Volleyball Takes 12-Match Win Streak to Villanova; Seton Hall

Game Notes (PDF)

This Weekend
Creighton Volleyball (17-7, 11-0 BIG EAST) will play five of its final seven regular-season matches on the road, and starts a four-match trip this weekend when it heads to Villanova and Seton Hall for a pair of matches.
   Friday's match at Villanova (19-5, 9-2 BIG EAST) features the top two teams in the current BIG EAST standings. That match will start at 7 pm Eastern (6 pm Central) and be contested at Jake Nevin Field House in Villanova, Pa.
   Saturday's contest will be at Seton Hall (11-12, 5-6 BIG EAST), the last BIG EAST club to beat the Bluejays. Saturday's contest will be contested at Walsh Gymnasium in South Orange, N.J., and also start at 7 pm Eastern (6 pm Central).

Radio/Video Broadcast Information
Both matches this weekend will be video streamed, for a cost. Saturday's match also has a free radio broadcast available on-line.
   Visit Villanova.com and SHUPirates.com for the link to each.

Live Stats Information
Both matches this weekend will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and navigate to the volleyball schedule page for the exact links to each match.

Scouting Creighton
Creighton has won 12 straight matches and owns a 17-7 record on the fall, which includes an 11-0 BIG EAST mark after a rigorous non-conference schedule that featured a nation-leading five top-11 foes. Despite the challenging slate, the Bluejays finished the fall placing second in three straight tournaments, and the Bluejays own a league-leading RPI of 26.
   The Bluejays own wins over six NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago, including a sweep of then-No. 10 Kentucky and a five-set comeback win over Kansas State. Among CU's losses are setbacks against No. 8 Illinois, No. 8 USC, No. 4 Nebraska and No. 11 Wisconsin.
   Jaali Winters (3.92 kps.) and Jess Bird (2.63 kps., 2.88 dps.) lead the Creighton offense on the outside, while middle blocker Lauren Smith (2.62 kps., 1.22 bps., .377%) continues to excel in the middle and earned All-Tournament Team honors during all four non-conference weekend tournaments.
   Maggie Baumert (10.67 aps.), Kenzie Crawford (9.09 aps.) and Ashley Jansen (1.10 aps.) have each seen time at setter this fall, while libero Kate Elman (3.86 dps.) continues to add to her Creighton-record dig total.
   Creighton was a unanimous pick to win the BIG EAST, while Elman, Bird and Smith were named preseason all-league picks.
   Creighton averages 13.82 kills, 1.26 aces, 15.51 digs and 2.31 blocks per set while hitting .258 as a team.

Scouting Villanova
Picked seventh in the preseason poll, Villanova enters the weekend 19-5 and is second in the BIG EAST with a 9-2 league mark.
   The Wildcats had their eight-match win streak snapped last Saturday at Marquette, with a four-set loss at Creighton on Sept. 27th the only other league setback.
   Allie Loitz (3.49 kps., .285%) and Claire Crutchfield (2.70 kps.) lead VU in kills per set, and Emma Pettit leads the BIG EAST with 11.23 assists per set.
   Allison Fitzgerald leads Villanova with 3.57 digs per set and Gabby Pethokoukis (2.26 kps., 1.08 bps., .310%) paces the team in blocks per set.
   As a team, Villanova averages 13.71 kills, 1.47 aces, 14.83 digs and 2.15 blocks per set while hitting .238.

Scouting Seton Hall
Seton Hall is trying to reclaim the magic that saw it finish second in the BIG EAST last year (15-3) and gain an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after a 28-win season. The Pirates are 11-12 and 5-6 in BIG EAST play this fall.
   Cherise Hennigan (2.68 kps.), Danielle Schroeder (2.74 kps.) and Amanda Hansen (2.77 kps., .322%) have handled the majority of the load on offense, with true freshman Sophia Coffey (9.37 aps.) directing the team.
   Also returning is 2014 BIG EAST Libero of the Year Tessa Fournier (4.97 dps.).
   As a team Seton Hall averages 12.39 kills, 1.17 aces, 15.33 digs and 1.86 blocks per set while hitting .194.

The Coaches
Creighton is coached by Kirsten Bernthal Booth (Truman State, 1997), who owns a 252-144 record in her 13th season with the Bluejays.
   She was named the 2010 CVU.com National Coach of the Year after leading Creighton to the second round during its first NCAA Tournament appearance, and named the CaptainU College Coach of the Year, as well as the MVC Coach of the Year, in 2012 following another run to the second round of the NCAA's and a school-record 29 victories.
   The winningest coach in school history, Booth has led Creighton to its only four NCAA Tournament bids in the program's modern history. She's also led the Jays into the top-25 each of the previous three years, another program first.
   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 was helped by associate head coach Tom Mendoza, assistant coach Angie Oxley Behrens and volunteer assistant Kyle South.
    Josh Steinbach (Penn State, 2002) is 142-122 in his ninth season at Villanova, making him the longest-tenured coach in program history. Before heading to Villanova, he had been an assistant at Wright State, Cincinnati, Penn State and San Diego Mesa CC. He is assisted by Amy Pauly and Ryan Sullivan.       Allison Yaeger (Wright State, 2003) owns a 73-45 mark in her fourth year at Seton Hall. Last year she led the Pirates to their best season since 1994 as SHU went 28-8 and reached the NCAA's, earning her BIG EAST Coach of the Year laurels in the process. She is assisted by Allie Matters.

Series History vs. Villanova
Creighton is 5-0 all-time vs. Villanova, winning 6-of-7 sets against the Wildcats in Pennsylvania.
   Creighton topped VU in four sets in Omaha last month behind 23 kills and 11 digs from Jaali Winters.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 5-0 all-time against Villanova and coach Josh Steinbach.

Series History vs. Seton Hall
Creighton is 3-3 all-time against Seton Hall, but 0-2 in two previous trips to South Orange.
   The Pirates are the only BIG EAST team to beat Creighton since the start of last season, going 2-2 against the Pirates and 27-0 against everyone else.
   The teams also met last November in the BIG EAST Championship match in Milwaukee, Wis., a 3-1 Bluejay victory.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 3-3 all-time against Seton Hall and coach Allison Yaeger.

Last Weekend Summary
Creighton swept a pair of matches last weekend, quickly disposing of both Providence and St. John's at home. Jaali Winters paced Creighton with 25 kills while Lauren Smith (2.00 bps.) anchored a strong blocking line that averaged 3.75 blocks per set last weekend.

