Volleyball Hosts #25 Shockers, Unranked Bears This Weekend
9/30/2009 11:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Next Matches
Creighton Volleyball (5-9, 2-2 MVC) begins October with a pair of home matches against the preseason favorites in the Missouri Valley Conference.
On Friday evening No. 25 Wichita State (11-2, 2-1 MVC) heads to Omaha for a 7 pm match.
One night later, Missouri State (10-4, 3-0 MVC) arrives for a 7:30 pm match.
Both matches will be held inside D.J. Sokol Arena inside the Wayne and Eileen Ryan Athletic Center (2,950) in Omaha, Neb.
This Week
Oct. 2 7 pm #25 Wichita State at Creighton (KOIL 1180 AM) D.J. Sokol Arena
Oct. 3 7:30 pm Missouri State at Creighton (KOIL 1180 AM) D.J. Sokol Arena
Television Broadcast Information
Saturday's match will be broadcast statewide by NET Sports. Larry Punteney and Erin Swanson will call the action.
Fans in the Omaha market can watch NET on Cox Cable channel 12 and in high definition on NET-HD (Cox Cable channel 712).
The contest will mark the first televised event from inside the Wayne and Eileen Ryan Athletic Center.
Radio Broadcast Information
Both matches this weekend will be broadcast locally on KOIL (1180 AM).
The match will also be streamed live for free on-line at http://www.gocreighton.com, then clicking on the Live Audio tab on the left sidebar.
Brad Burwell will call the action on both nights. He'll be joined by Erin Swanson on Friday and Amanda Cvejdlik on Saturday.
Video Webcast Information
Both of this weekend's matches this weekend will be video webcast.
To sign up for Friday's match, visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the Live Video tab on the left sidebar. An annual subscription costs $69.95, while a monthly subscription costs $11.95 per month.
Saturday's match will be streamed free by NET Sports. That video can be picked up at http://www.netnebraska.org/television/stream.
Live Stats Information
Both matches this weekend will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the Live Stats tab on the left-hand side of the page for links the exact link.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton brings a 5-9 record into the weekend and is tied for fifth in the MVC with a 2-2 league mark.
Senior Jessica Houts was named to the All-Tournament Team at three different events and leads Creighton with 1.41 blocks per set (13th-most nationally) while ranking second with 2.54 kills per set. She was an honorable-mention All-American last fall and a preseason all-MVC pick this season.
Allie Oelke tops CU with 2.56 kills per set while also hitting .190. Oelke's 2.31 digs per set is second on the team to libero Nayka Benitez, who averages 4.31 dps.
The Bluejays average 11.50 kills, 1.07 aces, 12.91 digs and 2.93 blocks per set while hitting .197 as a team.
Scouting No. 25 Wichita State
MVC preseason favorite Wichita State is 11-2 on the season and 2-1 in league play after falling in five sets at Missouri State last Friday. The Shockers are the two-time defending regular-season champs in the MVC and have won four of the last five conference titles.
Wichita State is led by returning honorable-mention All-American and 2008 MVC Player of the Year Emily Stockman (4.02 kps., 3.04 dps., 0.40 saps.). She leads the MVC in kills per set and points per set while also ranking in the top-10 in aces and hitting percentage.
Second on the squad in kills per set is another all-Valley pick from last year, MB Sarah McGee (2.44 kps., 1.22 bps., .338%). McGee and 6'5” Stephanie Tokarz (1.23 bps.) combine to make a formidable tandem in the middle for WSU.
Setting for the Shockers is yet another preseason all-Valley pick, sophomore Mary Elizabeth Hooper (10.31 aps.). The back row is paced by libero Melissa Granville (3.87 dps.).
Wichita State hits .261 as a team and averages 13.07 kills, 1.69 aces, 14.33 digs and 2.88 blocks per set.
Scouting Missouri State
Missouri State is 10-4 on the season and 3-0 in the MVC after beating Wichita State at home last Friday. The Bears are 7-0 at home but 0-2 in true road matches to date, falling at both #14 Oregon and at Ohio.
Missouri State has three players averaging more than 2.60 kills per set, a group that includes Calli Norman (2.81 kps., 1.00 bps., .394%), Addie Foley (2.73 kps.) and Sara Staubach (2.68 kps.).
