Friday, August 25
Seattle, Wash.
5:00 PM
Creighton University
vs
Saint Mary's
Megan Ballenger
Photo by: Steve Branscombe
#9 Volleyball Opens Season Friday at Husky Invitational
8/22/2017 1:54:00 PM | Volleyball
Bluejays are 7-1 in last eight season openers
Download Notes as a PDF
This Weekend -- Husky Invitational
Aug. 25   5 pm CT   #9 Creighton vs. Saint Mary's   Seattle, Wash. (Alaska Airlines Arena)
Aug. 26   12 pm CT   #9 Creighton vs. Pitt   Seattle, Wash. (Alaska Airlines Arena)
Aug. 26Â Â Â 9 pm CTÂ Â Â #9 Creighton at #3 Washington (Pac-12 Network)Â Â Â Seattle, Wash. (Alaska Airlines Arena)
This Weekend
No. 9 Creighton opens the 2017 season in Seattle, Wash., with three matches at the Husky Invitational on August 25-26.
   The season starts on Friday at 5 pm Central when it meets Saint Mary's.
   On Saturday, the Bluejays face Pitt at 12 pm Central before playing the nation's third-ranked team, tourney host Washington, at 9 pm Central.
   All three matches will be played at Alaska Airlines Arena (10,000).
Radio/Video Broadcast Information
None of this weekend's matches will be on radio in Omaha, but all three matches will be video webcast.
   CU's first two matches can be seen at http://pac-12.com/live/university-washington.
   Saturday night's showdown with Washington will be televised on the Pac-12 Network, with Kevin Barnett and Amy Gant announcing. The Pac-12 Network can be found on channel 217 and 1217 (in HD) on Cox Cable in Omaha. That match will be video webcast (authorization may be required) at http://tinyurl.com/CREI-WASH.
Live Stats Information
All matches at the Husky Invitational will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the Creighton Volleyball schedule page for the exact links.
Scouting #9 Creighton
Creighton enters 2017 ranked ninth nationally, matching the highest ranking in program history. Five starters, plus libero Brittany Witt, return for a Bluejay team that finished last season 29-7 while advancing to its first Elite Eight.
   Third Team All-American Lydia Dimke (11.36 apg., 2.67 dps.) ranked second in the nation in total assists last season, when she was named BIG EAST Player of the Year. She's got a pair of Honorable Mention All-American outside hitters to dish to, as standout juniors Jaali Winters (3.61 kps., 2.90 dps.) and Taryn Kloth (3.20 kps.) also return.
   Senior Marysa Wilkinson (2.51 kps., 0.86 bps., .337%)) was an All-Region performer in the middle last year, and sophomore Brittany Witt (4.09 dps.) earned AVCA East Region Freshman of the Year acclaim last fall.
   Also back is sophomore Megan Ballenger (0.36 saps.), who led the BIG EAST with 39 aces in 2016 and defensive specialists Kenzie Crawford (1.85 dps.) and Samantha Bohnet (1.52 dps.).
   The three-time defending BIG EAST regular-season and tournament champion, Creighton was a unanimous pick to win the BIG EAST in 2017.
Scouting Saint Mary's
Saint Mary's returns five starters and its libero from last year's team that finished 11-18.
   Lindsey Knudsen (3.03 kps., 2.72 dps.) is the team's top returning attacker, while libero Madi Wilkerson returns after pacing SMC with 3.82 digs per set last fall.
   Also back is Sarah Chase (2.93 kps.), who played well before missing the final 17 matches of the season due to injury but was healthy enough to earn All-Conference plaudits during the beach volleyball season in the spring.
   Mary Hernandez (5.71 aps.) split setting duties a year ago and also returns.
Scouting Pitt
Pitt returns five starters and its libero from a team that went 25-9 and made its first NCAA Tournament trip in a dozen years. The Panthers received votes in the preseason AVCA Top 25 poll and boast one of the nation's best offenses.
   Setter Kamalani Akeo (10.86 aps.) directs an offense that features Stephanie Williams (3.77 kps., 2.48 dps., .243%), Mariah Bell (3.24 kps.), Layne Van Buskirk (2.21 kps., .345%) and Nika Markovic (2.08 kps.). The Panthers also added Southern Illinois transfer Alex Rosignol (1.14 bps., .376%), who earned First Team All-MVC honors last fall, and top-100 recruit Chinaza Ndee.