Win, Win Scenario
With 94 wins to date, Creighton's senior class has tied last year's senior class for the most wins in any four-year span in program history.
   Individually, Melanie Jereb (92) and Ashley Jansen (91) have played in the most wins of any current seniors. Jereb has tied Leah McNary's school record of 92 wins played in, while Jansen is one game back.
Most Wins, Appeared In As A Player
   Wins   Player   Years
   92   Leah McNary   2011-14
   92   Melanie Jereb   2012-Pres.
   91   Ashley Jansen   2012-Pres.
   87   Kelli Browning   2011-14
   86   Kate Elman   2012-Pres.
   82   Michelle Sicner   2011-14
   82   Lizzy Stivers   2012-Pres.
   81   Megan Bober   2009-12
   81   Katie Neisler   2011-14

Best Month Ever?
Creighton has won nine matches this month, tied for the second-most successful month in program history, and already the most wins in any October.
   Creighton can tie the mark of 10 wins in a month, first done on September 2006, with one victory this weekend and can set the mark with a pair of triumphs.
Most Wins, Month
   W-L   Month, Year
   10-3   September 2006
   9-0   November, 2012
   9-0   October, 2015
   9-3   September, 2012
   9-4   September, 2004
   8-1   November, 2014
   8-3   September, 2007
   8-4   September, 2011
   8-5   September, 2014

Against NCAA Tournament Qualifiers
Creighton has already beaten six teams that appeared in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, with a chance on Saturday to run that mark to seven when it takes on Seton Hall.
   After going 3-35 against teams coming off NCAA Tournament bids prior to Kirsten Bernthal Booth's arrival, the Jays are 47-76 since, including a 6-4 mark this fall.
Year   W-L vs. Previous Season NCAA Teams
1994   0-4
1995   0-2
1996   0-2
1997   0-3
1998   0-5
1999   2-4
2000   0-4
2001   1-6
2002   0-5
2003   0-3
2004   2-2
2005   0-6
2006   4-6
2007   4-9
2008   6-8
2009   1-11
2010   4-7
2011   2-6
2012   8-3
2013   6-6
2014   4-5
2015   6-4
TOTAL   50-111
TOTAL Under Booth   47-76

The Search For 20 Wins (Again)
Creighton owns 17 wins this fall, a total that ranks ninth-most in program history for one season. Only six previous clubs have won 20 or more matches in one year.
   In fact, after no seasons with more than 16 wins from 1994-2002 before her arrival, Kirsten Bernthal Booth has led Creighton to 10 different seasons of 16 or more victories.
Matches Won
       Year   MP   W   L   Pct.
   1.   2012   33   29   4   .879
   2.   2014   34   25   9   .735
   3.   2013   32   23   9   .719
   4.   2006   31   21   10   .677
       2007   31   21   10   .677
       2010   33   21   12   .636
   7.   2008   27   18   9   .667
       2004   29   18   11   .621
   9.   2015   24   17   7   .708
       2011   31   17   14   .548
   11.   2000   28   16   12   .571
       2005   30   16   14   .533

Winters' Double-Digit Streak
Jaali Winters has 10 or more kills in 11 of her last 12 matches, including the last seven. Only five freshmen in program history have ever had a longer streak, and with 10+ kills vs. both Villanova and Seton Hall this weekend she can move into a tie for second place.
   Amanda Cvejdlik owns the mark with 11 such consecutive matches in 2005.
Consec. Matches, 10 or More Kills, CU Freshmen
   11   Amanda Cvejdlik, Oct. 14-Nov. 19, 2005
   9   Allie Oelke, Sept. 8-29, 2007
   8   Melissa Walsh, Oct. 3-30, 1998
   8   JoDe Cieloha, Sept. 2-23, 1994
   8   Melanie Jereb, Nov. 2-24, 2012
   7   JoDe Cieloha, Oct. 29-Nov. 13, 1994
   7   Kelly Goc, Oct. 29-Nov. 26, 2004
   7   Jess Bird, Nov. 9-30, 2013
   7   Jaali Winters, Oct. 6, 2015-Present

Booth Reaches 250 Wins At Creighton
Creighton's Oct. 17th win at Xavier was the 250th at Creighton for head volleyball coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth.
   Booth is one of nine coaches in school history to reach the milestone, and needed fewer games to attain the 250th win than all but Mary Higgins (Softball) and Dana Altman (Men's Basketball).
Record at Creighton When Reaching 250 Wins
W-L-T   Coach   Sport
250-109   Mary Higgins   Softball
250-136   Dana Altman   Men's Basketball
250-144   Kirsten Bernthal Booth*   Volleyball
250-145   Ed Servais*   Baseball
250-161   Jim Flanery*   Women's Basketball
250-162-2   Jim Hendry   Baseball
250-217   Brent Vigness*   Softball
250-227-2   Jack Dahm   Baseball
250-331   Tom Lilly*   Men's & Women's Tennis
*still active head coach at Creighton

Charting Booth's Wins
Kirsten Bernthal Booth's 250th win came in her 384th match on the Creighton sideline, coming on Oct. 17 at Xavier. Below is a look at her record per each 50 wins she's earned:
Kirsten Bernthal Booth, By 50 Win Milestones
W-L   Date   Opponent
50-43   9/1/06   Jacksonville State
100-71   10/31/08   at Drake
150-108   9/30/11   Illinois State
200-123   10/18/13   Xavier
250-144   10/17/15   at Xavier

The Nifty .250
Creighton is hitting a lofty .258 this season, a number that jumps to .296 against BIG EAST competition.
   Creighton is 141-5 under Kirsten Bernthal Booth when hitting .250 or better, and 68-0 under Booth when hitting .300 or better.
   Creighton has hit .298 or better in eight of its last nine matches, all against league foes, and all victories.

League Unbeatens
Creighton is one of 17 teams nationwide that are still unbeaten in league play, but one of just four with 11 or more conference victories through games of Oct. 28.
   Below is a list of teams that are unbeaten in league play this fall:
Team   League   W-L   Next
Arkansas State   Sun Belt   12-0   10/30
Creighton   BIG EAST   11-0   10/30
James Madison   Colonial   11-0   10/30
American   Patriot   11-0   10/30
Louisville   Atlantic Coast   10-0   10/30
Western Kentucky   Conference USA   10-0   10/31
Colorado State   Mountain West   10-0   10/29
Florida State   Atlantic Coast   10-0   10/30
Southern California   Pacific-12   10-0   10/30
Texas A&M CC   Southland   10-0   10/29
Appalachian State   Sun Belt   10-0   10/30
Dayton   Atlantic-10   9-0   10/30
Coastal Carolina   Big South   9-0   10/30
Hawaii   Big West   8-0   10/30
New Mexico State   Western Athletic   8-0   10/29
Alabama A&M   Southwestern   7-0   10/20
New Hampshire   America East   7-0   10/30