Melissa Gmur (7.38 aps.) and Julia Cawthra (4.41 aps.) share setting duties for the Bears, while preseason all-league pick Cara Hackmann has moved to the libero spot to average a team-best 5.24 digs per set.
Missouri State averages 12.76 kills, 1.19 aces, 14.78 digs and 2.43 blocks per set while hitting .247 as a team.
The Coaches
Creighton is coached by Kirsten Bernthal Booth (Truman State, 1997), who owns a 111-81 record in her seventh season with the Bluejays. She became the program's all-time winningest coach on Aug. 25, 2007 with a 3-0 win over Stephen F. Austin and joined the 100-win club with an Oct. 31, 2008 win at Drake.
Booth came to Creighton after going 112-41 in three years at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. A native of Lincoln, Neb., Booth played volleyball at Truman State, where she was named conference MVP, an Academic All-American and Missouri's 1997 NCAA Woman of the Year. She ranked third in Division II history with 6,077 assists when she graduated.
Booth is helped by associate head coach Paul Giesselmann, assistant coach Angie Oxley Behrens and volunteer assistant Mike Weber.
Four-time MVC Coach of the Year Chris Lamb is in his 10th season with Wichita State. Lamb owns a 204-88 record, all with the Shockers, and led WSU to the second round of the 2004, 2007 and 2008 NCAA Tournaments. He is assisted by Jeff Sanders and RJ Abella.
Melissa Stokes is in her 14th season at Missouri State, where she owns a 303-139 record. She has led MSU to five NCAA Tournaments in the last six years. Jeni Jones and Leah Johnson are assistant coaches.
Series History vs. No. 25 Wichita State
Wichita State has won five straight meetings and owns an 18-14 lead in 32 all-time match-ups with Creighton. Creighton leads the series 8-7 in matches played in Omaha.
Each of CU's last three wins over the Shockers have been five-set matches, including a five-setter at Koch Arena in 2006 that saw the Jays survive three WSU match points.
The first set winner of the CU-WSU match has won 10 straight meetings and 14 of the past 15 match-ups. Additionally, Wichita State has won 15 straight third sets against the Bluejays.
Booth is 3-10 vs. Wichita State and Chris Lamb, while Lamb is 12-7 vs. Creighton all-time.
Series History vs. Missouri State
Missouri State leads the all-time series with Creighton by a 25-6 margin, including a 12-3 mark in Omaha. The Bears had won 19 straight over CU before the Jays started its current three-match win streak in the series in 2007. Creighton has never beaten Missouri State four straight.
Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 3-9 all-time vs. MSU and Melissa Stokes, while Stokes is 21-6 in her career vs. the Bluejays.
Last Weekend Summary
Creighton split a pair of five-set matches on the road, winning at Indiana State on Friday before falling at Illinois State on Saturday. Jessica Houts led CU with 27 kills over the two matches, while Nayka Benitez topped the team with 51 digs on the weekend.
Dig This
Creighton is one of just 11 squads to average at least 17.20 digs per set in each of the previous three seasons, a list that consists of Austin Peay, Chattanooga, Creighton, Duke, Green Bay, Illinois State, Murray State, North Carolina, Rice, Southeast Missouri State and Western Illinois.
During that same span, Creighton's 18.851 digs per set average ranks fourth-best nationally, as seen below:
Digs Per Set, Nationally, 2006-08
Rk. School SP DIGS DPS
1. Murray State 338 6918 20.467
2. Chattanooga 361 7356 20.377
3. Illinois State 348 6812 19.575
4. Creighton 323 6089 18.851
5. Wichita State 342 6399 18.711
6. Austin Peay 345 6435 18.652
7. North Dakota State 323 6015 18.622
8. High Point 364 6763 18.580
9. Western Illinois 344 6391 18.578
10. SE Missouri State 348 6398 18.385
Creighton Volleyball on TV Again
Creighton is making its sixth television appearance under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. The Jays are 2-3 in five previous appearances on the small screen.
Last year Creighton was swept against Nebraska at Qwest Center Omaha. The Jays beat Missouri State on the road before losing at No. 22 Wichita State in 2007. In 2005, Creighton lost at No. 1 Nebraska, and in 2003 Creighton won a match at UMKC.
