No. 7 Volleyball Hosts Strong Field For Bluejay Invitational

ICYMI...@CoachKBooth spoke with @BIGEASTdigital today about last weekend, Marysa Wilkinson, and the upcoming Bluejay Invitational! #GoJays pic.twitter.com/WJMPFKxj6c
— Creighton Volleyball (@CreightonVB) August 30, 2017

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This Weekend -- Bluejay Invitational, Presented by First National Bank
Sept. 1   4:30 pm   Northern Iowa vs. #18 USC   Omaha, Neb. (D.J. Sokol Arena)
Sept. 1   7:00 pm   #13 Kentucky at #7 Creighton (FSGO, 1290 AM)   Omaha, Neb. (D.J. Sokol Arena)

Sept. 2   10:00 am   #13 Kentucky vs. Northern Iowa   Omaha, Neb. (D.J. Sokol Arena)
Sept. 2   12:30 pm   #18 USC at #7 Creighton (FSGO)   Omaha, Neb. (D.J. Sokol Arena)
Sept. 2   6:00 pm   #18 USC vs. #13 Kentucky   Omaha, Neb. (D.J. Sokol Arena)
Sept. 2   8:00 pm   Northern Iowa at #7 Creighton (1180 AM)   Omaha, Neb. (D.J. Sokol Arena)

This Weekend
The eyes of the college volleyball world will be focused on Omaha, Neb., as Creighton hosts the Bluejay Invitational presented by First National Bank on Sept. 1-2 at D.J. Sokol Arena (2,500) in Omaha, Neb.
   Four traditional powers, all of whom are unbeaten and registered a top-25 win last weekend, will converge in the final season of a four-year scheduling agreement between No. 7 Creighton (3-0), No. 13 Kentucky (3-0), No. 18 USC (3-0) and Northern Iowa (3-0).
   The event begins on Friday at 4:30 pm Central when Northern Iowa meets USC. Kentucky then plays Creighton at 7 pm.
   Saturday features four matches, starting with a 10 am contest between Kentucky and Northern Iowa, with a 12:30 pm meeting between USC and Creighton to follow. The evening session on Saturday consists of USC taking on Kentucky at 6 pm before play concludes at 8 pm when Northern Iowa battles Creighton.
   The Bluejay Invitational is the nation's only tournament this weekend featuring three ranked teams, and also the nation's only tournament this weekend featuring four unbeaten clubs.

Radio Information
Creighton's matches on both Friday night (vs. Kentucky) and Saturday night (vs. Northern Iowa) will be broadcast on radio this weekend.
   Friday's match can be heard on 1290 AM KOIL and at http://player.listenlive.co/52391.
   Saturday's match vs. USC will not air on radio.
   Saturday's UNI match can be heard on 1180 AM KZOT and http://player.listenlive.co/52381.
   Brad Burwell and Erin Swanson Russell will call the action.

Video Information
All six matches of the Bluejay Invitational will be video webcast for free.
   Creighton's matches vs. both Kentucky and USC will be streamed on the FOXSportsGo app and at http://www.foxsportsgo.com. Jake Ryan and Rob Simms will call Friday's match vs. Kentucky, while Brad Burwell and Erin Swanson Russell will announce Saturday's contest vs. USC.
   Creighton vs. Northern Iowa, as well as all three non-Creighton contests, will be streamed at http://www.gocreighton/watch.

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

Scouting #7 Creighton
Creighton entered 2017 ranked ninth nationally after returning five starters, plus libero Brittany Witt, from last season's team went 29-7 while advancing to its first Elite Eight.
   A huge opening weekend, including a road win at then-No. 3 Washington, has only fueled those expectations as the Bluejays ascended to a program-high No. 7 ranking this week.
   Senior MB Marysa Wilkinson (2.90 kps., .397%, 1.50 bps.) was named MVP of the Husky Invitational after being named a First Team All-East Region pick in 2016. Wilkinson also picked up BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week accolades on Tuesday.
   Joining Wilkinson on the All-Tournament Team were senior S Lydia Dimke (11.50 apg., 2.30 dps., 0.50 saps.) and sophomore RS Megan Ballenger (2.20 kps., 1.00 bps., .349%). Dimke ranked second nationally in total assists last year when she was a Third Team All-American and BIG EAST Player of the Year, while Ballenger topped the BIG EAST with 39 aces last fall in her rookie campaign.
   The three-time defending BIG EAST regular-season and tournament champion, Creighton was a unanimous pick to win the BIG EAST in 2017.

