Sunday, September 20
D.J. Sokol Arena
2:00 PM
Creighton University
6-7
3
vs
2
Kansas State
8-4
1
2
3
4
5
F
Kansas State
25
25
23
24
13
2
Creighton
22
22
25
26
15
3
Volleyball Closes Creighton Classic With Historic Comeback Win
9/20/2015 6:22:00 PM | Volleyball
OMAHA, Neb. -- Freshman Jaali Winters had 25 kills and senior Maggie Baumert came off the bench to lead a historic comeback on Sunday afternoon as Creighton Volleyball overcame an 0-2 deficit to topple Kansas State in five sets.
Scores of the match in favor of CU were 22-25, 22-25, 25-23, 26-24, 15-13. It was Creighton's (6-7) first victory in 66 all-time home matches after falling behind 0-2, and the 10th at all sites in 196 such opportunities. It's also the first time that the Bluejays have beaten K-State in seven meetings since reinstating their program in 1994.
Wisconsin's Hayleigh Nelson was named the MVP of the Creighton Classic, and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Lauren Carlini (UW), Tionna Williams (UW), Winters, Lauren Smith (CU), Katie Brand (KSU) and Chanell Clark-Bibbs (ARK).
The Creighton Classic title went to Wisconsin, which went 2-1 but won a three-way tiebreaker over Arkansas and Creighton due to most sets won (8) over the Bluejays (6) and Razorbacks (6). Creighton won a tiebreaker over Arkansas for second, while Kansas State finished fourth in the event after a winless weekend in Omaha.
In a match that featured 43 ties and 17 lead changes, it comes as no surprise that neither team ever held a comfortable lead. Creighton was on top 19-17 late in the first set before K-State answered with an 8-3 burst to take a 1-0 lead in the match. Katie Reininger had five kills and four blocks to start a huge afternoon that saw her record a double-double (13 kills, 10 blocks).
After Creighton raced to a 17-11 lead in the second set, K-State would once again respond. Mattie Batchelder served a 6-0 run to even the score. The teams would be tied at 20-all before Brooke Sassin had three late kills to propel the Wildcats to another 25-22 win and a 2-0 lead in the match. Sassin had seven kills in the set, while Reininger added four more stuffs for KSU.
Creighton switched to Baumert to open the third set, and the momentum of the match turned. The Jays led 15-11 before another K-State comeback evened the score at 16-all. KSU would go ahead 20-18 before Jess Bird served up four straight points to return the two-point lead to the home bench. With the score knotted at 22-all, kills by Winters and Marysa Wilkinson got the Jays to set point, and a block by Wilkinson and Taryn Kloth pushed the match into the fourth set. Wilkinson and Smith each had six kills in the set, while Baumert dished 18 assists for CU.
Creighton fell behind 14-11 in the fourth set before Amanda Foje served CU to back to even. CU pulled another rabbit out of its hat after falling behind 23-20. Baumert and Smith blocked Sassin to start the comeback and a Winters kills got CU within one. A Sassin error made it 23-all before Reininger got a kill to bring KSU to match point at 24-23. But Winters sandwiched two kills around a Sassin error to force the fifth set, 26-24. Winters had seven kills in the fourth frame, while Bird patrolled the back line to the tune of nine digs.
The fifth set had five ties and three lead changes. After CU used its final timeout when trailing 9-7, Smith and Baumert again teamed for a block to bring the Jays within one. The rest of the way CU rode the right arm of freshman sensation Winters, who had two straight kills to give the Jays a 10-9 lead. Winters, Baumert and Smith then triple-blocked Reininger to make it 11-9. The teams would trade three straight sideouts before a Sassin kill tied the score for the final time at 12-12. CU would take a 13-12 lead before Winters slammed a kill to give CU a 14-12 lead. After a KSU sideout on a setter dump from Brand, Winters again beat the block for her career-high 25th kill, and seventh of the set, to cap the comeback.
The match-leading 25 kills by Winters were the most by a Bluejay freshman since 1998, while middle blockers Smith and Wilkinson also added 13 kills each. Smith led CU with six blocks, including three in the last set, while Baumert finished with 38 assists. Kate Elman led CU with 22 digs while Bird added 21 and Melanie Jereb 16 more. CU had 73 kills, four aces, 93 digs and 8.5 blocks on .258 hitting.
