Building a Legacy: Jojo Persico's Impact on College Volleyball

Meet Jojo Persico, caoch of the St John's volleyball team for the last 20 years! Jojo shares her amazing, inciteful volleyball journey. A St. Francis Prep High School graduate and volleyball standout at the Queens school, Persico was selected as an inaugural member of the Catholic High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1991. In 2004, she was inducted into her third New York State Hall of Fame, the St. Francis Prep High School Hall of Fame, which also includes former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre and NFL coaching legend Vince Lombardi. She was awarded a seat on the St. Francis Prep Board of Trustees and served as President of the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) for Brooklyn and Queens from 2007-09. In 2013, she was selected as an inaugural member of the St. Francis Prep Ring of Honor Award. Located in Queens, St. Francis Prep is the largest private catholic high school in the country. In 2014, Persico was inducted into the St. Francis Prep Inaugural Ring Of Honor.

Still active on the court today, Persico also competed in the U.S. Volleyball Nationals in 2009, the top level of open volleyball in the country, teaming up with former Olympians and AVCA All-Americans, as well as standout NCAA student-athletes, on the Exterminators Volleyball Club. She is a 30-year veteran and one of the most decorated players in Empire State Games history. In 2008, the New York City women’s team became the first team in the open division to win five consecutive gold medals, as it defeated Long Island in a one-set playoff, 25-17. Persico led teams to the gold medal in 1998 and 2004-08, the silver in 2002-03 and the bronze medal in 1999.