Scouting #13 Kentucky
Kentucky arrives in Omaha with a 3-0 record after home wins over Arkansas State (3-0), No. 23 Utah (3-2) and Cincinnati (3-0) last weekend.
   The Wildcats are ranked 13th nationally this week while also seeking a 13th straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.
   Leah Edmond (4.09 kps., .275%) owns twice as many kills as the next-closest Wildcats, Darian Mack (2.44 kps., 1.11 bps.) and Kaz Brown (1.91 kps., 1.45 bps., .419%).
   Gabby Curry averages 4.00 digs, while Madison Lilley averages 9.45 assists per set.
   Kentucky was picked to finish second in the SEC behind Florida, the nation's current No. 3 team, with Brown, Edmond and injured libero Ashley Dusek named Preseason All-SEC.

Scouting #18 Southern Cal
USC is 3-0 after four-set wins in Los Angeles over Loyola Marymount, No. 16 Michigan (3-1) and Albany last weekend.
   Sophomore Khalia Lanier, the nation's top recruit in 2016, averages 4.36 kills and 2.45 digs per set on .400 hitting. She's joined on the outside by Alyse Ford (3.17 kps., .350%) to highlight one of the top offenses in the country.
   Cindy Marina (6.08 aps.) and Reni Meyer-Whalley (6.00 aps.) split time at setter, while Victoria Garrick (2.82 dps.) is the team's libero.
   The Trojans were tabbed to finish sixth in the Pac-12, annually the nation's toughest conference. Washington, a team Creighton beat last weekend, was picked to win the Pac-12.

Scouting Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa is 3-0 this season after wins over No. 19 Missouri, Middle Tennessee and Austin Peay last weekend in Clarksville, Tenn.
   The Panthers were led by Karlie Taylor (4.42 kps., 3.25 dps., .278%), MVC Player of the Week Piper Thomas (3.92 kps., 1.25 bps., .482%) and Preseason All-Valley selection Bri Weber (2.83 kps., 3.25 dps.).
   Heather Hook averages 11.58 assists per set, and Kendyl Sorge's 4.25 digs per set lead what is perennially one of the nation's top defenses.
   UNI was picked to finish second in the preseason MVC poll, trailing only Missouri State.

The Coaches
Creighton is coached by Kirsten Bernthal Booth (Truman State, 1997), who owns a 294-153 record in her 15th season 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.
   Craig Skinner (Ball State, 1993) owns a 276-109 record in his 13th season at Kentucky, which also doubles as his career mark. Before taking UK to 12 straight NCAA Tournaments, Skinner was an assistant for five seasons at Nebraska. He's assisted by Anders Nelson, Lindsey Gray-Walton and Travis Magorien.
   Mick Haley (Ball State, 1965) is in his 17th year at USC, where he owns a 410-109 record and has led the Trojans to six Final Four appearances, winning national titles in 2002 and 2003. He owns a 1183-297-1 mark overall in 41 years as a college women's coach. Haley is assisted by Jason Kennedy and Kyle Weindel.
   UNI is coached by Bobbi Petersen (Northern Iowa, 1990), who owns a 434-132 record in her 18th 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 ninth nationally among active coaches in winning percentage. Petersen is assisted by Kalani Mahi, Kim Davis and Jonny Olson.

Series History vs. Kentucky
Creighton is 1-2 all-time against Kentucky, with the teams alternating sweeps the past three seasons. UK beat the Bluejays in Lexington, Ky., in 2014 before Creighton topped then-No. 10 Kentucky in Cedar Falls, Iowa in 2015. Last season, Kentucky hit .415 in a sweep of the Bluejays in Los Angeles.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 1-2 against Kentucky and also 1-2 against Craig Skinner.

Series History vs. USC
USC is 4-0 all-time against Creighton, with all four matches taking place in the previous three seasons. Creighton has won the opening set in three of those four meetings, only to have USC rally.
   In last September's meeting in Los Angeles, USC emerged with a 25-27, 25-23, 25-22, 19-25, 15-10 win behind 21 kills and 17 digs by Khalia Lanier. Taryn Kloth had season-highs with 23 kills and seven digs in defeat.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 0-4 all-time against USC and coach Mick Haley.