Kansas State was paced by 20 kills from Alyssa Schultejans, while Sassin had 16 kills and 16 digs. Brand concluded a spectacular weekend with 57 assists and 24 digs on .625 hitting. KSU finished with 73 kills, two aces, 85 digs and 13.0 blocks on .235 hitting.
Creighton returns to the court on Friday when it hosts Seton Hall at 7 pm to begin BIG EAST Conference play. The contest will be a rematch of the 2014 BIG EAST Championship match, won by CU in four sets.
NOTES: Creighton concludes non-conference play with a 6-7 record against one of the nation's top-10 schedules, as five of the 13 opponents were ranked in the top-11 at the time of the match ... Kirsten Bernthal Booth improved to 41-22 in five-set matches at Creighton, including a 2-1 record this fall, and a 13-6 mark at home ... Creighton is now 7-2 at D.J. Sokol Arena in five-set matches ... Creighton won for the first time in seven matches this year after losing the first set ... Creighton improved to 133-5 when hitting .250 or better under Booth ... Creighton has now won seven matches under Booth when surviving an opponent's match point, with four of those coming against a team from Kansas. Today was the first such comeback since Nov. 16, 2012, at Wichita State ... Freshman Taryn Kloth had nine kills on 421 hitting in her best match to date ... Jaali Winters became the first Creighton freshman with 20+ kills in a match since Allie Oelke in 2007. The only other freshman in program history with 25 or more kills in a match had been Melissa Walsh (30 at Indiana State on Oct. 16, 1998 and 28 vs. Drake on Oct. 10, 1998) ... Winters' 25 kills were the most ever by a Creighton player at D.J. Sokol Arena, four more than the previous mark shared by Leah McNary and Kelli Browning. Her 59 attempts were also a Creighton record at the facility, which opened in 2009.
Scores of the match in favor of CU were 22-25, 22-25, 25-23, 26-24, 15-13. It was Creighton's (6-7) first victory in 66 all-time home matches after falling behind 0-2, and the 10th at all sites in 196 such opportunities. It's also the first time that the Bluejays have beaten K-State in seven meetings since reinstating their program in 1994.
Wisconsin's Hayleigh Nelson was named the MVP of the Creighton Classic, and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Lauren Carlini (UW), Tionna Williams (UW), Winters, Lauren Smith (CU), Katie Brand (KSU) and Chanell Clark-Bibbs (ARK).
The Creighton Classic title went to Wisconsin, which went 2-1 but won a three-way tiebreaker over Arkansas and Creighton due to most sets won (8) over the Bluejays (6) and Razorbacks (6). Creighton won a tiebreaker over Arkansas for second, while Kansas State finished fourth in the event after a winless weekend in Omaha.
In a match that featured 43 ties and 17 lead changes, it comes as no surprise that neither team ever held a comfortable lead. Creighton was on top 19-17 late in the first set before K-State answered with an 8-3 burst to take a 1-0 lead in the match. Katie Reininger had five kills and four blocks to start a huge afternoon that saw her record a double-double (13 kills, 10 blocks).
After Creighton raced to a 17-11 lead in the second set, K-State would once again respond. Mattie Batchelder served a 6-0 run to even the score. The teams would be tied at 20-all before Brooke Sassin had three late kills to propel the Wildcats to another 25-22 win and a 2-0 lead in the match. Sassin had seven kills in the set, while Reininger added four more stuffs for KSU.
Creighton switched to Baumert to open the third set, and the momentum of the match turned. The Jays led 15-11 before another K-State comeback evened the score at 16-all. KSU would go ahead 20-18 before Jess Bird served up four straight points to return the two-point lead to the home bench. With the score knotted at 22-all, kills by Winters and Marysa Wilkinson got the Jays to set point, and a block by Wilkinson and Taryn Kloth pushed the match into the fourth set. Wilkinson and Smith each had six kills in the set, while Baumert dished 18 assists for CU.
Creighton fell behind 14-11 in the fourth set before Amanda Foje served CU to back to even. CU pulled another rabbit out of its hat after falling behind 23-20. Baumert and Smith blocked Sassin to start the comeback and a Winters kills got CU within one. A Sassin error made it 23-all before Reininger got a kill to bring KSU to match point at 24-23. But Winters sandwiched two kills around a Sassin error to force the fifth set, 26-24. Winters had seven kills in the fourth frame, while Bird patrolled the back line to the tune of nine digs.
