Creighton University
Texas-San Antonio
Volleyball Wins Thriller in 2011 Opener vs. UTSA
8/26/2011 4:35:00 PM | Volleyball
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The Creighton Volleyball team opened up its 2011 season with a heart-stopping 3-2 win over UTSA on Friday morning to begin play at the Texas A&M Invitational.
Creighton (1-0) won the first two sets 25-15 and 25-19, but could not convert a match point opportunity while dropping the third set, 27-25. After UTSA (0-1) won the fourth set 25-16, Creighton saved two match points as part of a match-ending 4-0 run to post a 16-14 fifth set victory.
Junior setter Megan Bober delivered Creighton's first triple-double since 2001, finishing the match with 11 kills, 51 assists and 14 digs. The 11 kills by the preseason all-MVC selection were a career-best. In addition, Bober distributed the ball masterfully, with four of her teammates also posting 11 or more kills. Laurel Sanford had 16 kills on .394 hitting, while Karisa Almgren had a career-best 14 putaways. Finishing with 11 kills were Heather Thorson and freshman Kelli Browning.
Creighton didn't take its first lead of the season until going ahead 13-12 midway through the first set, but once going ahead there was no letting up off the gas pedal. The Jays closed the first set on a 17-3 run to win 25-15. Almgren had six kills and Creighton hit .405 with just one attack error in 37 overall swings.
Creighton pulled away midway through the second set as well, extending an 11-10 lead into a 16-11 edge to create a cushion. Almgren had five more kills while Julianne Mandolfo had eight of her team-high 31 digs in the set.
The third set featured a huge comeback by the Jays, only to fall short late. Creighton trailed 24-21, only to score four straight points to move ahead 25-24 and earn a match point opportunity. A service error tied the score at 25, and UTSA responded with an ace by Laura Witt and a Cara Tripp kill to push the match to a fourth set. Mandolfo was again stellar on defense with 11 digs in the set.
UTSA controlled the fourth set, using a 18-6 run to build a 20-11 lead. Key in the set victory was the serving of Elise Huskey, who had four aces in a five-point span to complete the flurry. Kelli Browning had four kills to lead CU in the set.
Creighton's fifth set victory was a testament to conditioning and a never-say-die attitude. Creighton fell behind 4-0 after four consecutive attack errors. The teams then traded service errors as the Jays found themselves down, 5-1. Creighton would battle back, however, to tie the score at 9-9 after kills by upperclassmen Thorson and Almgren. But UTSA would call timeout and score three of the next four points to go ahead 12-10. The teams traded four straight sideouts, giving the Roadrunners a pair of match points with a 14-12 lead and the serve. After saving one match point following a poor set by Huskey, Creighton evened the score on a kill by second-team all-Valley middle blocker Laurel Sanford. Sanford and Bober would hook up on the next two points, climaxing a thrilling 16-14 Bluejay win. Sanford had six kills on .545 hitting in the fifth set, while Thorson had four kills in the decisive set.
For the match, Creighton hit .200 and had more kills (69-53), digs (95-91) and blocks (15-6) than the Roadrunners.
UTSA was paced by 14 kills from Huskey, who also added 20 digs and six aces. Two-time Southland Conference Libero of the Year Kelsey Jewasko had 31 digs for the Roadrunners.
Creighton will play tournament host Texas A&M in each of its next two matches, beginning this afternoon at 2:30 pm. Links to free live video and live stats for that match will be available on GoCreighton.com, and quotes from Creighton head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth will be posted following today's action.
NOTES: Creighton improved to 10-8 since 1994 in season-opening matches, including three straight wins and a 6-3 mark under Kirsten Bernthal Booth ... Kelli Browning's six blocks were most in program history for a debut, two more than the previous high of four done by Lauren Bloemke in 2006. Additionally, Browning's 11 kills were second-most in program history for a debut, trailing only JoDe Cieloha's 13 in 1994 ... Katie Neisler's 18 digs were most in history for a Bluejay debut, three more than the 15 by Nayka Benitez in 2009 ... This is Creighton's first trip to Texas in program history ... UTSA won the Southland Conference Tournament last season to advance to the NCAA Tournament and are favored to win the Southland Conference again this year by league sports information directors ... Last season UTSA trailed 2-0 in its opener and fought off nine match points before beating Ole Miss 20-18 in the fifth set ... Laurel Sanford's seven blocks give her 282 in her career, passing Korie Lebeda (2005-08) and Shelly Kapler (1996-99) for seventh in school history ... Creighton improved to 25-14 under Kirsten Bernthal Booth in five-set matches ... Creighton has now won five matches under Kirsten Bernthal Booth after facing an opponent's match point, with the last previous one coming on Sept. 11, 2007 at Drake ... UTSA assistant coach Howard Wallace was Kirsten Bernthal Booth's predecessor as Creighton head coach ... Creighton started two true freshmen in the season-opener for just the second time since 2000 (also 2007), as Michelle Sicner and Katie Neisler earned a starting nod.