Series History vs. Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa owns a 41-8 record all-time against Creighton, including an 18-2 mark in Omaha. Creighton has won five of the last six meetings in the series, including a 3-0 win in Los Angeles and a 3-2 win in Lawrence, Kan., last season.
   Creighton head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 8-22 vs. Northern Iowa and 8-22 vs. Bobbi Petersen. Petersen is 29-8 overall against Creighton.
   Five of CU's eight wins against the Panthers have come in five sets. In 49 all-time meetings, Creighton has swept the Panthers just twice.

Last Weekend Recap
The most anticipated season in Creighton Volleyball history exceeded its own lofty expectations as Creighton won the Husky Invitational with wins over Saint Mary's (3-0), Pitt (3-0) and No. 3 Washington (3-1) in Seattle.
   Marysa Wilkinson hit .397 while averaging 2.90 kills and 1.50 blocks per set en route to Tournament MVP honors. Lydia Dimke (11.50 aps., 2.30 dps., 0.50 saps.) and Megan Ballenger (2.20 kps., 1.00 bps., .349%) also claimed All-Tournament Team honors.
   The nationally-televised win over Washington was the highest ranked team Creighton has ever beaten and snapped the Huskies 81-match unbeaten streak in regular-season non-conference play that dated back to 2008.

Head To Head
The previous three years have seen some intense competition between Creighton, UNI, USC and Kentucky.
   The Women of Troy have won all nine matches, while Kentucky has four victories, Creighton three wins and Northern Iowa two triumphs.
   USC is 3-0 against all three teams.
   Creighton is 2-1 against Northern Iowa, 1-2 against Kentucky and 0-3 against USC.
   Northern Iowa is 1-2 against Kentucky, 1-2 against Creighton and 0-3 against USC.
   Kentucky is 2-1 against both Northern Iowa and Creighton, and 0-3 against USC.
   The event host has gone 6-3 with one title (USC, 2016).
Final Tournament Standings, Last Three Years
2014 @UK   USC 3-0   UK 2-1   CU 1-2   UNI 0-3
2015 @UNI   USC 3-0   CU 1-2   UNI 1-2   UK 1-2
2016 @USC   USC 3-0   CU 1-2   UK 1-2   UNI 1-2

Tourney Results, Last Three Years
Match-up   2014   2015   2016   W-L
CU-UK   UK 3-0   CU 3-0   UK 3-0   UK 2-1
CU-USC   USC 3-1   USC 3-0   USC 3-2   USC 3-0
CU-UNI   CU 3-2   UNI 3-1   CU 3-0   CU 2-1
USC-UNI   USC 3-0   USC 3-0   USC 3-1   USC 3-0
UK-UNI   UK 3-1   UK 3-1   UNI 3-0   UK 2-1
UK-USC   USC 3-0   USC 3-0   USC 3-0   USC 3-0

Familiar Foes
The field for this weekend's Bluejay Invitational is meeting for the fourth straight season, as the event started in 2014 in Lexington, went to Cedar Falls in 2015, and was held last year in Los Angeles. The event has already been renewed for the next four years, as well.
   The event features a nice mix not only geographically, but also of some traditional and upcoming powers in the college game.
   USC has made 26 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, and been to the Regional Final (or beyond) in 11 of 16 completed seasons under Mick Haley. The Trojans claim six national titles in program history, and 20 or more wins in 12 of 16 seasons under Haley. Saturday's showdown will be the fourth meeting between the Bluejays and the Women of Troy since September 4, 2015.
   Northern Iowa has won 20 or more games in 15-of-17 seasons under Bobbi Petersen, during which time the Panthers have advanced to 12 NCAA Tournaments.
   Kentucky has made 12 straight NCAA Tournaments, a streak that coincides with the arrival of coach Craig Skinner. The Wildcats own 20 or more wins in nine of the last 10 seasons and have three Sweet 16 trips 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 six of the previous seven seasons, winning a match five of those times, including last year's Elite Eight run. All eight seasons of 20-plus wins in the program's modern history have come since 2006.

