No. 22 Volleyball Heads West For USC Radisson Classic

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This Week -- USC Radisson Classic

Sept. 2   7 pm CST   #22 Creighton vs. Northern Iowa   Los Angeles, Calif. (Galen Center)
Sept. 3   2 pm CST   #22 Creighton vs. #23 Kentucky   Los Angeles, Calif. (Galen Center)
Sept. 3   10 pm CST   #22 Creighton vs. USC (Pac-12 Network)   Los Angeles, Calif. (Galen Center)

This Weekend
No. 22 Creighton Volleyball heads west to the USC Radisson Classic in Los Angeles, Calif., this weekend.
   Creighton (1-1) opens with a Friday night match at 7 pm Central against former MVC rival Northern Iowa (2-1).
   On Saturday, Creighton will meet No. 23 Kentucky (2-1) at 2 pm Central and tourney host USC (0-3) at 10 pm Central.
   All three matches will take place at the Galen Center (10,258) in Los Angeles, Calif.

Radio/Video Broadcast Information
All three Creighton matches at the USC Radisson Classic will be video webcast. Those contests can be found on either http://pac-12.com/now, (vs. UNI & UK) or http://pac-12.com/live/usc-2 (vs. USC). Once you get there, an authorization process with your cable provider information will be required to view. Paul Duchesne and Umberto Gatti will call Friday's Creighton match, while Gatti will handle it by himself on Saturday afternoon.
   Saturday night's match vs. USC will be televised nationally on the Pac-12 Network, with Kevin Barnett and Tammy Blackburn on the call. We've been listing that match as airing on the Pac-12 Network, and while it still is, it's with a big caveat. The game will not air on the Pac-12 Network's "national" feed that most people get, but instead, we're told, only on Pac-12 Network Los Angeles (a regional-based network that shows mostly UCLA/USC matches). Pac-12 Network Los Angeles is available only on DISH Network or Time Warner Cable, but not DIRECTV or Cox Cable in Omaha. The game will still have live stats (http://www.usctrojans.com/gametracker/launch/gt_wvolley.html?event=1501374&school=usc&sport=wvolley&camefrom=&startschool=&), and we expect you'll be able to watch the match on-line at http://pac-12.com/live/usc-2, though you may need cable authentication to view.
The game will also air very tape-delayed on the 'national' Pac-12 Network at 4 am Central on Monday morning.
     None of this weekend's matches will be broadcast on the radio in Omaha, but Northern Iowa's radio broadcast on Friday can be listened to online at no cost at http://tunein.com/radio/KXEL-1540-s26452/.

Live Stats Information
All matches at the USC Radisson Classic will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the Creighton Volleyball schedule page for the exact links.

Scouting No. 22 Creighton
Two-time defending BIG EAST Conference champion Creighton is ranked 22nd nationally after a 1-1 start last weekend at the Iowa State Challenge. The Bluejays squandered a 2-0 lead in a five-set loss to defending Missouri Valley Conference champ Wichita State before toppling tournament host Iowa State in four sets.
   Spearheading the returners is Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year Jaali Winters (3.78 kps., 2.78 dps.). Winters was a unanimous pick as BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in 2015, when she also took home AVCA Third Team All-American honors, after setting a CU single-season record with 546 kills.
   Also on the outside is senior Jess Bird (2.22 kps., 1.78 dps.), who was also named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. Bird was a Second Team All-BIG EAST selection in 2015 and then went on to earn BIG EAST Tournament MVP honors.
   In the middle, Lauren Smith (1.44 kps., 0.89 bps., .258%) was an honorable-mention All-American last year after pacing the BIG EAST in both blocks per set and hitting percentage.
   While much of the offense returns, Creighton did lose all-time digs leader Kate Elman (4.17 dps.), as well as veteran defenders Melanie Jereb (2.16 dps.) and Ashley Jansen (1.97 dps.). Taking over in the libero spot last weekend was true freshman Brittany Witt (4.11 dps., 0.22 saps.), who hails from the same Omaha high school (Marian) that Elman and Jansen attended.
   At the setter position, Purdue transfer Lydia Dimke (8.11 aps., 3.78 dps.) started both matches in place of All-BIG EAST selection Maggie Baumert (10.96 aps.), who graduated.
   Creighton was a unanimous pick to win the BIG EAST, the fourth straight year it's been the favorite in the league.
   Creighton averages 12.00 kills, 1.11 aces, 16.56 digs and 2.11 blocks per set while hitting .208 as a team.