   Pitt is picked to finish third in the preseason ACC poll, trailing only No. 11 North Carolina and No. 15 Florida State.
Scouting #3 Washington
Washington went 29-5 a year ago, winning the Pac-12 and advancing to a second consecutive Elite Eight. The Huskies return all six starters in 2017 and bring in Oklahoma transfer Marion Hazelwood, a three-time All-American middle blocker.
   All-Americans Courtney Schwan (3.71 kps., 2.73 dps., .302%), Crissy Jones (3.08 kps., 2.34 dps., 1.03 bps., .284%) and Bailey Tanner (10.92 aps.) highlight the returnees for the Huskies. Schwan was named Pac-12 Player of the Year last fall, as well as a First Team All-American.
   Three-year starter Tia Scambray (3.08 kps., 2.93 dps.) and sophomore Shayne McPherson (3.34 dps.) also return.
The Coaches
Creighton is coached by Kirsten Bernthal Booth (Truman State, 1997), who enters her 15th season with a 291-153 record with the Bluejays. She's led Creighton to back-to-back-to-back BIG EAST titles, and four league crowns in the last five years. She has led the Bluejays to their first two Sweet 16's (2015, 2016) and first Elite Eight (2016) in program history. In 2016 she was recognized as VolleyballMag.com National Coach of the Year, BIG EAST Coach of the Year and AVCA East Region Coach of the Year.
   The winningest coach in school history, Booth has taken Creighton to its only six NCAA Tournament bids in the program's modern history. She's also coached the Jays into the top-25 each of the last six 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 Angie Oxley Behrens, Ryan Meek and Drew Davis.
   Rob Browning (BYU, 1990) enters his 13th season at Saint Mary's with a 187-149 mark. Browning has led the Gaels to four NCAA Tournaments (2005, 2008, 2009, 2012) and helped SMC to the 2009 WCC title. He is assisted by Mandy Bible and Kyle Masterson.
   Dan Fisher (Pacific, 1999) is 92-38 entering his fifth season at Pitt. Fisher has led the Panthers to three straight 20-win seasons, and last year marked the team's first NCAA Tournament trip in a dozen years. He is assisted by Lindsey Campbell and Kellen Petrone.
   Keegan Cook (Saint Mary's, 2007) is 60-8 entering his third season as head coach at Washington. He's won a pair of Pac-12 titles and reached the Elite Eight both seasons, as well. He is a former assistant coach under Rob Browning at Saint Mary's, which is also in the Husky Invitational. He is assisted by Leslie Gabriel, Jonathan Winder and Hardy Wooldridge.
Series History vs. Saint Mary's
Creighton is 1-0 all-time against Saint Mary's, defeating the Gaels in three sets (27-25, 25-22, 25-23) on Sept. 10, 2011 in Lincoln, Neb.
   In that match, Leah McNary and Megan Bober both had 10 kills, with Bober adding 20 assists.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 1-0 against Saint Mary's and head coach Rob Browning. Current Washington head coach Keegan Cook was an assistant on that SMC team in 2011.
Series History vs. Pitt
Creighton and Pitt have never met, and Kirsten Bernthal Booth has never faced Pitt nor Dan Fisher.
   Creighton is 3-4 against teams currently in the Atlantic Coast Conference. In its most recent match against an ACC foe. Creighton picked up a road win at No. 23 North Carolina to advance to the program's first Sweet 16 in 2015.
Series History vs. #3 Washington
Creighton and Washington have never met, and Kirsten Bernthal Booth has never faced Washington nor Keegan Cook.
   Creighton is 1-12 against teams currently in the Pac-12 Conference. The lone win came on Sept. 20, 2014, when the Bluejays topped Colorado during the Creighton Classic. Senior Marysa Wilkinson is the only current Bluejay who appeared in that match, recording five kills and a block.
Exhibition Recap at Kansas State
Creighton's first exhibition match against another Division I team was a close 3-2 road win at Kansas State last Friday. The Bluejays lost the first two sets (25-22, 26-24) before winning the final three frames (25-22, 27-25, 15-8), saving a match point in the fourth set.
   Creighton's trio of returning All-Americans rose the occasion, with Lydia Dimke recording a triple-double and Jaali Winters and Taryn Kloth both notching double-doubles. Creighton hit .299 and finished with 69 kills, seven aces, 76 digs and 15 blocks.
Last Year Summary
Creighton went 29-7 last year, tying a program-record for wins, while advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time. The Bluejays started the fall 6-6 before uncorking a school-record 23-match win streak.