An Impressive Streak Ends
Creighton extended an impressive streak in Friday's 3-2 win at Indiana State, only to see it snapped the following day against Illinois State. Before Saturday's loss to the Redbirds, the Bluejays had won 13 straight MVC road matches to go five sets, a streak that began in 2000.
During that impressive run, CU owned at least one five-set road win against each of the other nine teams in the MVC.
Date Opponent 5th Set Score
10/14/00 at Indiana State 15-12
11/04/00 at Evansville 16-14
10/04/03 at Bradley 15-6
10/15/04 at Bradley 15-11
10/15/05 at Southern Illinois 15-8
11/18/05 at Northern Iowa 16-14
10/13/06 at Wichita State 17-15
11/18/06 at Evansville 15-10
09/11/07 at Drake 17-15
09/21/07 at Northern Iowa 15-12
10/10/08 at Illinois State 15-9
10/25/08 at Missouri State 15-12
09/25/08 at Indiana State 15-12
Chance For Something Rare
Wichita State is an incredible 87-6 in MVC regular-season play since the start of the 2004 season, so league losses have been few and far between.
Coming off last Friday's loss to Missouri State, the Shockers are looking to avoid losing consecutive MVC matches for the first time since Nov. 15 & 21, 2003, when it lost at UNI and Missouri State.
Before last Friday, Wichita State had won 38 straight regular-season MVC road matches and its last 36 MVC regular-season matches overall. Before last Friday, the last MVC home team to beat Wichita State had been Creighton, which upended the Shockers in five sets on Oct. 23, 2004.
Last Year's MVC #1 vs. Last Year's MVC #2
Friday's match-up between Wichita State and Creighton will feature a battle between the top two teams in the 2008 MVC standings. Last year Wichita State was 18-0 in league play, while Creighton was second at 15-3 in league action.
In last year's meeting in Omaha, Creighton and Wichita State were tied at one set each. In the pivotal third set, CU had leads of 24-23 and 25-24 but could not put away the Shockers, who would earn the 27-25 victory. WSU then pulled away from a late 22-22 tie in the fourth set to close the match with a 25-23 win.
Against Ranked Teams
Friday's contest against No. 25 Wichita State will give Creighton another chance to snap its 0-35 record against ranked opponents, including an 0-11 mark at home.
Creighton is 0-1 against teams ranked exactly 25th and 0-4 all-time against ranked Wichita State squads.
Creighton vs. Ranked Teams All-Time
Date Opponent Result
09/01/98 at #5 Nebraska L 0-3
09/04/98 vs. #19 Texas A&M (@Pacific) L 0-3
09/05/98 at #11 Pacific L 0-3
09/14/99 at #24 Kansas State L 0-3
10/16/99 #16 Northern Iowa L 0-3
09/08/00 at #6 Hawai'i L 0-3
10/03/00 at #1 Nebraska L 0-3
09/08/01 at #24 Santa Clara L 1-3
09/09/01 vs. #13 UC-Santa Barbara (at Santa Clara) L 0-3
09/25/01 at #1 Nebraska L 0-3
10/13/01 #16 Northern Iowa L 0-3
11/09/01 at #18 Northern Iowa L 0-3
09/06/02 vs. #13 Pacific (at Columbia, S.C.) L 0-3
09/21/02 at #7 Northern Iowa L 1-3
09/29/02 at #5 Nebraska L 0-3
10/18/02 #10 Northern Iowa L 0-3
10/04/03 at #10 Northern Iowa L 1-3
11/01/03 #12 Northern Iowa L 1-3
10/10/04 vs. #5 Nebraska (North Platte, Neb.) L 0-3
09/06/05 at #24 Kansas State L 0-3
09/10/05 vs. #3 Stanford (Boulder, Colo.) L 0-3
10/11/05 at #1 Nebraska L 0-3
10/29/05 at #25 Wichita State L 1-3
09/24/06 #1 Nebraska L 1-3
08/31/07 at #1 Nebraska L 0-3
09/02/07 #18 Cal Poly L 0-3
09/15/07 at #13 Minnesota L 1-3
11/10/07 at #24 Wichita State L 0-3
08/29/08 #16 Minnesota L 0-3
08/30/08 #21 LSU L 2-3
09/27/08 #14 Wichita State L 1-3
10/05/08 #2 Nebraska L 0-3
10/24/08 at #12 Wichita State L 0-3
08/29/09 #10 Illinois L 0-3
09/01/09 at #6 Nebraska L 0-3
Bober Turns 19
Redshirt freshman Megan Bober celebrated her 19th birthday on Monday. She is the only CU student-athlete to have a birthday that occurs during the regular-season.