Hot, Hot, Hot
Creighton has won 12 straight matches, which enters Thursday as the nation's eighth-longest active streak.
Rk.   W's   Team   Next Match
1.   22   Southern California   10/30
2.   17   Western Kentucky   10/31
   17   Arkansas State   10/30
4.   16   Dayton   10/30
5.   14   James Madison   10/30
6.   13   Appalachian State   10/30
   13   Hawaii   10/30
8.   12   Creighton   10/30
   12   Texas A&M Corpus-Christi   10/29

Marysa In The Middle
After a 1-4 start to the season, Creighton moved sophomore Marysa Wilkinson to the middle blocker position, and it paid immediate dividends in a 3-0 win over No. 10 Kentucky.
   Wilkinson finished with six kills and tied her career-high with seven blocks in the win while hitting .214. Creighton's 11.5 blocks as a team were a season-high, and UK's .117 hitting percentage was the lowest by a Bluejay opponent all fall.
   Since moving Wilkinson to the middle Creighton has gone 16-3 and averaged 2.55 blocks per set while holding teams to .182 hitting. Prior to that CU had been 1-4 with 1.50 blocks per set while teams hit .253 against it.

Eight In A Row At Home
Creighton has won eight straight home matches. While modest, the figure ranks tied for third-longest since the program's 1994 reinstatement.
Creighton's Longest Home Win Streaks
Wins   Dates   Snapped By
   13   Sept. 1, 2012 - Sept. 7, 2013   California, 3-0
   9   Sept. 20, 2014-Nov. 21, 2014   Seton Hall, 3-0
   8   Sept. 25-Nov. 20, 2010   Northern Illinois, 3-0
   8   Sept. 20, 2015-Present   ???
   7   Oct. 17, 2008-Aug. 28, 2009   #10 Illinois, 3-0

Super Sunday
Creighton has four three matches on Sunday's this season, with three of them against top-60 RPI opponents (Kansas State, Villanova, Marquette).
   In those three matches, Creighton is 4-0.
   Jaali Winters has hit a robust .346 in those contests while averaging 5.67 kills and 2.53 digs per set. Winters had 25 kills and nine digs vs. Kansas State, 23 kills and 11 digs vs. Villanova, and 23 kills and nine digs vs. Marquette.
   Additionally, Maggie Baumert has averaged 12.46 assists and 2.15 digs per set.

Winters Makes It Four
Creighton Volleyball's Jaali Winters has been named BIG EAST Conference Freshman of the Week four times this season (Sept. 14, Sept. 28, Oct. 5, Oct. 12).
   Winters is the third player in program history to earn four Freshman of the Week honors, joining Allie Oelke (2007) and Megan Bober (2009).
   Oelke would go on to be named Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year in 2007, while Bober would become a three-time First Team All-MVC selection and a two-time AVCA Honorable-Mention All-American.

Can You Dig It?
Kate Elman already owns a school-record 1,856 career digs. Elman also owns Creighton career marks for matches with 10+ digs and matches with 20+ digs.
   With her next match of 10 or more digs, Elman will reach 100 career matches of double-figure digs.
Most Career Digs, Creighton History
       Name   Sets   No.   Years
   1.   Kate Elman   423   1,856   2012-Pr.
   2.   Janeen Piller   336   1,392   2001-04

Matches With 10+ Digs, Career
   10+D   Name   Years
   99   Kate Elman   2012-Pres.
   74   Janeen Piller   2001-04

Matches With 20+ Digs, Career
   20+D   Name   Years
   36   Kate Elman   2012-Pres.
   32   Julianne Mandolfo      2010-11

Going For The Kill
Jaali Winters had 23 kills in a Oct. 11 victory over Marquette, with 20 of those coming during sets two (9) and three (11).
   The 23 kills are the most in the BIG EAST this season for a three-set match, well ahead of the 20 that now stands in second place.
   The 23 kills by Winters ranks as tied for second-most in Creighton history for a three-set match, two behind the mark set by Leah Ratzlaff on Oct. 30, 2004.
Most Kills, Three Set Matches
   25   Leah Ratzlaff at Evansville   10-30-04
   23   Melissa Walsh vs. Southern Illinois   11-2-01
   23   Leah Ratzlaff vs. UC-Riverside   9-2-05
   23   Allie Oelke at Bradley   9-22-07
   23   Jaali Winters vs. Marquette   10-11-15
   21   JoDe Cieloha vs. Indiana State   11-20-97
   21   Melissa Walsh at Indiana State   10-22-99
   21   Melissa Walsh vs. Drake   9-22-00
   21   Leah Ratzlaff vs. Liberty   9-2-05

Among The Best
In Creighton's Oct. 9 win over DePaul, Lauren Smith hit .722 in 18 swings and Marysa Wilkinson hit .667 in 18 swings.
   Those two hitting percentages rank as the top two marks for a five-set match in Creighton history, topping the old mark of .560 by Kelli Browning set on Sept. 5, 2014 vs. Northern Iowa.
   Smith's performance ranks sixth-best in Creighton history, while Wilkinson's is tied for ninth-best all-time.
Best Attack Percentage (Min. 12 kills), All Matches
   .857   Lauren Smith (12-0-14) vs. Providence   10-19-14
   .750   Katy Grady (12-0-16) vs. Auburn   8-30-03
   .750   Abby Baumann (12-0-16) at San Diego St.   9-3-05
   .737   Lauren Bloemke (14-0-19) vs. Evansville   11-4-07
   .733   Lauren Smith (12-1-15) vs. Villanova   11-24-13
   .722   Lauren Smith (14-1-18) vs. DePaul   10-9-15
   .714   Amanda Cvejdlik (15-0-21) vs. Drake   10-3-08
   .684   Kelli Browning (14-1-19) vs. So. Illinois   10-27-12
   .667   Katy Grady (12-0-18) at Drake   9-27-03
   .667   Kelly Goc (14-0-21) vs. Stephen F. Austin   8-25-07
   .667   Marysa Wilkinson (13-1-18) vs. DePaul   10-9-15
   .650   Marysa Wilkinson (14-1-20) at Providence   10-3-15
   .636   Heather Thorson (14-0-22) vs. Evansville   10-22-11

Best Attack Percentage (Min. 12 kills), Five Set Matches
   .722   Lauren Smith (14-1-18) vs. DePaul   10-9-15
   .667   Marysa Wilkinson (13-1-18) vs. DePaul   10-9-15
   .560   Kelli Browning (15-1-25) vs. Northern Iowa   9-5-14
   .550   Melissa Weisensee (12-1-20) at Evansville   11-9-97
   .545   Shelly Roder (12-0-22) at Evansville   10-4-96