Scouting Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa is 2-1 on the young season, with 3-0 wins over Miami (Ohio) and Saint Louis prior to a 3-0 loss at Michigan.
   Kayla Haneline led the team in kills (3.78 kps.) and hitting percentage (.475) last weekend, while Bri Weber (3.33 kps., 3.78 dps.) and Kendyl Sorge (3.78 dps.) shared the team dig lead.
   Amie Held (2.67 kps., 3.67 dps.) also had a big weekend for the Panthers, earning MVC Defensive Player of the Week accolades.
   As a team, Northern Iowa averaged 14.11 kills, 1.22 aces, 16.67 digs and 2.67 blocks per set on .263 hitting.
   Northern Iowa went 19-15 last year and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Scouting No. 23 Kentucky
Kentucky is 2-1 this season. The Wildcats were swept by Washington State in the season-opener prior to bouncing back with wins over Wyoming (3-0) and tourney host Purdue (3-2).
   Leah Edmond (3.91 kps., .316%) paced the Wildcats on the offensive end, while Olivia Dailey (10.91 aps.) set a UK offense that hit .258.
   Ashley Dusek (4.18 dps.) had twice as many digs as any other UK player, while Emily Franklin (0.73 bps.) was the team's top blocker.
   Kentucky averaged 13.73 kills, 1.27 aces, 10.27 digs and 1.45 blocks per set while hitting .258.
   Kentucky went 21-10 last season and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Scouting USC
After a dazzling 33-3 season a year ago, USC started 0-3 last weekend at the USC Baden Invitational. The Women of Troy lost to Marquette (3-1), Santa Clara (3-1) and UC Irvine (3-0) to own its first 0-3 start since 1990.
   The nation's No. 1 recruit, Khalia Lanier, was named to the All-Tournament Team last weekend after averaging 3.55 kills and 2.45 digs per set.
   Niki Withers (2.55 kps.) and Alyse Ford (2.09 kps., 2.27 dps.) also averaged multiple kills per set, while Taylor Whittingham (3.27 dps.) led the way in digs.
   USC is averaging 12.55 kills, 0.64 aces, 14.91 digs and 1.09 blocks per set while hitting .164 as a team.
   USC was the No. 1 seed in last year's NCAA Tournament and beat Creighton in the Regional Semifinal before falling one night later to Kansas in the Regional Final in San Diego.

The Coaches
Creighton is coached by Kirsten Bernthal Booth (Truman State, 1997), who owns a 263-147 record in her 14th season with the Bluejays. She's led Creighton to back-to-back BIG EAST titles, and three league crowns in the last four years. Last year, she also led the Bluejays to their first Sweet 16 in program history after winning the Chapel Hill sub-Regional and was named 2015 BIG EAST Coach of the Year and 2015 AVCA East Region Coach of the Year.
   She was also 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 five NCAA Tournament bids in the program's modern history. She's also led the Jays into the top-25 each of the last five 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 is assisted by Ryan Meek, Angie Oxley Behrens and Micah Rhodes.
   UNI is coached by Bobbi Petersen (Northern Iowa, 1990), who owns a 412-123 record in her 17th year with the Panthers. Petersen was named 2002 AVCA National Coach of the Year and also earned MVC Coach of the Year honors in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013. Generally regarded as one of the best players in MVC history, Petersen ranks 11th nationally among active coaches in winning percentage. Petersen is assisted by Kalani Mahi, Kim Davis and Jonny Olson.
   Mick Haley (Ball State, 1965) is in his 16th year at USC, where he owns a 392-98 record and has led the Trojans to six Final Four appearances and national titles in 2002 and 2003. He owns a 1165-286 mark overall in 40 years as a college women's coach. Haley is assisted by Jason Kennedy and Kyle Weindel.
   Craig Skinner owns a 252-102 record in his 12th season at Kentucky, which also doubles as his career mark. Before taking UK to 11 straight NCAA Tournaments, Skinner was an assistant for five seasons at Nebraska. He is assisted by Lindsey Gray-Walton and Anders Nelson.