   CU became the first volleyball team in BIG EAST Conference history to finish 18-0, then became the first squad in NCAA Tournament history to open the postseason with three consecutive five-set victories.
   Lydia Dimke was named BIG EAST Player of the Year and Third Team All-American, while Jaali Winters and Taryn Kloth were named All-BIG EAST and Honorable Mention All-Americans. Head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth picked up BIG EAST Coach of the Year, AVCA East Region Coach of the Year and VolleyballMag.com National Coach of the Year accolades.
Season Opening History
Creighton is 14-9 in season-opening matches since restarting the program in 1994. Creighton head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 10-4 in season-opening matches after a seven-match win streak in lid-lifters was snapped last fall.
   Booth is also 11-3 in Creighton's first match away from home, helping Creighton improve to 14-9 in such contests all-time.
   Each of Creighton's last two season-openers have gone five sets, and the Bluejays have not played a three-set opener since a 2009 sweep over Texas Tech in a match that doubled as the first regular-season contest in D.J. Sokol Arena history.
   In four of the last five years, the team to win the first set of Creighton's season-opener went on to lose the match.
Hello World!
Naomi Hickman, Alexa Roumeliotis and Jaclyn Taylor all could make their Division I debut this weekend.
   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
2016   L. Dimke (CU)•   5   5   2   14   .214   41   0   20   0
2014   Marysa Wilkinson   2   5   0   7   .714   0   0   1   2
2015   B. Lawrence•   3   3   2   10   .100   0   0   2   1
2015   T. Kloth   2   2   0   2   1.000   0   0   0   1
2015   K. O'Connell   3   1   0   4   .250   0   0   0   4
2016   Brittany Witt   5   0   0   0   ---   5   2   21   0
2014   Kenzie Crawford   2   0   0   0   ---   1   0   7   0
2014Â Â Â L. Dimke (PUR)Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 0Â Â Â ---Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 0
2016   Megan Ballenger   1   0   0   0   ---   0   0   2   0
Some Fab Freshmen
Creighton has started seven different true freshmen in a season opener in the previous seven 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 transfers Maggie Baumert (2014) and Lydia Dimke (2016) 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 (the BIG EAST has no such team). Winters was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in 2015, while Dimke was named BIG EAST Player of the Year in 2016.
Saturday Night Showdown
Around the country, only one match on the opening week of the 2017 season features a pair of top-10 teams, and it'll take place on Saturday night at the Husky Invitational.
   That contest is No. 9 Creighton at No. 3 Washington.
Winters Approaches 1,000 Kills
Jaali Winters finished her sophomore season with 994 career kills. That's third-most nationally among rising juniors, trailing only Iowa's Taylor Louis (1,148) and Cincinnati's Jordan Thompson (1,039).
   Winters, who has played 71 career matches to date, is likely to become the second-fastest player in school history to reach the 1,000 kill milestone. Creighton Athletics Hall of Famer Melissa Walsh reached 1,000 career kills in 70 matches in 2000.
Creighton's Quickest Players To 1,000 Kills (Career)
Name   MP   Date   Opponent
Melissa Walsh   70   10/15/00   Eastern Illinois
Leah Ratzlaff   76   10/22/04   Missouri State
JoDe Cieloha   83   09/13/97   at Drake
Kelly Goc   87   11/24/06   vs. Northern Iowa
Jessica Houts   90   11/08/08   Illinois State
Leah McNary   96   09/12/14   Pepperdine
Amanda Cvejdlik   99   11/15/08   at Evansville
Shelly Kapler   103   11/18/99   vs. Missouri St.
Allie Oelke   107   10/09/10   Wichita State
Kelli Browning   110   10/26/14   DePaul
Lauren Smith   119   10/07/16   at Villanova
Attack Leaders
Jaali Winters enters this weekend with 994 career kills, but could make a rapid rise up the Creighton leaderboard if she plays as she had her past two years.
   Here's a look at Creighton's top-17 in career kills, which includes teammate Marysa Wilkinson's 843 kills that rank 16th.