Revenge On The Mind?
Last year Creighton had a chance at an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, but its second-place regular-season MVC finish wasn't enough.
Instead, first-place Wichita State and third-place Northern Iowa earned at-large bids while fourth-place Missouri State claimed the league's automatic bid.
After losing in the MVC Tournament semifinals to Northern Iowa, Creighton's best chances for an at-large bid fell by the wayside when Missouri State ended Wichita State's unbeaten season and theoretically took up one of the last remaining at-large bids. The Bears were shipped to Lincoln, Neb., where it was swept by UAB.
Schulze Swings Away
Senior Sarah Schulze entered last week with 24 kills in CU's first 11 matches before putting down 27 kills in three matches last week.
Schulze had nine kills against South Dakota State, 10 kills against Indiana State and then eight more putaways in a match at Illinois State that saw her finish with a season-best 19 digs.
Schulze hadn't recorded 10 or more kills in a match since the MVC Tournament during her sophomore campaign.
Three of the Best
Three of the best teams the MVC has had to offer over the past three years will be at D.J. Sokol Arena this weekend.
Wichita State is 37-2 in league play in that time to own the top record in the MVC. Creighton and Northern Iowa have both been 31-9 to tie for second, just ahead of fourth-place Missouri State's 28-11 mark.
No other league schools are better than .500 in conference play since 2007.
NCAA Stats Update
Creighton is ranked eighth-best nationally with 2.93 blocks per set, according to the most recent set of NCAA statistics through matches of Sept. 27th. Texas tops the nation with 3.39 blocks per set. That is the only team category that ranks Creighton in the top-150.
Individually, three players rank in the top-100 of any category. Senior Jessica Houts is 13th in the country with 1.41 blocks per set, trailing the leader Brittany Hewitt of Hawaii's 1.62 bps. At 99th is sophomore Laurel Sanford (1.09 bps.). Additionally, Nayka Benitez has climbed to 84th at 4.31 digs per set.
Close Doesn't Count
Part of Creighton's early-season struggles can be attributed to its difficulty in winning close sets. Creighton is just 4-11 in sets decided by the minimum two points, a figure that drops to 1-10 in the team's nine match losses.
Wichita State is 1-2 in sets decided by exactly two points.
Missouri State is 8-2 in sets decided by exactly two points this fall. Both losses came in the setback to Indiana, a contest that saw the Bears blow match point opportunities in both the fourth and fifth sets before losing 17-15 in the fifth set.
TGIF
Creighton will have its next opportunity to continue its recent Friday success on the road in the MVC on October 10th at Drake.
The Jays have won 14 of their past 15 Friday road matches in MVC play. The only setback in the last four years was the Oct. 24, 2008 loss at undefeated Wichita State.
Creighton is 19-7 under Kirsten Bernthal Booth in MVC road matches played on Friday and 16-12 in MVC road matches played on Saturdays. The Jays are also 0-1 in MVC Sunday road matches and 1-0 in MVC Tuesday road matches under Booth.
Obstacle Course
Only two individuals in the MVC own 10 or more blocks in a match this season, with both playing for Creighton.
Senior Jessica Houts leads that list with 14 blocks against Lipscomb (Sept. 4), while sophomore teammate Laurel Sanford had 10 blocks against Connecticut on September 12th.
Houts is the only player in the MVC to have more than one match of nine or more blocks, as she also had nine against UNI on Sept. 19.
How Do You Win The MVC? Start 1-0
At the start of the conference season, all 10 Missouri Valley Conference schools will harbor dreams of a regular-season league title. If the past is any indication, only Creighton, Missouri State, Wichita State, Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois still have a chance.
Since the beginning of the Gateway Conference (which later merged to form the Missouri Valley Conference in 1992) in 1983, no school has ever won the regular-season title after dropping its first league match of the season.
Taking it a step further, the 2008 Missouri State team is the only club to win the MVC Tournament after starting 0-1 in league play.
Even better for Creighton, two of the last three eventual regular-season champions opened the MVC season against Bradley.