Series History vs. Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa owns a 41-6 record all-time against Creighton, including 4-1 mark on neutral floors. Creighton has won three of the last four meetings in the series, including a 2014 neutral site match in Lexington, Ky., when CU overcame an 0-2 deficit to beat the Panthers.
   In last year's meeting with UNI, Lauren Smith had 12 kills on .364 hitting, and Kate Elman supplied 22 digs. Bri Weber paced the Panthers with 13 kills and 22 digs, while Kayla Haneline also had 13 kills. The Panthers won that match, 25-18, 25-21, 8-25, 25-19, in Cedar Falls.
   Creighton head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 6-22 vs. Northern Iowa and 6-22 vs. Bobbi Petersen. Petersen is 29-6 overall against Creighton.
   Four of CU's six wins against the Panthers have come in five sets, including the last two. In 47 all-time meetings, Creighton has swept the Panthers just once (Nov. 21, 2008).

Series History vs. Kentucky
Creighton is 1-1 all-time against Kentucky, with the teams trading sweeps the past two seasons. UK beat the Bluejays in Lexington, Ky., in 2014 before Creighton upset No. 10 Kentucky in Cedar Falls, Iowa, last fall.
   Jess Bird had 11 kills and nine digs in last year's win, while Marysa Wilkinson added six kills and seven blocks in the triumph. UK was led by Darian Mack, who had nine kills but hit -.094.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 1-1 against Kentucky and also 1-1 against Craig Skinner.

Series History vs. USC
USC is 3-0 all-time against Creighton, with all three matches taking place in the last two years. Creighton won the opening set in the first and third of those meetings, but USC has won the other nine sets against the Bluejays.
   The programs last met during the 2015 NCAA Regional Semifinal in San Diego, where USC won 25-27, 25-16, 25-16, 25-18. National Player of the Year Samantha Bricio had 23 kills, 14 digs and two aces to pace the Women of Troy. Creighton was led by 12 kills from Jaali Winters and 15 digs by Kate Elman.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 0-3 all-time against USC and coach Mick Haley.

Last Weekend Summary
Creighton split a pair of matches at the Iowa State Challenge in Ames, Iowa, last weekend. CU lost in five sets to Wichita State in Saturday's season-opener before topping host Iowa State in four sets on Sunday.
   Jaali Winters (3.78 kps., 2.78 dps.) and Lydia Dimke (8.11 aps., 3.78 dps.) were both named to the All-Tournament Team for CU.