Most Career Kills, Creighton History
      Name   Sets   No.   Years
   1.   Leah Ratzlaff   409   1,622   2002-05
   2.   Melissa Walsh   394   1,596   1998-01
   3.   Kelly Goc   394   1,414   2004-07
   4.   Jessica Houts   451   1,385   2005-09
   5.   JoDe Cieloha   398   1,375   1994-97
   6.   Leah McNary   458   1,257   2011-14
   7.   Lauren Smith   511   1,160   2013-16
   8.   Allie Oelke   445   1,126   2007-10
   9.   Kelli Browning   424   1,104   2011-14
   10.   Amanda Cvejdlik   343   1,029   2005-08
   11.   Shelly Kapler   388   1,000   1996-99
   12.   Jaali Winters   258   994   2015-Pr.
   13.   Jess Bird   377   965   2013-16
   14.   Erin Swanson   319   955   1998-01
   15.   Ashley Williams   359   941   2001-04
   16.   Marysa Wilkinson   381   843   2014-Pr.
   17.   Megan Bober   480   833   2009-12
No. 9 Ranking Ties A Program Best
Creighton starts the season ranked No. 9 in the AVCA Coaches poll, matching the best mark in program history. Creighton was also ranked ninth in the final poll of the 2016 campaign.
   Being ranked in the preseason poll is no guarantee of future success, however. In the last nine seasons, only 161-of-225 teams (71.6 percent) would be in both the preseason and postseason AVCA Top 25 polls.
   In that same time frame, all but 22 teams named in the preseason AVCA Top 25 poll would go on to reach the NCAA Tournament (90.2 percent).
Top 25 History
Creighton is 7-67 all-time against teams in the top-25 of the AVCA poll, but did go 2-1 versus ranked teams during the 2016 NCAA Tournament with five-set wins over No. 4 Kansas and No. 17 Michigan.
   That road win over No. 4 Kansas remains the highest-ranked team that Creighton has ever beaten. The Bluejays are 0-8 against top-three teams in history, including a 0-1 mark versus teams ranked exactly third (Stanford in 2005).
   Creighton is 2-27 all-time against top-10 foes (2-20 under Kirsten Bernthal Booth).
   Creighton lost its first 31 true road matches against top-25 foes, but has 'improved' to 2-34 after wins in the last two seasons at No. 23 North Carolina (2015) and No. 4 Kansas (2016).
   Creighton is 32-10 all-time as a ranked team, and also 3-6 all-time against ranked teams when ranked itself.
   Since the start of the 2012 season, 21 of Creighton's 38 losses have come against ranked teams. In that same period, Creighton is 128-17 against unranked teams. Creighton has won 24 straight home matches over unranked teams.
All-Region Picks
Creighton had five All-Region picks, tied for third-most nationally, in 2016.
   Creighton's four first-team choices trailed only Nebraska (6) and Florida (5) and were equal to Kansas, Minnesota and Wisconsin for third-most nationally.
   Creighton is the only team with five All-Region returners for 2017.
School   2016 All-Region   2017 returners
Nebraska   6   3
Minnesota   6   3
Creighton   5   5
Florida   5   4
Kansas   5   4
UCLAÂ Â Â 5Â Â Â 2
Wisconsin   5   2
Kentucky   4   4
Coaching Them Up
Last year Lydia Dimke became Creighton's fifth different starting setter on Opening Day in as many years. Should Jaclyn Taylor get the nod this year vs. Saint Mary's, the streak would stretch to six straight 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 versus Miami (Ohio) in 2015. Last year Dimke started against Wichita State in the opener.
   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 those five seasons ended in the NCAA Tournament, and four of them saw Creighton win conference titles. Creighton also won four of those five season-opening matches.
Some 2016 Highlights
The 2016 season was one full of highlights for Creighton. Consider the following...
-Creighton was ranked ninth in the final AVCA poll, best in program history.
-Creighton owned a year-end NCAA RPI of 12 best in program history.
-Creighton reached its first Elite Eight in program history.
-Creighton won its third straight BIG EAST regular-season title, and third straight BIG EAST Championship title, going a combined 20-0 against league foes in 2016.
-Creighton won the BIG EAST Conference, the nation's ninth-best league, by five full games in the standings.
-Creighton became the first team in BIG EAST history to advance to a Regional Final. League teams had previously been 0-7 in the Regional Semifinal round.
-Creighton ranked tied for fourth nationally with 29 victories, tied for 16th in road victories and 20th in winning percentage (.806).
-Lydia Dimke was named an AVCA Third Team All-American and became the program's first BIG EAST Player of the Year.
-Taryn Kloth and Jaali Winters were both named Honorable Mention All-Americans by the AVCA. Winters was also named Second Team All-American by PrepVolleyball.com and Third Team All-American by VolleyballMag.com. In addition, Lauren Smith was named a First Team Senior CLASS Award All-American.