Winters Is Heating Up
Jaali Winters averaged 3.42 kills per set during Creighton's non-conference schedule, but has taken her game to another level in league action while averaging 4.53 kills per set.
   Winters has averaged at least 4.25 kills per set every weekend of league play while hitting .237 or better all but one weekend. Her dig numbers are also on the rise, as seen below:
WEEK (Opponents)   KPS   PCT.   DPS
1 (Miami/Louisville/Illinois)   3.15   .193   2.46
2 (USC/UNI/Kentucky)   2.80   .094   1.60
3 (Lipscomb/CSUB/Pacific)   3.73   .297   1.36
4 (Nebraska/Ark/Wis/K-State)   3.86   .274   2.07
5 (Seton Hall/Villanova)   4.50   .321   2.75
6 (St. John's/Providence)   5.00   .237   1.00
7 (G'town/DePaul/Marquette)   4.27   .347   3.09
8 (Butler/Xavier)   4.75   .267   2.75
9 (Providence/St. John's)   4.17   .190   2.83
Bold indicates BIG EAST Freshman of the Week

Baumert To The Rescue
Senior setter Maggie Baumert has played in 15 of Creighton's 24 matches this season, including 10 starts.
   While the Bluejays are 8-2 in those starts, it's what she's done as a reserve that has our attention.
   Each of the last three times that Baumert has come off the bench, she's helped turn around a match that led to a Creighton victory.
   She helped engineer comebacks from 0-2 deficits against both Kansas State (Sept. 20) and DePaul (Oct. 9), and also played the final two sets in CU's 3-1 win over Seton Hall (Sept. 25).
   In league play this season, Baumert averages a BIG EAST-best 11.74 assists per set, well ahead of second-place Emma Pettit (10.88) from Villanova.
   Baumert's 48 assists in the Oct. 11 3-0 win over Marquette were the most by a Bluejay in a three-set match since Korie Lebeda had 52 helpers on Nov. 4, 2007 vs. Evansville

Chasing .400
Lauren Smith enters this weekend hitting .377, good enough to lead the BIG EAST and rank 48-best nationally.
   Creighton's single-season record for hitting percentage in a season is .370 by Kelli Browning in 2012. Last year Smith hit .327, which ranked fourth in program history.

Elman Aces This Test
Kate Elman leads Creighton with 19 aces this season, which gives her 92 career aces.
   Elman's 92 aces rank fifth in Creighton history, but are well shy of Creighton's all-time record of 145 that set by Molly Moran from 1998-2001.
   Elman's high school and college teammate, Ashley Jansen, enters this weekend with 76 aces and is just outside Creighton's top-10.
Service Aces, Career
       Name   Sets   No.   Years
   1.   Molly Moran   341   145   1998-01
   2.   Melissa Weisensee   411   125   1994-97
   3.   JoDe Cieloha   398   113   1994-97
   4.   Shelly Kapler   388   104   1996-99
   5.   Kate Elman   423   92   2012-Pr.
   6.   Carolyn Decker   300   89   2004-08
   7.   Allie Oelke   445   86   2007-10
       Megan Bober   480   86   2009-12
   9.   Nayka Benitez   233   82   2009-10
   10.   Leah Ratzlaff   409   77   2002-05

Winters Having A Great Fall
Freshman Jaali Winters continues to lead Creighton in kills, and heads into Friday with 345.
   Winters was the second-fastest player in program history (by matches played) to 100 career kills, and the fastest ever to 200 and 300 kills.
   Should she sustain her team lead, Winters would join Cieloha (1994) and Melissa Walsh (1998) as the only players to lead Creighton in kills during their first campaign with the Bluejays.
Creighton's Quickest Players To 100 Kills (Career)
Name   MP   Date   Opponent
JoDe Cieloha   8   09/23/94   at Drake
Jaali Winters   9   09/12/15   Pacific
Melissa Walsh   10   09/26/98   at Bradley
Carolyn Decker   10   09/18/04   Illinois State

Creighton's Quickest Players To 200 Kills (Career)
Name   MP   Date   Opponent
Jaali Winters   15   09/27/15   Villanova
Melissa Walsh   16   10/16/98   at Indiana State
JoDe Cieloha   18   10/30/94   at UMKC
Allie Oelke   18   10/06/07   at So. Illinois

Creighton's Quickest Players To 300 Kills (Career)
Name   MP   Date   Opponent
Jaali Winters   21   10/16/15   at Butler
Melissa Walsh   23   11/08/98   at UMKC
JoDe Cieloha   26   09/02/95   vs. Green Bay

Blue October
Creighton will play 11 matches in the month of October, more than any other October in program history.
   The Bluejays are currently 9-0 this month, which improves their record to 29-3 in October since the start of the 2012 season. That includes 14 straight victories in the 10th month on the calendar dating to last fall.

Let's Get It Started
Creighton is off to a 11-0 start in league play for the first time ever. The program's best previous start had come in 2007 as members of the Missouri Valley Conference, when the Bluejays opened 7-0.
   Below is a list of Creighton's best starts in conference play all-time:
Start   League   Year   Final W-L   Final Place
11-0   BIG EAST   2015   ?   ?
7-0   MVC   2007   14-4   T-2nd
5-0   MVC   2006   12-6   4th
5-0   MVC   2011   12-6   4th
5-0   BIG EAST   2014   16-2   1st

12 Straight Sounds Good, "Dozen" It?
Creighton has won each of its last 12 matches, a streak it will look to extend this weekend
   In those 12 wins, the Bluejays are 'just' 16-8 in the first two sets of matches, but 20-1 in sets three, four and five.
   This is the program's third win streak of 12 or longer since the program's 1994 reinstatement, as seen below. Last year's team had a 11-match win streak snapped by Seton Hall.
   Consecutive Wins
       Wins   Dates   Snapped By
       17   Sept. 29-Nov. 30, 2012   at #11 Minnesota, 3-1
       12   Sept. 20, 2015-Pres.   ? ? ?
       11   Oct. 11-Nov. 21, 2014   Seton Hall, 3-0
       8   Oct. 25-Nov. 22, 2008   vs. Northern Iowa, 3-2
       7   Sept. 4-Sept. 17, 2004   Illinois State, 3-0

Home Sweet Home
Creighton is 22-2 all-time (.917) in regular-season BIG EAST play at D.J. Sokol Arena, falling once each to St. John's (2013) and Seton Hall (2014).
   Since D.J. Sokol Arena opened in 2009, Creighton is 53-7 (.883) all-time in regular-season conference matches in the facility.