Hello World!
Megan Ballenger, Brittany Witt and Mac Conlon all made their Division I debut last weekend, leaving freshman Jaclyn Taylor as the only player on the roster without collegiate experience.
   Witt's 21 digs were the second-most in CU history for a debut, one shy of Kate Elman's mark.
   Dimke's 41 assists are second-most ever for a debut, and her 20 digs were third-most ever. Dimke is the sixth woman to debut with a double-double, and third setter to do so.
   Below is the current Creighton players and how they performed in their regular-season collegiate debuts (and at Purdue in Lydia Dimke's case).
   Records for a Bluejay debut can be found at the bottom of page three.
Year   Name   SP   K   E   TA   Pct.   A   SA   DIG   TB
2015   Jaali Winters•   5   17   6   49   .224   0   1   14   4
2013   Jess Bird•   4   14   5   29   .310   3   2   12   0
2013   Lauren Smith•   4   9   0   14   .643   0   0   0   4
2014   Marysa Wilkinson   2   5   0   7   .714   0   0   1   2
2016   Lydia Dimke•   5   5   2   14   .214   41   0   20   0
2015   B. Lawrence•   3   3   2   10   .100   0   0   2   1
2015   K. O'Connell   3   1   0   4   .250   0   0   0   4
2014   Kenzie Crawford   2   0   0   0   ---   1   0   7   0
2016   Brittany Witt   5   0   0   0   ---   5   2   21   0
2014   Lydia Dimke#   2   0   0   0   ---   4   0   1   0
2016   Mac Conlon   2   0   0   0   ---   1   0   2   0
2013   Amanda Foje   1   0   0   0   ---   0   0   1   0
2016   Megan Ballenger   1   0   0   0   ---   0   0   2   0
#Dimke's stats are from her debut at Purdue are also listed

Familiar Foes
The field for this weekend's USC Radisson Classic will continue to become more familiar with each other in upcoming years, as this is the third year of a four-year tournament between the teams that will move to Omaha in 2017.
   The event features a nice mix not only geographically, but also of some traditional and upcoming powers in the college game.
   USC has made 25 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, and been to the Regional Final (or beyond) in 11 of 15 completed seasons under Mick Haley. The Trojans claim six national titles in program history, and 20 or more wins in 12 of 15 seasons under Haley. Saturday's showdown will be the third meeting in the last 365 days between the Bluejays and the Women of Troy.
   Northern Iowa has won 20 or more games in 14-of-16 seasons under Bobbi Petersen, during which time the Panthers have advanced to 11 NCAA Tournaments.
   Kentucky has made 11 straight NCAA Tournaments, a streak that coincides with the arrival of coach Craig Skinner. The Wildcats own 20 or more wins in eight of the last nine seasons and three Sweet 16 berths in that span.
   Creighton has ascended onto the national stage in recent seasons. Since inheriting a 3-23 team in 2003, Kirsten Bernthal Booth has helped the Bluejays reach the NCAA Tournament in five of the last six seasons, winning a match four of those times, including last year's Sweet 16 run. All seven seasons of 20-plus wins in the program's modern history have come since 2006.

Familiar Rivals Get Reacquainted
Friday's match-up with Northern Iowa will be Creighton's 48th against the Panthers since the program's restart in 1994, the most of any opponent.
   The only other teams that Creighton has played more than 40 times are Wichita State (44) and Illinois State (43).
   UNI is the only opponent to defeat Creighton more than 30 times, something the Panthers have done 41 times.

All-Tourney Duo in Ames
Creighton had two women named to the All-Tournament Team at last weekend's Iowa State Challenge, Jaali Winters and Lydia Dimke. Winters and Dimke had double-doubles in both matches last weekend.
   Winters averaged 3.78 kills and 2.78 digs per set in two matches, while Dimke averaged 8.11 assists, 3.78 digs and 1.11 kills per set.
   No individual tournament MVP was awarded, and with all three teams finishing 1-1 no team champion was declared either.

The Dirty Dozen
Creighton has defeated just one of the current members of the Pacific-12 Conference, going 1-11.
   The Bluejays are 1-1 against Colorado (sweeping the Buffaloes in 2014 in Omaha), are 0-3 against USC, and are 0-1 against Arizona State, Cal, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA and Washington State.