Old MVC Rivals Get Reacquainted
Saturday's match-up with Northern Iowa will be Creighton's 50th 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.
   Creighton and Northern Iowa have played all but one season since the Bluejays restarted volleyball in 1994.
   The teams were Missouri Valley Conference rivals who played twice annually from 1994-2012, plus six more MVC Tournament meetings.
   The teams did not play in 2013, but have played each of the past three campaigns as part of a four-year tournament that also includes Kentucky and USC. The rivals also met last December in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, a match won by CU in five frames.
   Creighton is 3-1 against Northern Iowa since leaving the MVC, compared to a 5-40 mark when the two were Valley rivals.

Connections To UNI And The State of Iowa
Creighton and UNI have numerous connections between the two schools.
   Head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth grew up during part of her childhood in the Cedar Falls suburb of Waterloo, and attended grad school at the University of Iowa. She got her first college head coaching job at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
   Creighton Director of Athletics Bruce Rasmussen is a 1971 graduate of Northern Iowa. He has been at Creighton since 1980, including the Athletic Director since 1994.       Creighton men's basketball coach Greg McDermott played (1984-88) and served as a head coach (2001-06) at Northern Iowa.
   Northern Iowa women's basketball head coach Tanya Warren played at Creighton and has spent two stints as an assistant coach with the Bluejays. One of two players in program history with a retired number, Warren played for Rasmussen.
   Creighton Sports Information Director and volleyball contact Rob Anderson worked as Northern Iowa's volleyball SID in 2000 and 2001.
   Creighton's Jaali Winters and Megan Ballenger are former high school teammates of UNI junior Moriah Johnson.
   In addition to Ballenger and Winters, Samantha Bohnet is from Council Bluffs, Iowa.

No. 7 Ranking Is A Program Best
Creighton is ranked seventh nationally in this week's AVCA Top 25 poll, the highest mark in program history. That figure eclipses the previous best ranking of ninth, done in the final 2016 poll, and then matched in the 2017 preseason poll.
   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).

Bluejay Invitational History
This will be the 13th edition of the Bluejay Invitational, where host Creighton is 20-14 all-time in the event. The Bluejays have never gone winless in the event, and its lone title came in 2014, when it topped Pepperdine, Bowling Green and Wichita State.
   Champions, by year, include Iowa State (2005), Iowa (2006), Middle Tennessee (2007), Minnesota (2008), Illinois (2009), Kansas (2010), Northern Illinois (2011), Kansas State (2012), California (2013), Creighton (2014), Pacific (2015) and Kansas (2016).
   Between 12 Bluejay Invitationals, (2005-15), two Creighton First Serve Festivals (1996-97), three Creighton Classics (2011, 2014 and 2015), one MVC Tournament (2009) and two BIG EAST Tournaments (2013, 2015), Creighton has won just two of the 20 tournaments it has hosted since the program's 1994 restart. Those were the 2014 Bluejay Invitational and the 2015 BIG EAST Tournament.

More Bluejay Invitational History
There have been 31 previous schools (besides Creighton) to play in the Bluejay Invitational, including two appearances each by Kansas, Northern Colorado and Lipscomb. This year will see USC, Northern Iowa and Kentucky make their first appearance in the Bluejay Invitational.
   Creighton's 20 wins are most in Bluejay Invitational history, while Kansas' five wins are second-most.
   Kansas is the only school in event history to win the event twice, while Creighton is seeking its second crown.

Longitude Aptitude
Teams located west of Omaha are a combined 17-28 all-time with three Bluejay Invitational titles, while teams to the east of Omaha are 28-21 with eight titles. Creighton owns the other title.
   Of this year's field, Kentucky and Northern Iowa are east of Omaha while USC is located west of Omaha.

Another Loaded Field
This weekend's Bluejay Invitational field features three teams (#7 Creighton, #13 Kentucky and #18 USC) that are ranked in this week's AVCA poll, with Northern Iowa receiving votes that would place it 31st. It's the first time this event, which started in 2005, has had three ranked teams or four teams getting votes at the time of competition.
   Below is a list of each team to enter play having received votes in the AVCA Top 25 poll the week of the Bluejay Invitational. Those previous 15 teams are a collective 31-11 with eight titles.
Year   (Rank) Team   W-L at Bluejay Invite
2007   (RV) Middle Tennessee   3-0
2008   #16 Minnesota   3-0
2008   #21 LSU   2-1
2008   (RV) Texas A&M   0-3
2009   #10 Illinois   2-0
2012   #21 Kansas State   3-0
2013   #19 Creighton   2-1
2013   (RV) California   3-0
2014   (RV) Creighton   3-0
2015   (RV) Creighton   2-1
2015   (RV) Pacific   3-0
2015   (RV) Lipscomb   0-3
2016   #4 Kansas   2-0
2016   (RV) Creighton   2-1
2016   (RV) TCU   1-1
2017   #7 Creighton   TBD
2017   #13 Kentucky   TBD
2017   #18 USC   TBD
2017   (RV) Northern Iowa   TBD