-Kirsten Bernthal Booth was named BIG EAST Coach of the Year, AVCA East Region Coach of the Year and VolleyballMag.com National Coach of the Year.
Select Company
Creighton is one of 10 teams in the country that has been to the Sweet 16 each of the last two seasons, a list that consists of BYU, Creighton, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, Texas, UCLA, Washington and Wisconsin.
   Creighton is also one of just 10 schools nationally who have won 23 matches or more in each of the previous five seasons (2012-16). That group consists of BYU, Creighton, Florida, Florida State, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford, Texas, Washington and Western Kentucky.
   Creighton is also one of 21 teams to have appeared in each of the previous five NCAA Tournaments. That group features BYU, Colorado State, Creighton, Florida, Florida State, Hawaii, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, Marquette, Michigan State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, Penn State, San Diego, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M, USC and Washington.
Statistically Speaking
Creighton finished last season ranked first in the nation with 1,868 kills, third nationally with 1,722 assists and fourth with 14.59 kills per set.
   Individually, Lydia Dimke ranked second nationally with 1,454 assists, just 11 behind the 1,465 by Minnesota's Samantha Seliger-Swenson.
BIG EAST Preseason Poll
For the fifth 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. Butler was picked second, while Marquette was third and earned the remaining first-place vote.
   Creighton also had four women named to the 12 member on the BIG EAST's preseason all-conference team, as Lydia Dimke, Taryn Kloth, Jaali Winters and Brittany Witt were all honored. Dimke 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 12 of the past 14 years, including seven 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   1st   - -
2017   1st   ???   ???
Regular-Season Tournament History
Creighton is 95-89 in the 62 regular-season tournaments it has participated in all-time, including a 38-20 mark since the start of 2012. Kirsten Bernthal Booth's teams are 75-56 in 46 regular-season tournaments, including nine titles.
   The last regular-season tournament Creighton has won was the 2014 Bluejay Invitational, and Creighton last won a season-opening event in 2013 with the Hampton Inn Invitational crown in Bowling Green, Ohio, after wins over the host Falcons and No. 13 BYU.
   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 291-2 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
08/26/11Â Â Â vs. UTSAÂ Â Â 12-14, 13-14Â Â Â 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 246-9 (.965) all-time when leading a match 2-0, including a 189-3 mark under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. CU's streak of 94 straight wins when up 2-0, dating to September of 2009, was snapped in last season's season-opener vs. Wichita State.
   Conversely, the Jays are 12-188 (.060) all-time when trailing a match 0-2, but did have three comeback victories in 2015.
   Those 12 comebacks in program history 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 241-28 (.896) overall under Kirsten Bernthal Booth when it wins set one. In that same time span, CU is just 50-125 (.286) under Booth when it drops the first set.
   Since Aug. 29, 2010, Creighton has gone 70-1 in its last 71 home matches when taking a 1-0 lead, losing only on Sept. 12, 2015 to Pacific.
   Last year's team was 24-4 when winning the first set and 5-3 when losing the first set.
Production Returns
Creighton returns 11-of-15 letterwinners to the court from last season, including five starters and libero Brittany Witt.
   From last year's team, only Jess Bird, Mac Conlon, Amanda Foje and Lauren Smith are not back.
   Below is a breakdown of the production that is back:
Stat   Returners   Departures
Assists   1697 (98.5%)   25 (1.5%)
Digs   1943 (95.0%)   103 (5.0%)
Aces   151 (86.8%)   23 (13.2%)
Kills   1501 (80.4%)   367 (19.6%)
Matches Started   173 (80.1%)   43 (19.9%)
Points   1848.0 (79.9%)   466.0 (20.1%)
Blocks   139 (51.1%)   133 (48.9%)
Challenging Schedule
The NCAA website tracks the nation's toughest schedules played.
   Last year Creighton's opponents were 432-253, and that .631 winning percentage made it the 11th-toughest nationally.
   In 2015 Creighton faced the nation's eighth-toughest schedule per the NCAA, with foes going 466-260 (.642) overall.
   Among the 2016 NCAA Tournament qualifiers on Creighton's 2017 schedule are Pitt, Washington, Kentucky, USC, Northern Iowa, Purdue, Kansas, Wichita State, Iowa State and Marquette. Nine of the 11 non-conference teams that Creighton will face received votes in the preseason top-25 poll.