Ranked vs. Ranked
Creighton is 5-62 all-time against ranked competition, but two of those wins came last season. The first triumphs was a victory over then-No. 10 Kentucky, the highest ranked foe CU has ever beaten, while the second was at No. 23 North Carolina to secure the program's first Sweet 16 trip.
   Of Creighton's five wins over ranked competition all-time, three of those victories have taken place on neutral floors (No. 16 Iowa State, No. 13 BYU, No. 10 Kentucky).
   Creighton is 20-7 all-time as a ranked team, including a 1-4 record when facing a ranked foe. Saturday's showdown between No. 22 Creighton and No. 23 Kentucky will mark the first time Creighton has had a better ranking in a match-up against a top-25 foe.
   Below is a listing of CU's five previous match-ups as a ranked team, when facing another ranked club.
CU Rank   Date   Opponent   CU Result
21   12/01/12   at #11 Minnesota   L 1-3
25   08/30/13   vs. #13 BYU   W 3-1
24   09/14/13   vs. #11 UCLA   L 1-3
23   09/20/13   vs. #7 Hawai'i   L 2-3
23   08/30/14   at #22 Kansas   L 1-3
22   Saturday   vs. #23 Kentucky   ? ? ?

The Reviews Are In
Last Sunday's match vs. Iowa State was Creighton's first it has played using the Challenge Review System, NCAA Volleyball's new instant replay program.
   Creighton head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth challenged just one call, an in/out call in the second set with CU trailing 17-12.
   Though the replay review confirmed the original line judge call to put Creighton in an 18-12 deficit, CU would rally to score 13 of the next 17 points to win the second set, and eventually claim a four-set victory.
   For the season, Booth is 0-1 in challenges (0-1 in/out, 0-0 foot fault, 0-0 ball contacting a player, 0-0 net fault).

Dimke's Rare 40/20
Purdue transfer Lydia Dimke opened her Creighton career with 41 assists and 20 digs against Wichita State on Aug. 27th.
   Not only did that make Dimke the sixth player in program history with a double-double in her debut, but it also made her the sixth player in program history with at least 20 assists and 20 digs in the same match.
   Dimke was the first player with a 20 assist/20 dig contest since Michelle Sicner (44A, 21D) on Nov. 29, 2013.
   There have been 20 overall 20/20 performances in CU history, including seven each by Melissa Weisensee (1994-97) and Kailey Reyes (1998-2001).
   Dimke became the second player in CU's modern history (since 1994) with a double-double in each of her first two career matches, joining Brittany Coleman in 2003. Coleman had three straight double-doubles to open her career.

Season-Opening No. 18 Was A Program Best
Creighton started the season ranked No. 18 in the AVCA Coaches poll. It was the highest ranking in program history for any week, one spot better than the No. 19 spot it attained twice, including the final poll of 2015.
   Being ranked in the preseason poll is no guarantee of future success, however. In the last eight seasons, only 144-of-200 teams (72 percent) would be in both the preseason and postseason AVCA Top 25 polls.
   In that same time frame, all but 19 teams named in the preseason AVCA Top 25 poll would go on to reach the NCAA Tournament (90.5 percent).
   Creighton dropped four spots to No. 22 in this week's AVCA poll, one spot ahead of Saturday foe Kentucky.

Coaching Them Up
Last weekend Lydia Dimke became Creighton's fifth different starting setter on Opening Day in as many years.
   Megan Bober was CU's Opening Day setter in 2012 vs. UCF before Michelle Sicner took over in the 2013 lid-lifter vs. BYU. In 2014 Maggie Baumert started the opener at setter against Lipscomb, while Kenzie Crawford got the call last fall versus Miami (Ohio).
   Bober owns the distinction of being Creighton's last setter to start consecutive season-openers, having done so all four years from 2009-12.
   The revolving door at setter hasn't hurt the team in that time, as each of the previous four seasons ended in the NCAA Tournament, and three of them saw Creighton win conference titles. Creighton has also won all four of those season-opening matches.

Select Company
Creighton is one of just 11 schools nationally who have won 23 games or more in each of the previous four seasons. That group consists of BYU, Creighton, Florida, Florida State, Idaho State, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford, Texas, Washington and Western Kentucky.
   Creighton is also one of 23 teams to have appeared in each of the last four NCAA Tournaments. That group features Arizona State, BYU, Colorado State, Creighton, Florida, Florida State, Hawaii, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, Marquette, Miami (Fla.), Michigan State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, Penn State, San Diego, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M, USC and Washington.
   Throw in four straight NCAA Tournament bids to that group of teams with four straight 23-win seasons and the group narrows to nine teams: That group consists of BYU, Creighton, Florida, Florida State, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford, Texas and Washington.