Jaali Carries The Jays Against Johnnies
Jaali Winters had a career-high 28 kills on Oct. 2 in a four-set win at St. John's. The 28 kills were tied for the third-most in Creighton history for a single-match, and the most by any Bluejay since Leah Ratzlaff had 28 in a 2003 contest at Southern Illinois.
   Winters is one of eight freshmen in Creighton history with 20 or more kills in a match, and the only one with five or more such contests:
Most Kills, Match
   Kills   Name, Opponent   Date
   32   Michelle Prorock vs. Evansville (4s)   11-2-96
   30   Melissa Walsh at Indiana State (5s)   10-16-98
   28   Melissa Walsh vs. Drake (5s)   10-10-98
   28   Melissa Walsh at Drake (5s)   10-1-99
   28   Melissa Walsh vs. Northern Iowa (4s)   10-27-00
   28   Leah Ratzlaff at Southern Illinois (4s)   11-22-03
   28   Jaali Winters at St. John's (4s)   10-2-15

Creighton Freshmen With 20+ Kills in a Match
   Times   Name (High)   Year
   5   Jaali Winters (28)   2015
   4   Melissa Walsh (30)   1998
   3   JoDe Cieloha (23)   1994
   1   Michelle Prorock (23)   1994
   1   Shelly Kapler (22)   1996
   1   Jodi Bjoin (21)   1999
   1   Kelly Goc (20)   2004
   1   Carolyn Decker (22)   2004
   1   Allie Oelke (23)   2007

First Set Is Key
Creighton is 13-1 when it wins the first set this fall, compared to a 4-6 mark when it drops the opener. Creighton is 54-1 in its last 55 home matches when winning the first set, losing only to Pacific (on Sept. 12) in that span.
   Friday's foe, Villanova, is 16-1 when it wins the first set and 3-4 when it falls behind 0-1.
   Saturday's opponent, Seton Hall, is 11-3 when it wins the first set and 0-9 when it loses the first frame.

Marysa's Monster Night
Marysa Wilkinson had the best offensive night of her young college career at Providence on Oct. 3rd, finishing with 14 kills on .650 hitting.
   Her 14 kills tied her career-high, while her .650 hitting percentage was her best mark ever. Wilkinson exceeded that mark on Oct. 9 when she hit .667 vs. DePaul.
   Wilkinson's .650 hitting percentage ranked as the 10th-best single-match performance (at the time) in Creighton history, and fifth among those players with 14 or more kills in a contest.
   Creighton is 10-2 all-time when Wilkinson has 10 or more kills, and 16-0 all-time when she hits .400 or better.
   In her career against the Friars, Wilkinson owns 31 kills and two attack errors in 44 swings for a healthy .659 hitting percentage.

AVCA Poll Update
Creighton earned 19 points in this week's AVCA poll, good enough to move up to a season-best 31st place in the poll.
   Creighton has been ranked inside the top-25 of the poll 11 times, all in the last four years. CU's highest rank ever was No. 19 on Sept. 7, 2013 and it last was in the top-25 in the AVCA's 2014 Preseason Poll that was announced on Aug. 11, 2014.

Schedule Paying Pay Off
Creighton's non-conference schedule is always tough, but this year's slate may have taken that to another level.
   Unofficial RPI sites currently rank Creighton's schedule as the nation's 21st-toughest, and are a big reason that despite CU's 17-7 mark, the Bluejays own an official NCAA RPI of 26.

Against The BIG EAST
Creighton owns a .500 record or better against each of the other teams currently in the BIG EAST.
   The Bluejays enter this weekend with 42 wins against BIG EAST competition (including the BIG EAST Championship) since the start of 2013, two more than Marquette for most in the league.
Opponent   Reg. Season   BE Tourney   Total
Butler   4-1   -   4-1
DePaul   5-0   -   5-0
Georgetown   5-0   -   5-0
Marquette   4-1   0-1   4-2
Providence   4-0   -   4-0
Seton Hall   2-3   1-0   3-3
St. John's   5-1   -   5-1
Villanova   5-0   -   5-0
Xavier   5-0   2-0   7-0
Total   39-6   3-1   42-7

BIG EAST Preseason Poll
For the third straight season, Creighton was picked to win the BIG EAST Conference in a preseason poll of league coaches.
   CU was a unanimous choice and received 81 points in the poll and all nine possible first-place votes. Marquette was picked second while Xavier, St. John's and Butler rounded out the top half of the poll.
   Creighton also had three women named to the 13 member on the BIG EAST's preseason all-conference team, as Jess Bird, Lauren Smith and Kate Elman were all honored, with Bird selected as Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year.
   Creighton has finished in the spot predicted of them or better in the preseason poll in 10 of the past 12 years, including five years where it's finished exactly where it was predicted.
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   T-4th   - -
2010   4th   3rd   #1
2011   3rd   4th   i1
2012   4th   1st   #3
2013   1st   T-2nd   i1
2014   1st   1st   - -
2015   1st   ???   ???

Survival of the Fittest
Creighton has won seven matches under Kirsten Bernthal Booth after surviving an opponent's match point, including a Sept. 20 win over Kansas State that saw the Wildcats squander a 24-23 lead in the fourth set. Three of those comeback wins have come against Wichita State.
   On the other hand, Creighton is 252-2 under Booth when it reaches a match point opportunity, falling only when it wasted two match points on Sept. 4, 2010 to Iowa in an eventual 20-18 fifth set loss, and two other match points on Nov. 1, 2013 in a 17-15 fifth set loss to St. John's.
Surviving Match Points, Under Booth
Date   Opponent   MP(s) Faced   Final Set 5
08/30/03   vs. McNeese State   13-14, 15-16   18-16
10/10/03   Wichita State   13-14   16-14
10/13/06   at Wichita State   12-14, 13-14, 14-15   17-15
09/11/07   at Drake   13-14, 14-15   17-15
08/26/11   vs. UTSA   12-14, 13-14   16-14
11/16/12   at Wichita State   13-14   16-14
09/20/15   Kansas State   23-24 (4th set)   15-13

2-0 Better Than 0-2
Creighton is 218-8 (.965) all-time when leading a match 2-0, including a 161-2 mark under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. They own an 106-4 all-time mark in home matches they lead 2-0 in.
   Conversely, the Jays are 11-186 (.056) all-time when trailing a match 0-2, including a 2-65 mark in those home matches. The only such home comebacks came on Sept. 20 vs. Kansas State and again on Oct. 9 vs. DePaul. Those 10 comebacks from down 0-2 are listed below.
   Notably, this year's team has joined the 2004 and 2014 clubs as the only one to win multiple matches in the same season when trailing 0-2 at intermission.
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
11/16/12   at Wichita St.   25-16, 25-20, 16-14   Booth
09/05/14   vs. No. Iowa   25-16, 25-22, 15-5   Booth
11/08/14   at Butler   25-16, 25-20, 15-13   Booth
09/20/15   Kansas State   25-23, 26-24, 15-13   Booth
10/09/15   DePaul   25-21, 25-12, 15-11   Booth