   This will be the fifth straight season that Creighton has played at least four non-conference matches against teams ranked in the preseason top-25 poll.
More Schedule Notes
Creighton plays five non-conference matches against teams that were in the top-26 of the preseason AVCA coaches poll. That's tied for the most of any team in the nation.
   The Bluejays meet up with No. 3 Washington, No. 8 Kansas, No. 14 Kentucky, No. 25 Purdue and the top receiving vote-getter, USC.
   Other teams that had five non-conference matches against the preseason top-26 are Loyola Marymount, Northern Iowa, Florida, Marquette, San Diego and Utah.
So Good, So Young
Want a scary thought? Of the 10 Creighton women to see time in last December's Regional Semifinal win over 12th-seeded Michigan, the Bluejays used just one senior (Lauren Smith).
   The remainder of Creighton's line-up that was used included three juniors (Lydia Dimke, Marysa Wilkinson and Kenzie Crawford), four sophomores (Samantha Bohnet, Taryn Kloth, Brittany Lawrence and Jaali Winters) and two freshmen (Brittany Witt and Megan Ballenger).
All-Around Excellence
Last winter Creighton reached the Sweet 16 not only in women's volleyball, but in men's soccer too.
   Creighton joined Stanford, Washington and North Carolina as the only four schools with a Sweet 16 in both sports in 2016.
   In 2015, Creighton and Ohio State were the only teams to reach the Sweet 16 in the same two sports.
Taking The Fifth
Creighton is 48-26 in five-set matches under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. 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 nine of its last 12 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, a win at Georgetown in 2015, and an NCAA Tournament win at No. 4 Kansas in 2016.
   It's also worth noting that Creighton is 10-3 all-time in five-set home matches at D.J. Sokol Arena.
   Creighton's is 3-1 all-time in regular-season openers to go five sets, with the 2004, 2011, 2015 and 2016 lid-lifters all going five frames.
   Below is a list of Creighton's record in five-set matches on a yearly basis:
Year   Set 5 W-L   Total W-L
1994Â Â Â 0-2Â Â Â 5-20
1995Â Â Â 0-2Â Â Â 11-19
1996Â Â Â 2-6Â Â Â 9-19
1997Â Â Â 3-5Â Â Â 15-13
1998Â Â Â 2-3Â Â Â 7-18
1999Â Â Â 3-3Â Â Â 13-15
2000Â Â Â 3-3Â Â Â 16-12
2001Â Â Â 1-1Â Â Â 14-13
2002Â Â Â 1-3Â Â Â 3-23
2003Â Â Â 5-1Â Â Â 12-18
2004Â Â Â 4-0Â Â Â 18-11
2005Â Â Â 3-1Â Â Â 16-14
2006Â Â Â 4-2Â Â Â 21-10
2007Â Â Â 2-0Â Â Â 21-10
2008Â Â Â 2-3Â Â Â 18-9
2009Â Â Â 1-4Â Â Â 14-17
2010Â Â Â 3-3Â Â Â 21-12
2011Â Â Â 5-2Â Â Â 17-14
2012Â Â Â 4-1Â Â Â 29-4
2013Â Â Â 3-2Â Â Â 23-9
2014Â Â Â 3-2Â Â Â 25-9
2015Â Â Â 5-2Â Â Â 27-9
2016Â Â Â 4-3Â Â Â 29-7
2017Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0
Total   63-54   384-305
Against NCAA Tournament Qualifiers
Creighton's 2016 club beat 10 teams that appeared in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
   The schedule figures to be just as daunting in 2017, as CU plays 11 matches against 2016 NCAA Tournament qualifiers.
   After going 3-35 against teams coming off NCAA Tournament bids prior to Kirsten Bernthal Booth's arrival, the Jays are 62-84 since.
Year   W-L vs. Previous Season NCAA Teams
1994Â Â Â 0-4
1995Â Â Â 0-2
1996Â Â Â 0-2
1997Â Â Â 0-3
1998Â Â Â 0-5
1999Â Â Â 2-4
2000Â Â Â 0-4
2001Â Â Â 1-6
2002Â Â Â 0-5
2003Â Â Â 0-3
2004Â Â Â 2-2
2005Â Â Â 0-6
2006Â Â Â 4-6
2007Â Â Â 4-9
2008Â Â Â 6-8
2009Â Â Â 1-11
2010Â Â Â 4-7
2011Â Â Â 2-6
2012Â Â Â 8-3
2013Â Â Â 6-6
2014Â Â Â 4-5
2015Â Â Â 11-5
2016Â Â Â 10-7
2017Â Â Â 0-0
TOTALÂ Â Â 65-119
TOTAL Under Booth   62-84
Marian Pipeline
This is the 15th straight season that Creighton Volleyball had at least one product of Omaha Marian High School on the roster, as junior Kelsey O'Connell and sophomore Brittany Witt return.