Blocked By Bober
Freshman Megan Bober tied a Creighton record for most blocks in a match by a setter when she had nine rejections on Sept. 5 in four sets against Lipscomb. Melissa Weisensee also had nine blocks against Wichita State on Nov. 15, 1996.
Bober, who added 14 digs and 29 assists in the match, nearly recorded CU's first triple-double since 2001 and would have been the first player in school history with double-digits in assists, digs and blocks in the same match.
Dig Leader
Junior libero Nayka Benitez has led Creighton in digs in all 14 matches to date and tops the squad with 233 digs on the season.
Benitez became the second-quickest in CU history to 100 career digs, reaching that mark in her eighth match. She was also the second-quickest to 200 digs by doing it in her 13th match.
Below is a list that shows Creighton's quickest players to 100 and 200 digs in a career.
Creighton's Quickest Players To 100 Digs (Career)
Name MP Date Opponent
Bianca Rivera 6 09/02/07 Cal Poly
Nayka Benitez 8 09/12/09 vs. Connecticut
Melissa Weisensee 10 09/30/94 Missouri State
Kailey Reyes 10 09/27/98 at Western Illinois
Brittany Coleman 10 09/19/03 Southern Illinois
Creighton's Quickest Players To 200 Digs (Career)
Name MP Date Opponent
Bianca Rivera 11 09/15/07 vs. Charlotte
Nayka Benitez 13 09/25/09 at Indiana State
Kailey Reyes 16 10/17/98 at Illinois State
Melissa Walsh 20 10/30/98 at Wichita State
Brittany Coleman 20 10/18/03 at Illinois State
Let's Start With Houts
Senior Jessica Houts has started each of her last 59 matches, a streak that began Oct. 21, 2006 at Drake. Houts has started 102 of her past 103 appearances overall.
Houts is just the fourth player in Creighton history to make 100 career starts, joining Korie Lebeda (119), Melissa Walsh (107) and Kelly Goc (103).
New Facility Dedicated
The Wayne and Eileen Ryan Athletic Center and D.J. Sokol Arena was dedicated on the morning of August 28th in a 10 am ceremony. There was also a smaller presentation made during the intermission of the Creighton/Texas Tech match later that evening.
The facility will host the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament this November.
Full House
Creighton has finished in the top-26 of the nation's attendance leaders each of the past three seasons, and is off to another good start this fall.
Creighton is averaging 1,262 fans per match so far, a figure that currently ranks 27th-best nationally. Below is the nation's top-30:
Average Attendance Leaders (through 9/28)
Rank School Avg. Dates
1. Hawaii 6,227 13
2. Nebraska 5,278 6
3. Minnesota 4,692 5
4. Wisconsin 3,707 4
5. Texas 2,842 2
6. Wichita State 2,804 6
7. Florida 2,724 5
8. Penn State 2,644 5
9. Saint Louis 2,584 3
10. Northern Iowa 2,465 4
11. Purdue 2,319 7
12. Stanford 2,085 2
13. Illinois 1,917 4
14. Colorado State 1,913 8
15. Kansas State 1,652 6
16. Michigan State 1,627 3
17. New Mexico State 1,612 4
18. South Florida 1,582 4
19. Iowa State 1,578 4
20. Long Beach State 1,454 2
21. Texas A&M 1,429 4
22. New Mexico 1,410 7
23. Texas State 1,345 7
24. Colorado 1,278 3
25. Iowa 1,275 3
26. Kentucky 1,264 5
27. Creighton 1,262 5
28. Montana State 1,248 1
29. North Dakota State 1,240 4
30. Oregon 1,191 7
Back Home On Campus
The matches on Aug. 28-29 were Creighton's first regular-season contests on campus since playing at the Kiewit Fitness Center from 1994-96.
Since leaving the Kiewit Fitness Center, Creighton had played at five other home venues: Qwest Center Omaha, the Omaha Civic Auditorium and three Omaha high schools (Skutt, Marian and South).
A Fresh Start
Between 2000 and 2008, the only freshmen to start CU's season-opener had been Brittany Coleman (2003), Carolyn Decker (2004), Korie Lebeda (2005) and Allie Oelke (2007). All four of those women went on to earn a spot on the MVC's All-Freshman team.
The Jays started three freshmen in this year's season opener, as Megan Bober, Brooke Boggs and Heather Thorson all earning a starting nod.
Crowd Control?