Winters Arrives At End Of Summer
Jaali Winters came through in a big way on Sept. 20 in CU's comeback win over Kansas State.
   Winters had seven kills in both the fourth set and the fifth set, including CU's final five terminations of the 15-13 win. As if that weren't enough, Winters added three digs and two blocks in the fifth set.
   Winters 25 kills were the most by any Creighton player since Alicia Runge had 26 vs. Iowa on Sept. 4, 2010, and second-most in the rally scoring era to 25 points that started in 2008.
   Winters 25 kills and 59 attacks were the most by any Creighton player at D.J. Sokol Arena, which opened in 2009. The previous high for kills was 21 (by Leah McNary and Kelli Browning), while the previous high for attack attempts was 53 (by Allie Oelke).
   Winters 25 kills were third-most by a Creighton freshman in history, and the most since Melissa Walsh in 1998. Walsh had matches of 30 (at Indiana State on Oct. 16, 1998) and 28 (on Oct. 10, 1998) during her standout freshman campaign.

Creighton's Gauntlet
Creighton faced five different top-11 teams (at time of the match) during its 13-match non-conference schedule.
   Creighton faced then-No. 8 Illinois, No. 8 USC and No. 10 Kentucky in the first three weeks of the 2015 season, then added No. 4 Nebraska and No. 11 Wisconsin in mid-September.
   Creighton, with five, was the nation's only team that played four or more top-11 teams through the first four weeks of the season, as seen below:
Most Matches vs. Top 11 Teams (Thru 9/20)
#   Team   Opponents
5   Creighton   Illinois, USC, Kentucky, Nebraska, Wisconsin
3   USC   BYU, North Carolina, Kentucky
3   Oklahoma   Florida State, USC, Washington
3   Colorado   Illinois, Penn State, Florida State

Nation's Largest Crowd on Sept. 15th
Creighton's crowd of 10,131 on September 15th vs. No. 4 Nebraska was the nation's largest crowd this season, 26th-largest in NCAA regular-season history and 57th-largest all-time.
   Creighton is one of four schools to have hosted more than 7,000 for any match this season along with Hawaii (6x), Nebraska (9x) and Boise State (1x).
   Below is a list of the nation's crowds over 8,000 this fall:
   Rk.   Crowd   Match   Date
   1.   10,131   Nebraska at Creighton   9/15
   2.   8,667   UCLA at Hawaii   9/6
   3.   8,515   Minnesota at Nebraska   10/23
   4.   8,493   Wisconsin at Nebraska   10/24
   5.   8,433   Long Beach State at Hawaii   10/11
   6.   8,427   Iowa at Nebraska   9/26
   7.   8,314   Michigan at Nebraska   10/10
   8.   8,263   Michigan State at Nebraska   10/7
   9.   8,113   UC Davis at Nebraska   9/11
   10.   8,028   Tulsa at Nebraska   8/28
   11.   8,021   South Florida at Nebraska   9/12
   12.   8,010   Colorado State at Boise State   10/22

One More On Winters
Jaali Winters had 15 kills and hit .414 in the Sept. 15 match vs. Nebraska.
   Per White and Blue Review writer Matt DeMarinis, Winters is just the second freshman since 2000 to have 15 or more kills and hit .400 or better against Nebraska.
   The only other player to do so was Penn State's Ali Frantti, who did it twice last season en route to being named National Freshman of the Year and a Second Team All-American.

Largest Crowds To See The Jays
A crowd of 10,131 fans was on hand for the Sept. 15th tilt at CenturyLink Center Omaha. It marked the fourth time in Creighton's history that more than 5,000 fans attended a home volleyball match.
   In four volleyball matches at CenturyLink Center Omaha, Creighton has now played before an average of 10,840 fans.
   Below is a list of the largest crowds (and home crowds) in Creighton Volleyball history:
Largest Home Crowds
   Att.   Opponent   Date   CU Result   Facility
   13,081   #18 Cal Poly   09/02/07   L 0-3   CenturyLink
   12,112   #1 Nebraska   09/24/06   L 1-3   CenturyLink
   10,131   #4 Nebraska   09/15/15   L 0-3   CenturyLink
   8,037   #2 Nebraska   10/05/08   L 0-3   CenturyLink
   2,514   #7 Nebraska   08/31/10   L 0-3   Sokol

Largest Crowds (All Sites)
   Att.   Opponent   Date   CU Result   Facility
   13,081   #18 Cal Poly   09/02/07   L 0-3   CenturyLink
   12,112   #1 Nebraska   09/24/06   L 1-3   CenturyLink
   10,131   #4 Nebraska   09/15/15   L 0-3   CenturyLink
   8,627   at #5 Nebraska   09/29/02   L 0-3   Devaney Ctr.
   8,060   at #9 Nebraska   09/17/14   L 1-3   Devaney Ctr.
   8,037   #2 Nebraska   10/05/08   L 0-3   CenturyLink
   6,297   at #6 Hawaii   09/08/00   L 0-3   Sheriff Ctr.
   5,967   vs. Northwestern   09/07/00   W 3-1   Sheriff Ctr.

Jereb Up For Senior CLASS Award
Creighton Volleyball's Melanie Jereb is one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award. Jereb hails from Cary, Ill., and is the program's active leader in starts (87) and second in digs (1,090).
   Jereb is the only student-athlete that plays in Nebraska on the list, and also the only BIG EAST representative.
   Jereb owns a 3.98 GPA while majoring in Environmental Science and Biology. She's been on the Dean's List every semester, including a 4.00 GPA last spring, and has twice been named to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team.
   Jereb has also served more than 175 hours of community service during her first three years as a Bluejay, most on the team in that span.
   On the floor, Jereb remains the only player in program history to be named first-team all-conference as a freshman, has been named to a pair of all-tournament teams, was a three-time MVC Freshman of the Week in 2012, and has twice been named to an all-tournament team in her career.
   The award, chosen by a nationwide vote of Division I volleyball coaches, national volleyball media and fans, is given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in Division I volleyball. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – classroom, community, character and competition.
   Jereb is trying to become the third Creighton student-athlete to win a Senior CLASS Award, joining men's soccer alum Brian Holt in the fall of 2011 and men's basketball standout Doug McDermott in 2014.