   Each of the last six years, Creighton's year-end leader in digs 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.
2017: Kelsey O'Connell, Brittany Witt
2016: Kelsey O'Connell, Brittany Witt
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
Five Straight NCAA's
Creighton Volleyball has made the NCAA Tournament in each of the last five seasons. They are the first Creighton women's team in any sport to make five straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
At Home On The Road
Creighton owns five wins away from home in the last two NCAA Tournaments. Nationally, that's the most in the nation, one more than Hawai'i, Nebraska and Stanford, and two more than Florida State.
   Creighton, Florida State, Hawai'i, Texas, Washington and Purdue are the only six schools with at least one road/neutral win in both the 2015 and 2016 NCAA Tournaments.
Home At Home
Creighton was 12-1 at D.J. Sokol Arena last fall, ending the year with 12 straight home wins, and has won 21 straight matches against BIG EAST competition there.
   Below is a look at the program's largest home win streaks in history.
Creighton's Longest Home Win Streaks
Wins   Dates   Snapped By
   13   Sept. 1, 2012 - Sept. 7, 2013   California, 3-0
   12   Sept. 20 - Nov. 28, 2015   #4 Kansas, 3-2
   12   Sept. 9, 2016 - Present   ? ? ?
   9   Sept. 20, 2014-Nov. 21, 2014   Seton Hall, 3-0
   8   Sept. 25-Nov. 20, 2010   Northern Illinois, 3-0
Home Success
Creighton won each of its final 12 home matches in 2016, which ties it for the eighth-longest active home win streak entering 2017.
   Here's a list of the longest home win streaks entering 2017:
Rank   Streak   School   Next Home Match
   1.   36   Minnesota   9/1
   2.   18   Yale   9/1
   3.   17   Howard   8/26
   4.   13   BYU   8/25
      13   Princeton   9/6
      13   Nebraska   9/1
      13   Hofstra   9/15
   8.   12   Creighton   9/1
      12   Fairfield   9/8
      12   North Carolina   9/8
      12   Missouri   9/20
      12   Texas   9/7
      12   Denver   9/1
3 Straight BIG EAST Tourney Titles
Creighton won a third straight BIG EAST Championship title last year, becoming the first to do so since Louisville won three straight titles from 2008-10.
   It was Creighton's fifth straight league tournament title game appearance dating to the 2012 Missouri Valley Conference title.
   No team has won four straight BIG EAST Volleyball Championships since Notre Dame from 1995-98.
3 Straight BIG EAST Regular-Season Titles
Creighton has won each of the last three BIG EAST regular-season titles.
   St. John's had been the last BIG EAST team to win a share of three straight titles, having done so from 2006-08, while Notre Dame had been the last team to win three or more straight outright BIG EAST regular-season titles, having claimed four in a row from 1999-2002.
   No team has won four straight regular-season titles (including shares) since Notre Dame won seven in a row from 1999-2005.
Automatic Bid x 3
Creighton is one of nine schools nationally to earn an automatic bid into the 2014, 2015 and 2016 NCAA Tournaments. That grouping includes New Hampshire, Dayton, Creighton, Coastal Carolina, Western Kentucky, American, Denver and BYU.
   Of those teams, the only six schools to win a conference tournament in three consecutive campaigns have been American, Coastal Carolina, Creighton, Dayton, Denver and New Hampshire.
Assists A'Plenty
Creighton's Lydia Dimke ranked second in the nation in 2016 with 1,454 assists.
   Each of Creighton's last 30 matches have been won by the team with more assists, and Creighton has not lost to a BIG EAST team when owning more assists since Nov. 16, 2013 at Seton Hall.
   Creighton led the BIG EAST with 13.45 assists per set last season.
20 x 5
Last year's 29-7 mark was the fifth straight year the Bluejays have reached 20 wins, and eighth time overall.
   When Kirsten Bernthal Booth was hired in 2003, Creighton's modern day school record for wins in a season was 16.