Creighton attracted the fourth-largest crowd in program history for the Aug. 28 home opener against Texas Tech when 2,285 fans packed D.J. Sokol Arena.
The previous largest on-campus crowd for CU had been 476 for a match vs. Evansville on Nov. 4, 1994.
The previous largest crowd for a home opener had been the 1,227 that saw Middle Tennessee on Aug. 24, 1997.
Below are Creighton's largest home volleyball crowds all-time. The top three crowds took place at Qwest Center Omaha.
Largest Home Crowds, Creighton VB History
Att. Opponent Date CU Result
13,081 #18 Cal Poly 09/02/07 L 0-3
12,112 #1 Nebraska 09/24/06 L 1-3
8,037 #2 Nebraska 10/05/08 L 0-3
2,285 Texas Tech 08/2809 W 3-0
1,557 Northern Iowa 11/21/08 W 3-0
1,357 Northern Iowa 10/20/07 L 0-3
1,325 Indiana State 09/29/07 W 3-0
1,319 Northern Iowa 10/06/06 L 2-3
1,227 Middle Tennessee 08/24/07 L 0-3
1,183 Drake 11/16/07 W 3-1
Another Year, Another Schedule Adjustment
For the second consecutive season, Creighton's non-conference schedule was altered due to a rare occurrence out of its control.
This year, the Tulane volleyball team withdrew from the Bluejay Invitational (Aug. 28-29) after six players showed symptoms of the H1N1 virus, which prevented the squad from travelling.
Last year, Creighton's scheduled participation in the Ladyjack Invitational on the campus of Stephen F. Austin was cancelled due to the fact that the Nacogdoches, Texas school's campus was located in the path of Hurricane Ike. That cost Creighton matches against Oklahoma, Rice and host Stephen F. Austin.
Record Home Win Streak Snapped By Illini
Creighton had its school-record seven-match home win streak snapped on Aug. 29 in a 3-0 loss to No. 10 Illinois. That stretch had started on Oct. 17, 2008 with a win over Evansville and also contained victories over Southern Illinois, Indiana State, Illinois State, Northern Iowa, Bradley and Texas Tech.
Hitting On All Cylinders
Creighton attacked at a robust .398 clip in its Aug. 28 romp over Texas Tech. That ranks as the fifth-best figure for a match in school history.
Creighton is 47-1 all-time when hitting .300 or better, including 41 straight victories.
Best Creighton Attack Percentage in a Match
Pct. Opponent (K-E-TA) (Sets) Date
.536 vs. Tulsa (41-4-69) (3s) 10-27-95
.495 vs. Liberty (57-8-99) (3s) 09-02-05
.418 vs. Evansville (98-21-184) (4s) 11-02-96
.414 vs. UC Riverside (57-11-111) (3s) 09-02-05
.398 vs. Texas Tech (47-10-93) (3s) 08-28-08
I'll Take Houts For The Block
Jessica Houts broke Creighton's all-time block assist record last Nov. 7 against Indiana State and with 452 currently, she has flown past Ashley Williams' (2001-04) old mark of 347.
Houts claimed Creighton's total block record in this year's season-opening 3-0 win over Texas Tech. Her 519 career blocks are many more than Williams' 447, and she became the first player in CU history to reach 500 career blocks on Sept. 19 vs. Northern Iowa.
Also listed is the MVC's all-time leaders in block assists:
Total Blocks, Creighton History
Name Sets BS BA Tot. Years
1. Jessica Houts 390 67 452 519 2005-Pr.
2. Ashley Williams 359 100 347 447 2001-04
3. JoDe Cieloha 398 106 331 437 1994-97
4. Melissa Walsh 394 46 320 366 1998-01
5. Kelly Goc 394 44 310 354 2004-07
6. Sarah Beulke 299 57 250 307 2001-04
7. Shelly Kapler 388 40 241 281 1996-99
8. Korie Lebeda 428 42 236 278 2005-08
9. Lauren Bloemke 299 36 218 254 2006-Pr.
10. Lisa Meekins 292 16 208 224 1999-01
Most Block Assists, MVC History
Name, School Block Assists Years
1. Danielle Brazda, UNI 658 2004-07
2. Molly O'Brien, UNI 653 2000-03
3. Ashten Stelken, UNI 540 2005-08
4. Mindy Struckhoff, MSU 527 1985-88
5. Shari Vermeer, UNI 489 2001-04
6. Kendra Haselhorst, ILS 482 1997-00
7. Chris Less, UNI 476 1988-91
8. Holly VanHofwegen, UNI 464 1996-99
9. Elizabeth Meyers, WSU 460 2002-05
10. Staci Schmidt, DU 459 1993-96
11. Jenny Kabbes, ILS 457 1998-2002
12. Jessica Houts, CU 452 2005-Pres.
13. Emily Kabbes, ILS 437 2002-05
14. Michelle Burvee, UNI 428 2000-03
15. Linette White, MSU 421 2000-03
Freshman Setters Nothing New
For the third time in Kirsten Bernthal Booth's seven seasons at Creighton, the Bluejays began the season starting a freshman setter. Both setters on this year's roster, Brittany Moon and Megan Bober, are freshmen, with Bober earning every start so far.
In 2003 with Brittany Coleman starting as a freshman, Creighton improved from 3-23 (in 2002) to 12-18, a nine-win improvement. Coleman set a then-CU record with 1,347 assists while starting all 30 matches.
Creighton then finished 16-14 in 2005 as freshman Korie Lebeda arrived and Coleman was shifted to libero. Lebeda broke Coleman's record with 1,401 assists while averaging a league-record 13.34 assists per set.
Both Coleman and Lebeda would both go on to earn a spot on the MVC's All-Freshman Team.
Dandy Debuts
Nayka Benitez had 15 digs in the season-opening victory over Texas Tech, the most in school history by a player making their debut.
Fellow newcomer Alicia Runge also approached a pair of school records for a debut. Her three blocks were one shy of the record (held by current teammate Lauren Bloemke).
Additionally, Runge's nine kills were tied for second-most in CU history for a debut and the most since Heidi Higginbotham had nine in 1995.
2-0 Better Than 0-2
Creighton is 132-8 (.943) all-time when leading a match 2-0, including a 74-2 mark under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. They own a 62-4 all-time mark in home matches they lead 2-0 in.
Conversely, the Jays are 6-148 (.039) all-time when trailing a match 0-2, including an 0-48 mark in those home matches. Those six comebacks from down 0-2 are listed below:
Date Opponent Sets 3-5 scores Coach
09/19/97 at Bradley 15-11, 15-13, 15-8 Wallace
10/01/99 at Drake 15-6, 17-15, 15-11 Wallace
09/03/04 vs. Montana 30-20, 30-21, 15-11 Booth
10/15/04 at Bradley 30-22, 30-23, 15-11 Booth
10/15/05 at So. Illinois 30-25, 30-24, 15-8 Booth
09/21/07 at No. Iowa 31-29, 30-26, 15-12 Booth
The Votes Add Up
Creighton has eight matches scheduled against teams that received votes in the preseason AVCA Top 25 poll. Five of those squads will visit D.J. Sokol Arena, including No. 10 Illinois, No. 18 Wichita State, No. 20 Saint Louis and votegetters Tulane and Missouri State.
Creighton also plays on the road at No. 3 Nebraska and No. 18 Wichita State as well as votegetter Missouri State.
Survival of the Fittest
Creighton has won four matches under Kirsten Bernthal Booth after surviving an opponent's match point. On the other hand, Creighton is 111-0 under Booth when it reaches a match point opportunity.
Surviving Match Points, Under Booth
Date Opponent MP(s) Faced Final Set 5
09/11/07 at Drake 13-14, 14-15 17-15
10/13/06 at Wichita State 12-14, 13-14, 14-15 17-15
10/10/03 Wichita State 13-14 16-14
08/30/03 vs. McNeese State 13-14, 15-16 18-16
Production Returning
Creighton returned 6-of-12 letterwinners from last season. Below is a breakdown of the production that returns:
Stat Returners Departures
Blocks 161.5 (59.9%) 108 (40.1%)
Matches Started 97 (59.9%) 65 (40.1%)
Points 895.5 (52.5%) 809.0 (47.5%)
Kills 693 (51.8%) 646 (48.2%)
Aces 41 (42.7%) 55 (57.3%)
Digs 600 (34.9%) 1120 (65.1%)
Assists 58 (4.7%) 1189 (95.3%)
Set 1 Result = Match Result
In its last 95 matches in which it wins set one, Creighton is 86-9. CU is 93-13 overall under Kirsten Bernthal Booth when they win set one.