Automatic Bid x 2
Creighton is one of 11 schools nationally to earn an automatic bid into both the 2014 and 2015 NCAA Tournaments. That grouping includes New Hampshire, Dayton, Texas, Creighton, Coastal Carolina, Western Kentucky, Colorado State, American, Denver and BYU.
   Of those teams, the only six schools to win a conference tournament in consecutive campaigns have been American, Coastal Carolina, Creighton, Dayton, Denver and New Hampshire.

Back-To-Back Tournament Champs
Creighton won its second straight BIG EAST Championship title in 2015, becoming the league's first back-to-back tourney champ since Louisville won three straight titles from 2008-10.
   Creighton joined Pittsburgh, Notre Dame and Louisville as the only four schools to ever win back-to-back BIG EAST Championships in volleyball.

Offensive Production
Creighton ranked among the nation's most potent offensive teams last year. The Bluejays ranked third in the nation in kills, and return 94.7 percent of those terminations.
   Creighton also finished second nationally in assists in 2015, fifth in attack attempts and sixth in digs.

On The Road Again
Creighton will take a six-match win streak in true road matches into Saturday night's showdown with USC. The streak is tied for the fourth-longest of its kind in CU history, and two shy of the mark. To set the record, Creighton would have to win at USC (Saturday), at Kansas State (Sept. 13) and at Nebraska (Sept. 17).
Creighton's Longest Road Win Streaks
Wins   Dates   Snapped By
   8   Sept. 29 - Nov. 30, 2012   at #11 Minnesota, 3-1
   7   Sept. 21-Nov. 9, 2007   at #24 Wichita State, 3-0
   7   Nov. 21, 2009-Oct. 2, 2010   at Drake, 3-1
   6   Oct. 14-Nov. 17, 2000   at Missouri State, 3-0
   6   Oct. 31, 2015 - Present   ? ? ?
   5   Nov. 21, 2003-Sept. 14, 2004   at Wichita State, 3-1
   5   Oct. 11-Nov. 15, 2014   at #8 Illinois, 3-0

The Gauntlet
Creighton's non-conference schedule ranks among the toughest in the nation once again. CU's first seven opponents all reached the NCAA Tournament, including a pair of Final Four teams and the reigning national champion.
   All but one of CU's non-conference foes owned a top-90 RPI last season, and nine of the 12 played in the NCAA's.
   Creighton has three non-conference matches against top-10 competition (preseason No. 1 Nebraska, No. 5 Kansas, No. 7 USC), tying it for second-most nationally, and also plays No. 24 Kentucky, as well as vote-getters Wichita State, Iowa State and TCU. Maryland plays four such teams, while Creighton, North Carolina and Texas A&M meet three top-10 teams each prior to league action.
   Creighton is 5-62 all-time against top-25 foes, including a 1-31 mark in true road matches.
   Since the start of the 2012 season, 16 of Creighton's 32 losses have come against ranked teams. In that same period, Creighton is 102-16 against unranked teams.

BIG EAST Preseason Poll
For the fourth 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, Villanova and Butler rounded out the top half of the poll.
   Creighton also had three women named to the 12 member on the BIG EAST's preseason all-conference team, as Jess Bird, Lauren Smith and Jaali Winters were all honored. Winters was 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 11 of the past 13 years, including six 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   1st   - -
2016   1st   ???   ???

Regular-Season Tournament History
Creighton is 90-85 in the 59 regular-season tournaments it has participated in all-time, including a 33-16 mark since the start of 2012. Kirsten Bernthal Booth's teams are 70-52 in 43 regular-season tournaments, including nine titles.
   Creighton won two regular-season tournaments in 2012, taking the season-opening USF Invitational as well as the Northern Colorado Classic, the Hampton Inn Invitational in 2013, and the 2014 Bluejay Invitational.
   Creighton had won just two of 16 regular-season tournaments prior to Booth's arrival.