   Creighton is one of 19 schools with five straight seasons of 20+ wins (entering 2017). That list features American, BYU, Colorado State, Creighton, Florida, Florida State, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Marquette, Nebraska, North Carolina, Penn State, Stanford, Texas, UTSA, Washington, Western Kentucky, Wichita State.
Fridays Are For The Jays
Creighton's was 16-0 on Friday's last season, winning 48-of-53 sets played.
   Of those 16 wins, five were against teams that went on to reach the NCAA Tournament (Northern Iowa, TCU, Marquette and Kansas, Michigan).
I Know What You Did Last Summer
Four members of the Creighton Volleyball program gained valuable experience this summer while travelling the world.
   Libero Brittany Witt went to Thailand in May, playing with USA Volleyball's top collegiate team.
   In June, Taryn Kloth was one of 36 women to train with USA Volleyball's at a premier club event in Minneapolis, Minn. Kloth was the only player in the event with 10 or more kills in each match.
   A pair of Bluejays also met up in an unlikely setting in July...Pula, Croatia. Jaali Winters represented USA Volleyball while Jaclyn Taylor played for BP Midwest at the European Global Challenge. Winters' team won the event, while the only two losses by Taylor's team both came to Winters team.
   Creighton will meet the following players in 2017 that at least one Bluejay played with this summer:
Name   Team   CU Teammate
Alyssa Schultejans   Kansas State   Kloth
Stephanie Williams   Pitt   Kloth
Kylee Levers   Pitt   Taylor
Courtney Schwan   Washington   Winters
Kaz Brown   Kentucky   Witt
Olivia Dailey   Kentucky   Kloth
Ashley Evans   Purdue   Kloth
Brooke Peters   Purdue   Kloth
Sherridan Atkinson   Purdue   Kloth
Madison Rigdon   Kansas   Witt
Kelsie Payne   Kansas   Winters
Monique Harris   Iowa State   Kloth
Jenna Rosenthal   Marquette   Winters
Brittany Maxwell   DePaul   Taylor
On A Roll
Creighton won its last six regular-season BIG EAST matches in 2015 and extended that streak to 24 straight with 18 consecutive BIG EAST wins last fall.
   That is the longest league win streak of regular-season matches in program history.
Creighton - Most Consecutive Regular-Season League Wins
   Wins   Dates   Snapped By   League
   24   Oct. 31, 2015-Present   (not yet)   BIG EAST
   14   Sept. 29, 2012 - End of 2012   Never (left MVC)   MVC
   12   Sept. 20-Oct. 25, 2015   at Villanova, 3-2   BIG EAST
   11   Oct. 11-Nov. 21, 2014   Seton Hall, 3-0   BIG EAST
   9   Nov. 4, 2005-Sept. 30, 2006   Northern Iowa, 3-2   MVC
   9   Nov. 17, 2006-Oct. 6, 2007   at Wichita State, 3-0   MVC
   9   Oct. 25, 2008-Sept. 18, 2009   Northern Iowa, 3-1   MVC
Bluejays On The Radio
Creighton will have 10 matches broadcast on local radio in 2017, with nine to air on KZOT 1180 AM and the other on KOIL 1290 AM.
   Below is a list of the upcoming broadcast schedule:
Sept. 1Â Â Â 1290 AM KOILÂ Â Â Kentucky
Sept. 2Â Â Â 1180 AM KZOTÂ Â Â Northern Iowa
Sept. 15Â Â Â 1180 AM KZOTÂ Â Â at Wichita State
Sept. 16Â Â Â 1180 AM KZOTÂ Â Â vs. Iowa State
Sept. 22Â Â Â 1180 AM KZOTÂ Â Â Georgetown
Sept. 24Â Â Â 1180 AM KZOTÂ Â Â Villanova
Oct. 15Â Â Â 1180 AM KZOTÂ Â Â Xavier
Oct. 22Â Â Â 1180 AM KZOTÂ Â Â Seton Hall
Nov. 4Â Â Â 1180 AM KZOTÂ Â Â Marquette
Nov. 5Â Â Â 1180 AM KZOTÂ Â Â DePaul
Players Mentioned
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/ VolleyballCreighton Volleyball vs. Nebraska Press Conference - 9/16/25
Monday, September 15
Creighton Volleyball Highlights vs. UNI - 9/14/25
Sunday, September 14
Creighton Volleyball Press Conference vs. UNI - 9/14/25
Sunday, September 14
#18 Creighton Volleyball Highlights vs. Rice - 9/13/25
Saturday, September 13
