Creighton University
Evansville
Volleyball Sweeps Evansville For Fourth Straight Win
9/18/2010 9:21:00 PM | Volleyball
EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- Creighton completed an impressive opening weekend of Missouri Valley Conference play with a 3-0 sweep at Evansville on Saturday night. Scores of Creighton's fourth straight win were 25-20, 25-16, 25-20.
This marks the first time in program history that Creighton has started a season 4-0 in true road matches, and all four of those triumphs have been 3-0 sweeps.
Creighton, which improved to 7-5 overall on the season, is tied with Northern Iowa for first place in the MVC with a 2-0 record. Evansville, coming of a 3-2 win over previously unbeaten Drake on Friday night, dropped to 11-2 (1-1 MVC) after suffering its first home loss of the year.
"We wanted to keep the ball away from their top middle hitter (Emily Wandersee), and I thought the key was that we took them out of system with our serve and made other kids carry the load," said Creighton head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth. "She still hit at a high clip but they couldn't get the ball to her. We passed well and were in system a lot, and that made all the difference."
Creighton never trailed while winning the first set by a 25-20 count. Leading 8-7 early, Creighton scored seven of the next eight points to break free. Laurel Sanford, who had four kills and three blocks in the first set, had two kills adn two blocks in that decisive run. Creighton's lead eventually reached as large as 20-13 and UE got no closer than four the rest of the set. A kill from Alicia Runge closed out the first set.
Creighton never trailed in the second set either, quicky taking a 10-5 lead and steadily pulling away. UE would get as close as 15-12 before the Jays scored the next four points to put itself in a more comfortable lead. Leading 22-15 late, Karisa Almgren had two kills and a block assist to give CU the 25-16 win. Creighton hit .378 in the second set while also recording six blocks on the Purple Aces.
Evansville led early in the third set before Creighton took over with an 8-1 spree that saw it take the lead for good. UE would tie the score at 19-all, only to see CU reel of six of the final seven points in the match to earn the win. Kills by Runge, Megan Bober, Allie Oelke and Sanford, combined with a Julianne Mandolfo ace, spearheaded that run, which culminated when Oelke and Sanford teamed to block Emily Wandersee on match point.
Wandersee, who entered the match fourth in the MVC in kills and leading the league in attack percentage, was limited to just six kills and .188 hitting in 16 swings. Brooke Maher led UE with eight kills, while Hannah Wilson topped the Aces defense with 10 digs. UE hit .101 and finished with 30 kills, one ace, 42 digs and six blocks.
Creighton got double-doubles from Oelke (12 kills, 13 digs) and Bober (31 assists, 10 digs, seven kills, six blocks), while Runge finished with 10 kills. Sanford led a dominating Bluejay block with seven blocks to go along with eight kills. Almgren had seven kills and three blocks on .429 hitting, while Mandolfo finished with 11 digs and six assists. Creighton had 47 kills, three aces, 43 digs and 13 blocks on .274 hitting.
Creighton returns home for a pair of matches next weekend. The Bluejays will host preseason favorite Northern Iowa on Friday at 6 pm and Bradley on Saturday at 5 pm.
NOTES: Sophomore Lisa Greisch made her first start of the season ... Creighton has won the third set in each of its last 15 meetings vs. Evansville ... The team winning the first set has won the last 13 meetings ... Creighton is now 14-1 under Kirsten Bernthal Booth vs. Evansville ... Alicia Runge has had 10 or more kills in 13 straight matches, tied for foruth-longest in Bluejay history ... Allie Oelke moved into ninth in CU history with 951 career kills, passing Ashley Williams (941) ... Allie Oelke now owns 35 double-doubles in her career, including six this season.