On the other hand, Creighton is just 18-68 in matches under Booth when it drops the first set.
Taking The Fifth
Creighton is 21-10 in five-set matches under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. That's impressive since Creighton had never finished a season with a winning record in fifth sets prior to Booth's arrival.
Below is a list of Creighton's record in five-set matches on a yearly basis:
Year Set 5 W-L Total W-L
1994 0-2 5-20
1995 0-2 11-19
1996 2-6 9-19
1997 3-5 15-13
1998 2-3 7-18
1999 3-3 13-15
2000 3-3 16-12
2001 1-1 14-13
2002 1-3 3-23
2003 5-1 12-18
2004 4-0 18-11
2005 3-1 16-14
2006 4-2 21-10
2007 2-0 21-10
2008 2-3 18-9
2009 1-3 5-9
Total 36-38 204-233
Preseason MVC Poll
Creighton has been picked fourth in a preseason poll of Missouri Valley Conference coaches. Defending regular-season champion Wichita State was picked to win the league, while defending tournament champion Missouri State was second. Northern Iowa was third, Creighton fourth and Southern Illinois fifth. Rounding out the rest of the league was Evansville, Illinois State, Drake, Bradley and Indiana State.
Eight players were also named preseason all-MVC, including Bluejay senior Jessica Houts.
Each of the past six years Creighton has finished in the spot predicted of them or better in the preseason poll.
Year Preseason Pick Finish Move
1994 11th 9th #2
1995 9th 7th #2
1996 9th 6th #3
1997 8th 3rd #5
1998 6th 8th i2
1999 T-7th 5th #2
2000 4th T-4th - -
2001 2nd 4th i2
2002 7th 9th i2
2003 9th T-5th #4
2004 5th 5th - -
2005 5th 5th - -
2006 4th 4th - -
2007 3rd T-2nd #1
2008 3rd 2nd #1
2009 4th ??? ???
AVCA Honors CU Volleyball For Academics
The Creighton volleyball program was honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association as a recipient of the 2009 AVCA Team Academic Award. Creighton previously won the award in 1998, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and are one of nine Division I schools nationwide to win the award in six consecutive campaigns.
The award honors teams that displayed excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA. Last spring the Bluejay volleyball team posted a combined GPA of 3.41.
Last Year Summary
Creighton went 18-9 and narrowly missed out on an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Bluejays went 15-3 to finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference and had a year-end RPI of 46.
Korie Lebeda, Amanda Cvejdlik and Jessica Houts were named first-team all-MVC, while Bianca Rivera was a second-team all-Valley selection. Houts was also named MVC Defensive Player of the Year and AVCA honorable-mention All-American.
Radio Broadcast Information
Brad Burwell and former Bluejay volleyball player Erin Swanson will broadcast at least 26 matches (14 home, 12 away) this season. The matches will air on KOIL (1180 AM) and KKAR (1290 AM) and be webcast on-line at www.gocreighton.com as well.
The pre-match show starts approximately 5-15 minutes before first serve. The post-match show also lasts about 15 minutes and includes post-match interviews.
A complete list of remaining matches follows:
2009 Volleyball Remaining Broadcast Schedule
Oct. 2 Wichita State (KOIL)
Oct. 3 Missouri State (KOIL)
Oct. 10 at Drake (KOIL)
Oct. 23 Illinois State (KOIL)
Oct. 24 Indiana State (KOIL)
Oct. 30 at Missouri State (KOIL)
Oct. 31 at Wichita State (KOIL)
Nov. 7 Drake (KOIL)
Nov. 10 Saint Louis (KOIL)
Nov. 13 Southern Illinois (KOIL)
Nov. 14 Evansville (KOIL)
Nov. 20 at Northern Iowa (KOIL)
Nov. 26-28 MVC Tournament (KOIL)
Creighton Ticket Information
Tickets to Creighton's home regular-season matches are sold at all Ticketmaster outlets. Cost is $8 for adults and $5 for youth (18 years of age or younger) for reserved seats and $7 (adult) and $4 (youth) for general admission seating. Children three and under are admitted free.
Season ticket information is available online at www.gocreighton.com or by calling (402) 280-JAYS. Creighton has sold approximately 700 season tickets for volleyball this year.
