adrande and Hazan to finish out the set altogether.
By the end of the second set St. John’s was performing with a .412% attacking rate, and matching the Bulls with 28 kills. They outplayed them in blocks with six compared to their two.
Momentum began to shift for the Bulls during the third set, even with the set starting out with alternating points once again. The Johnnies first lead brought the score to 17-15 before South Florida would be able to tie up the score to 18 all. From there, the Bulls would lure the match away, starting off with a 5-1 stretch of scoring. South Florida finished the set, 25-19, with an ace.
With seasons on the line, it was clear that neither team was going to give up the fight to win it all. The fourth set opened up with another seesawing exchange of points, and saw Hazan leading the Bulls with 15 kills and becoming vocally apparent on the court. She helped them take their first lead of the set and brought the score to 12-10. Lodi would answer with a huge kill off of an assist from Solano-Smith and Jones to bring the deficit to only one point. Each team continued to deliver on both ends of the court, laying it all out on a few diving plays. A net violation from Lodi brought South Florida to the 20-point mark, but Jones and Zola would keep the Johnnies in the game with two kills in a row.
Still back and forth, Jones would take the serve. On the return Solano-Smith provided a huge dig in the back court that set up the kill for Stambrowska to bring it to 23-23. A missed serve from South Florida brought the set to match-point, but the Bulls answered with two more to bring it to their own set-point. South Florida climbed back to finish the set out, 27-25.
South Florida pulled off the fourth set in a gutsy and determined set, leaving St. John’s to appear defeated and overpowered going into the fifth set changeover. The Red Storm quickly fell behind 5-1 in the opening string of the game, but Walther responded with four straight kills on her own to tie it up. Stambrowska would also come up with two late kills to help the Johnnies keep South Florida from match-point. Tying the frame at 14 each, South Florida would deliver two-straight points, including another kill from Hazan and a missed kill from Walthers to finish out the set 16-14.
St. John’s finished their 2023 season 24-11 overall. They notched in their second straight appearance in the NIVC Tournament, including their first time hosting, and the teams third appearance in the Big East title match in program history. In her 30th year as head coach, Joanne Persico was named American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) East Coast Region Coach of the Year on Dec. 5. Erin Jones was also selected to the East Coast All-Region Team after being named to the All- Big East Team as a unanimous decision and collecting 13 double-doubles in her sophomore season.