Survival of the Fittest
Creighton has won eight matches under Kirsten Bernthal Booth after surviving an opponent's match point. Three of those comeback wins have come against Wichita State.
   On the other hand, Creighton is 263-2 under Booth when it reaches a match point opportunity, falling only when it wasted two match points on Sept. 4, 2010 to Iowa and two other match points on Nov. 1, 2013 in a 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
11/20/15   at Georgetown   23-24, 26-27 (4th set)   15-7

2-0 Better Than 0-2
Creighton is 224-9 (.961) all-time when leading a match 2-0, including a 167-3 mark under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. CU's streak of 94 straight wins when up 2-0, dating to September of 2009, was snapped in the Aug. 27 season-opener vs. Wichita State.
   Conversely, the Jays are 12-186 (.061) all-time when trailing a match 0-2, but did have three comeback victories in 2015.
   Those 12 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
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
11/20/15   at Georgetown   30-28, 26-24, 15-7   Booth

Set 1 Result = Match Result
Creighton is 217-25 overall under Kirsten Bernthal Booth when it wins set one. In that same time span, CU is just 46-122 under Booth when it drops the first set.
   Since Aug. 29, 2010, Creighton has gone 58-1 in its last 59 home matches when taking a 1-0 lead, losing only on Sept. 12, 2015 to Pacific.
   In 2014 Creighton was 20-2 when winning the first set and 5-7 when dropping the opener. Last year's team was 21-2 when winning the first set but 6-7 when it fell behind after the first set.
   This year's team is 0-1 when winning the first set, but 1-0 when losing the first set.
   Strange as it may seem, each of Creighton's last four matches (dating to last year) have seen the team to win the first set go on to lose the match.

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
Kills   1779 (94.7%)   99 (5.3%)
Points   2122.0 (90.2%)   231.5 (9.8%)
Blocks   275 (85.8%)   45.5 (14.2%)
Matches Started   132 (73.3%)   48 (26.7%)
Digs   992 (44.7%)   1229 (55.3%)
Aces   68 (43.9%)   87 (56.1%)
Assists   548 (30.9%)   1226 (69.1%)

Winters' Double-Digit Streak
Jaali Winters finished her 2015 freshman season with 10 or more kills in each of her last 19 matches. That established a program record for a freshman, breaking the mark of 11 set by Amanda Cvejdlik in 2005.
   Winters active streak of 21 straight matches with 10+ kills is the second-longest mark in program history, but still well shy of Leah Ratzlaff's school-record streak of 58 that lasted nearly two years.
Consecutive Matches, 10 or More Kills
   58   Leah Ratzlaff, Sept. 13, 2003-Sept. 9, 2005
   21   Jaali Winters, Oct. 6, 2015-Present
   19   JoDe Cieloha, Sept. 26-Nov. 21, 1997
   14   Kelly Goc, Sept. 8-Oct. 19, 2007
   13   JoDe Cieloha, Sept. 7-Oct. 18, 1996

Taking The Fifth
Creighton is 44-24 in five-set matches under Kirsten Bernthal Booth, including an 0-1 mark this year and a 15-6 home record under Booth 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 eight of its last 10 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, wins in 2014 at Butler and at St. John's, and a win last year at Georgetown in 2015.
   It's also worth noting that Creighton is 9-2 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   5-2   27-9
2016   0-1   1-1
Total   59-52   356-299

Against NCAA Tournament Qualifiers
Creighton's 2015 club beat 11 teams that appeared in the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
   The schedule figures to be just as daunting in 2016, as CU plays 13 matches against 2015 NCAA Tournament qualifiers.
   After going 3-35 against teams coming off NCAA Tournament bids prior to Kirsten Bernthal Booth's arrival, the Jays are 53-78 since, including a 1-1 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   11-5
2016   1-1
TOTAL   56-113
TOTAL Under Booth   53-78