Hometown Flavor
Creighton's 2015 roster boasts nine players from the state of Nebraska, the second-most in program history.
   CU's 2014 team had 10 Nebraskans on the roster, while the 2004, 2005 and now 2015 teams have each had nine homestate natives.

Kentucky Win Ranks As Program's Best
Creighton's 3-0 sweep over No. 10 Kentucky on September 5 was notable for multiple reasons.
   The 10th-ranked Wildcats were the highest-ranked foe that CU has ever beaten. The previous high had been No. 13 BYU on Aug. 30, 2013. The match was the 23rd in program history against a top-10 team.
   The sweep over Kentucky also marked Creighton's first sweep ever over a top-25 foe in 63 all-time meetings vs. ranked teams.
   Creighton improved to 4-59 all-time against top-25 opposition with the win over Kentucky. All four victories have come under the direction of Kirsten Bernthal Booth.

Jereb Reaches 1,000 Digs
Senior Melanie Jereb enters Friday's match with 1,084 career digs after she became the 13th Bluejay to reach 1,000 digs on September 12 vs. CSU Bakersfield. Her classmate Kate Elman reached the mark late in the 2013 season.
   Below is a list of how long it has taken each Bluejay to reach that milestone.
Creighton's Quickest Players To 1,000 Digs (Career)
Name   MP   Date   Opponent
Bianca Rivera   53   11/08/08   Illinois State
Julianne Mandolfo   56   10/22/11   Evansville
Kate Elman   59   11/16/13   at Seton Hall
Nayka Benitez   60   11/27/10   at Northern Iowa
Kailey Reyes   77   09/01/01   vs. UTSA
Janeen Piller   80   09/25/04   at Missouri State
Melissa Walsh   85   09/08/01   at #24 Santa Clara
Allie Oelke   95   09/04/10   vs. Iowa
Melissa Weisensee   97   10/04/97   at Missouri State
Sarah Schulze   101   11/13/09   Southern Illinois
Melanie Jereb   105   09/12/15   CSU Bakersfield
Korie Lebeda   108   10/17/08   Evansville
Megan Bober   118   10/27/12   Southern Illinois

Winters Wows 'Em
Freshman OH Jaali Winters couldn't have done much better at the Illini Classic, opening her career with a team-best 41 kills.
   Her 17 kills vs. Miami (Ohio) were the most in Bluejay history for a debut, three more than the previous mark set by Jess Bird in 2013.
   In addition, Winters' four blocks were tied for second-most in a debut (something Kelsey O'Connell also did) and her 14 digs were tied for fourth-most in a debut (Kate Elman set that record with 22 in 2012).
   Winters also became the fifth player to debut with a double-double, and joined Bird as just the second outside hitter to accomplish the feat.
   Last but not least, Winters became just CU's second player with 10 or more kills in each of the team's first three matches of a season, joining JoDe Cieloha (1994) who did it in the first eight contests of CU's first year back.

Select Company
Creighton is one of just 15 schools nationally who have won 23 games or more in each of the previous three seasons. That group consists of BYU, College of Charleston, Creighton, Florida, Florida State, Idaho State, LIU Brooklyn, Marquette, Nebraska, North Carolina, Penn State, Stanford, Texas, Washington and Western Kentucky.
   Creighton is also one of 26 teams to have appeared in each of the last three NCAA Tournaments. That group features Arizona State, BYU, Colorado State, Creighton, Florida, Florida State, Hawaii, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, LIU Brooklyn, Marquette, Miami (Fla.), Michigan State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, San Diego, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M, USC, Washington and Yale.
   Throw in three straight NCAA Tournament bids to that group of teams with three straight 23-win seasons and the group narrows to 12 teams: That group consists of BYU, Creighton, Florida, Florida State, LIU Brooklyn, Marquette, Nebraska, North Carolina, Penn State, Stanford, Texas and Washington.

Crawford Goes 3D
Kenzie Crawford made a bit of history on Aug. Aug. 29 when she turned in a triple-double (51 assists, 11 digs, 10 kills) against Louisville.
   Crawford is the seventh player in Creighton history to record a triple-double, and her performance was the 30th overall in Bluejay annals.
   Some more notes about Crawford's special night...
   - Crawford was making just her third career start. She's the first Bluejay to ever record a triple-double within her first three career starts.
   - Crawford earned her triple-double while also hitting .600. The .600 hitting was the best in Creighton history for any five-set match.
   - Crawford's .600 was the second-best mark by a Bluejay in a match with a triple-double, trailing only Megan Bober's .636 hitting vs. Bradley on Oct. 6, 2012.
   - Crawford had just the fifth performance in CU history of a "50-10-10" match. Kailey Reyes did it twice, while Bober and Melissa Weisensee had each done it once.

Coaching Them Up
When Kenzie Crawford earned the starting nod on Aug. 28, she became Creighton's fourth different starting setter on Opening Day in as many years.
   The revolving door at setter hasn't hurt the team in that time, as each of the previous three seasons ended in the NCAA Tournament, and two of them saw Creighton win conference titles.
   Megan Bober was CU's Opening Day setter in 2012 vs. UCF before Michelle Sicner took over in the 2013 lid-lifter vs. BYU. Last season, Maggie Baumert started the opener at setter against Lipscomb.

High Five
Creighton rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Miami (Ohio) in the Aug. 28 season-opener.
   The victory improved the Bluejays to 3-0 all-time in five-set matches to open the season, joining victories in 2011 (UTSA) and 2004 (New Mexico). CU trailed 2-1 after three sets in all three victories.
   Creighton then made history when it also played a five-set match in the second match of the season, the first time it had ever played two straight five-setters to open a season.

Magnificent Marysa
Marysa Wilkinson had four matches during her entire freshman season with 10 or more kills, and never had two in a row.
   Now a sophomore, Wilkinson opened her second season with three straight matches of double-figure putaways as she had 11 vs. Miami (Ohio), 13 vs. Louisville and 10 kills on .391 hitting in three sets at No. 8 Illinois.
   Wilkinson has eight matches this fall with 10 or more kills, including 14 at Providence on Oct. 3.

Set 1 Result = Match Result
Creighton is 209-23 overall under Kirsten Bernthal Booth when it wins set one. In that same time span, CU is just 43-121 under Booth when it drops the first set.
   Since Aug. 29, 2010, Creighton has gone 54-1 in its last 55 home matches when taking a 1-0 lead, losing only on Sept. 12 to Pacific.
   Last year Creighton was 20-2 when winning the first set and 5-7 when dropping the opener. This year's team is 13-1 when winning the first set but 4-6 when it falls behind after the first set.