The fifth set had five ties and three lead changes. After CU used its final timeout when trailing 9-7, Smith and Baumert again teamed for a block to bring the Jays within one. The rest of the way CU rode the right arm of freshman sensation Winters, who had two straight kills to give the Jays a 10-9 lead. Winters, Baumert and Smith then triple-blocked Reininger to make it 11-9. The teams would trade three straight sideouts before a Sassin kill tied the score for the final time at 12-12. CU would take a 13-12 lead before Winters slammed a kill to give CU a 14-12 lead. After a KSU sideout on a setter dump from Brand, Winters again beat the block for her career-high 25th kill, and seventh of the set, to cap the comeback.
The match-leading 25 kills by Winters were the most by a Bluejay freshman since 1998, while middle blockers Smith and Wilkinson also added 13 kills each. Smith led CU with six blocks, including three in the last set, while Baumert finished with 38 assists. Kate Elman led CU with 22 digs while Bird added 21 and Melanie Jereb 16 more. CU had 73 kills, four aces, 93 digs and 8.5 blocks on .258 hitting.
Kansas State was paced by 20 kills from Alyssa Schultejans, while Sassin had 16 kills and 16 digs. Brand concluded a spectacular weekend with 57 assists and 24 digs on .625 hitting. KSU finished with 73 kills, two aces, 85 digs and 13.0 blocks on .235 hitting.
Creighton returns to the court on Friday when it hosts Seton Hall at 7 pm to begin BIG EAST Conference play. The contest will be a rematch of the 2014 BIG EAST Championship match, won by CU in four sets.
NOTES: Creighton concludes non-conference play with a 6-7 record against one of the nation's top-10 schedules, as five of the 13 opponents were ranked in the top-11 at the time of the match ... Kirsten Bernthal Booth improved to 41-22 in five-set matches at Creighton, including a 2-1 record this fall, and a 13-6 mark at home ... Creighton is now 7-2 at D.J. Sokol Arena in five-set matches ... Creighton won for the first time in seven matches this year after losing the first set ... Creighton improved to 133-5 when hitting .250 or better under Booth ... Creighton has now won seven matches under Booth when surviving an opponent's match point, with four of those coming against a team from Kansas. Today was the first such comeback since Nov. 16, 2012, at Wichita State ... Freshman Taryn Kloth had nine kills on 421 hitting in her best match to date ... Jaali Winters became the first Creighton freshman with 20+ kills in a match since Allie Oelke in 2007. The only other freshman in program history with 25 or more kills in a match had been Melissa Walsh (30 at Indiana State on Oct. 16, 1998 and 28 vs. Drake on Oct. 10, 1998) ... Winters' 25 kills were the most ever by a Creighton player at D.J. Sokol Arena, four more than the previous mark shared by Leah McNary and Kelli Browning. Her 59 attempts were also a Creighton record at the facility, which opened in 2009.
2015 Creighton Classic Summary
September 18-20, 2015 – Omaha, Neb.
Final Standings
T1. Wisconsin* 2-1
T1. Creighton 2-1
T1. Arkansas 2-1
4. Kansas State 0-3
*Wisconsin wins on second tiebreaker (most sets won)
Match Scores
Friday, September 18, 2015
#11 Wisconsin def. Kansas State, 3-1 (25-20, 25-14, 25-27, 25-23)
Creighton def. Arkansas, 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-18)
Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015
Arkansas def. Kansas State, 3-2 (19-25, 25-20, 25-21, 23-25, 15-11
#11 Wisconsin def. Creighton, 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-23)
Arkansas def. #11 Wisconsin, 3-2 (25-21, 22-25, 25-20, 13-25, 15-11)
Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015
Creighton def. Kansas State, 22-25, 22-25, 25-23, 26-24, 15-13
All-Tournament Team
Haleigh Nelson, Wisconsin (MVP)
Lauren Carlini, Wisconsin
Tionna Williams, Wisconsin
Jaali Winters, Creighton
Lauren Smith, Creighton
Chanell Clark-Bibbs, Arkansas
Katie Brand, Kansas State
Team Stats
KSU
CU
Kills
73
73
Errors
26
23
Attempts
200
194
Hitting %
.235
.258
Points
88.0
85.5
Assists
65
72
Aces
2
4
Blocks
13.0
8.5
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
25
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Kills
9
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
S
/ Volleyball
DS
/ Volleyball
DS
/ Volleyball
OH
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballMB
/ VolleyballRS/OH
/ VolleyballOH
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