Marian Pipeline
This is the 14th straight season that Creighton Volleyball had at least one product of Omaha Marian High School on the roster, as Kelsey O'Connell returns and is joined by freshman Brittany Witt.
   Each of the last five years, Creighton's year-end leader in both digs and aces has been a player that attended Marian.
   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.
2003: Emily Greisch 2004: Katie Mehal, Emily Greisch
2004: Katie Mehal, Emily Greisch
2005: Korie Lebeda, Katie Mehal
2006: Korie Lebeda, Katie Mehal, Emily Greisch
2007: Korie Lebeda, Katie Mehal
2008: Emily Crowley, Korie Lebeda
2009: Lisa Greisch
2010: Lisa Greisch, Julianne Mandolfo
2011: Julianne Mandolfo
2012: Kate Elman, Ashley Jansen
2013: Kate Elman, Ashley Jansen
2014: Kate Elman, Ashley Jansen
2015: Kate Elman, Ashley Jansen, Kelsey O'Connell
2016: Kelsey O'Connell, Brittany Witt

Last Year Summary
Last year's Creighton team finished 27-9 and won the BIG EAST regular-season and tournament titles. Creighton earned the No. 16 national seed in the NCAA Tournament, where it defeated Coastal Carolina and No. 23 North Carolina, to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time. The Bluejays ended the year with a No. 14 RPI and a No. 19 spot in the final AVCA poll.
   Maggie Baumert, Lauren Smith and Jaali Winters were named First Team All-BIG EAST, with Winters also being named a Third-Team All-American by the AVCA, AVCA East Freshman of the Year and BIG EAST Freshman of the Year. Jess Bird 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, and also topped the club in aces.

2015 Season Highlights
The 2015 season was one full of highlights for Creighton. Consider the following...
-Creighton won a pair of NCAA Tournament matches for the first time in any year, advancing to its first Sweet 16.
-Creighton defeated No. 23 North Carolina to win the Chapel Hill sub-Regional, its first true road victory over a ranked team in 32 tries.
-Creighton owned an NCAA RPI of 14 in the year-end official rankings.
-Creighton was voted 19th in the final AVCA coaches poll, matching the program's best weekly ranking ever (at the time). It was also the fourth straight season (at the time) CU has been ranked in the top-25 during at least one week.
-Creighton won the BIG EAST Conference, the nation's seventh-best league, by three full games in the standings.
-Creighton won the BIG EAST Volleyball Championship for the second straight year, beating a pair of eventual NCAA Tournament teams in the process.
-Creighton won 22 of its last 24 matches, and was 26-5 after starting the season 1-4.
-Creighton ranked tied for 15th nationally in victories and 20th in road victories last season.
-Creighton was the nation's only team to play five top-11 teams in pre-conference play. No one else played more than three. Creighton's non-conference schedule was ranked as the nation's third-toughest.
-Creighton swept the nation's No. 10 team, Kentucky, on Sept. 5 on a neutral floor.
-Creighton owned eight top-50 RPI wins last season, which was tied for 10th in the nation.
-Creighton owned 11 wins in 2015 against teams that made the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
-Creighton was honored with the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year, while Jaali Winters was a unanimous pick as BIG EAST Freshman of the Year.
-Kirsten Bernthal Booth was named East Region Coach of the Year, while Jaali Winters was named AVCA East Region Freshman of the Year.

No. 22 Volleyball Heads West For USC Radisson Classic

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Players Mentioned

Megan Ballenger

Maggie Baumert

Jess Bird

Mac Conlon

Kenzie Crawford

Lydia Dimke

Kate Elman

Amanda Foje

Ashley Jansen

Melanie Jereb

Kelsey O'Connell

Lauren Smith

Jaclyn Taylor

Marysa Wilkinson

Jaali Winters

Brittany Witt