Taking The Fifth
Creighton is 42-22 in five-set matches under Kirsten Bernthal Booth, including a 3-1 mark this year and a 14-6 home record in five-setters. That's impressive since Creighton had never finished a season with a winning record in fifth sets prior to Booth's arrival.
   Creighton has won seven of its last eight true road matches to go five sets, including wins in 2012 over league rivals Northern Iowa, Wichita State and Missouri State, wins in 2013 at Denver and at Wichita State, and wins last year at Butler and at St. John's.
   It's also worth noting that Creighton is 8-2 all-time in five-set home matches at D.J. Sokol Arena.
   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   1-4   14-17
2010   3-3   21-12
2011   5-2   17-14
2012   4-1   29-4
2013   3-2   23-9
2014   3-2   25-9
2015   3-1   17-7
Total   57-50   345-296

Some Fab Freshmen
Creighton has started seven different true freshmen in a season opener in the previous six years, and 13 such players since 2000.
   Since 2000, the only true freshmen to start CU's season-opener have been Brittany Coleman (2003), Carolyn Decker (2004), Korie Lebeda (2005), Allie Oelke (2007), Brooke Boggs (2009), Heather Thorson (2009), Julianne Mandolfo (2010), Katie Neisler (2011), Michelle Sicner (2011), Melanie Jereb (2012), Ashley Jansen (2012), Jess Bird (2013) and Jaali Winters (2015). In addition, CU also started redshirt freshmen Lauren Smith (2013) and Brittany Lawrence (2015), as well as and transfer Maggie Baumert (2014) in season-openers.
   Seven of those women (Coleman, Decker, Lebeda, Oelke, Mandolfo, Sicner and Jereb) went on to land a spot on the MVC's All-Freshman Team, an award that Bird likely would've received strong consideration for if the BIG EAST had such a team.

Highly-Touted Recruiting Class
Creighton Volleyball's recruiting class was named the nation's 11th-best by PrepVolleyball.com in May.
   The website annually ranks the nation's top recruiting classes, and this is the first time in the 13-year history of the rankings that Creighton has cracked the top-30. The site had previously named Taryn Kloth the nation's 18th-best prospect on its Senior Aces list, while Jaali Winters was tabbed the 41st-best.
   Creighton previously had earned "highest honorable-mention" four times (2008, 2009, 2011, 2014), "high honorable-mention" twice (2010, 2012), "honorable-mention" once (2005) and "best of the rest" once (2004) in the PrepVolleyball.com recruiting rankings.

A Bunch Of Winners
Creighton has experienced a great deal of success in recent seasons, and last year's squad enjoyed victories at historic levels. Consider the following numbers:
   Creighton owns 77 wins in the previous three seasons (2012-14), the winningest three-year span in program history and eight more than the mark set from 2011-13.
   CU's 94 victories in the previous four seasons (2011-14) were four more than any other four-year span in program history, which was done from 2009-12. This year's senior class entered 2015 with 77 wins, and can break the record with 18 victories.

The Votes Add Up
Creighton had five non-conference matches scheduled against teams that are in the preseason AVCA Top 25 poll, tied for the most in the nation.
   Creighton played matches against teams that were preseason ranked No. 5 (Wisconsin), No. 5 (Nebraska), No. 8 (Illinois), No. 15 (Kentucky) and No. 22 (USC).
   Besides Creighton, the only other school to play five different non-conference teams that are in the preseason top-25 is North Carolina. Of the nine teams that play four non-conference matches against preseason top-25 teams, Creighton will meet three of them (Illinois, UNI, Louisville).
   Creighton is 4-61 all-time against top-25 foes, including an 0-31 mark in true road matches.
   CU's Sept. 12 win over No. 10 Kentucky was the highest-ranked team that Creighton has ever beaten.
   Since the start of the 2012 season, 15 of Creighton's 29 losses have come against ranked teams. In that same period, Creighton is 92-14 against unranked teams.

Marian Pipeline
This is the 13th straight season that Creighton Volleyball had at least one product of Omaha Marian High School on the roster, as seniors Kate Elman and Ashley Jansen remain in the program and joined by freshman Kelsey O'Connell.
   Interestingly, the Bluejays had never had a volleyball player from Marian between 1994-2002. Here's a look at Creighton's pipeline of players from Marian.
2015: Kate Elman, Ashley Jansen, Kelsey O'Connell
2014: Kate Elman, Ashley Jansen
2013: Kate Elman, Ashley Jansen
2012: Kate Elman, Ashley Jansen
2011: Julianne Mandolfo
2010: Lisa Greisch, Julianne Mandolfo
2009: Lisa Greisch
2008: Emily Crowley, Korie Lebeda
2007: Korie Lebeda, Katie Mehal
2006: Korie Lebeda, Katie Mehal, Emily Greisch
2005: Korie Lebeda, Katie Mehal
2004: Katie Mehal, Emily Greisch
2003: Emily Greisch

Production Returning
Creighton returns 11-of-16 letterwinners to the court from last season, including four starters. Below is a breakdown of the production that returns:
Stat   Returners   Departures
Digs   1625 (76.4%)   502 (23.6%)
Assists   1682 (74.7%)   426 (25.3%)
Aces   105 (71.9%)   41 (28.1%)
Matches Started   105 (61.8%)   65 (38.2%)
Blocks   175.5 (51.5%)   165.0 (48.5%)
Points   1192.5 (51.9%)   1105.0 (48.1%)
Kills   911 (50.3%)   900 (49.7%)

Last Year Summary
Last year's Creighton team finished 25-9 and won the BIG EAST regular-season and tournament titles.
   Jess Bird and Kelli Browning were named First Team All-BIG EAST, with Browning also being named a Third-Team All-American by the AVCA. Lauren Smith was a second-team all-league choice and was named MVP of the BIG EAST Championship.
   Defensively, Kate Elman led Creighton in digs and became the school's all-time leader in the category.

Radio Broadcast Information
Brad Burwell and former Bluejay volleyball player Erin (Swanson) Russell will broadcast at least 12 home matches this season.
   The matches will air on KZOT (1180 AM), KOIL (1290 AM) and KOZN (1620 AM) and be webcast online 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.
Remaining Creighton Volleyball Radio Schedule
11/15   Butler (KZOT)
11/28   BIG EAST Championship (TBD)
11/29   BIG EAST Championship (TBD)

Volleyball Takes 12-Match Win Streak to Villanova; Seton Hall

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Maggie Baumert

Jess Bird

Kelli Browning

Kenzie Crawford

Kate Elman

Ashley Jansen

Melanie Jereb

Taryn Kloth

Brittany Lawrence

Leah McNary

Katie Neisler

Kelsey O'Connell

Michelle Sicner

Lauren Smith

Lizzy Stivers

Marysa Wilkinson

Jaali Winters