Best Event In The Country
This weekend's Bluejay Invitational is one of two tournaments nationally consisting of only unbeaten teams, and the only one with four unbeaten foes (Stanford, Texas A&M and Penn State are also unbeaten and scheduled to meet in College Station, Texas).
   In addition, the Bluejay Invitational is the only event in the country this weekend with three ranked teams.
   Last but not least, all four teams picked up a victory on the opening weekend over a ranked team.
   When asked about this weekend's event, Creighton head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth said ""It's going to be the best volleyball in the country. Even if you're not a Creighton fan, you should make your way to Omaha and hopefully you'll morph into a Creighton fan. Every match will be awesome and our facility should be rocking. It'll be a blast."

Home Sweet Home Openers
Creighton enters Friday's match vs. No. 13 Kentucky with a 15-8 mark in home openers, including a 10-4 mark under Kirsten Bernthal Booth.
   Creighton is 6-2 at D.J. Sokol Arena in season lid-lifters, including last year's five-set loss to No. 4 Kansas.

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 seventh-longest active home win streak entering this weekend:
Rank   Streak   School   Next Home Match
   1.   36   Minnesota   9/1
   2.   18   Yale   9/1
   3.   16   BYU   9/14
   4.   13   Princeton   9/6
       13   Nebraska   9/1
       13   Hofstra   9/15
   7.   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

Wilkinson Earns MVP; Honored By BIG EAST
Marysa Wilkinson was named MVP of the Husky Invitational on the opening weekend after averaging 2.90 kills and 1.50 blocks per set while hitting .397.
   Wilkinson had 13 kills and five blocks on .571 hitting in the season-opening win vs. Saint Mary's, and closed the weekend with 11 kills, four blocks and .429 hitting in the win at No. 3 Washington.
   Wilkinson was also honored as BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week for her efforts.

(Now) Streakless In Seattle
Creighton's win at No. 3 Washington last Saturday was historic for a number of reasons.
   It was Washington's first regular-season loss in non-conference play since Sept. 13, 2008, snapping a streak of 81 straight victories.
   It was Washington's first regular-season loss in non-conference play at home since Sept. 1, 2001, snapping a streak of 45 straight victories.
   It was also Washington's first regular-season non-conference loss in fewer than five sets since Sept. 7, 2002, a stretch that covered 143 matches.
   Washington had never lost a home match in the month of August (going 16-0), and had not lost in the month of August since August 31, 2006.
   Creighton had been 0-8 in history against teams ranked in the top-3 nationally, meaning the third-ranked Huskies are the Bluejays highest-ranked victim in program history.

Season Opening History
Creighton's win over Saint Mary's on Aug. 25th improved the Jays to 15-9 in season-opening matches since restarting the program in 1994. Creighton head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth improved to 11-4 in season-opening matches.
   Booth is also 12-3 in Creighton's first match away from home, helping Creighton improve to 15-9 in such contests all-time.
   Last Friday's triumph over Saint Mary's was Creighton's first sweep in a season-opener since a 2009 whitewash of Texas Tech in a match that doubled as the first regular-season contest in D.J. Sokol Arena history.

Hello World!
Naomi Hickman and Jaclyn Taylor made their Division I debut last weekend, leaving fellow freshman Alexa Roumeliotis as the only Bluejay that has yet to see the court.
   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
2017   Naomi Hickman•   3   5   2   8   .375   0   0   3   1
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
2014   L. Dimke (PUR)   2   0   0   0   ---   4   0   1   0
2016   Megan Ballenger   1   0   0   0   ---   0   0   2   0
2017   Jaclyn Taylor   2   0   0   0   ---   0   0   0   0

Some Fab Freshmen
Including Naomi Hickman last Friday, Creighton has started eight different true freshmen in a season opener in the last eight years, and 14 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), Jaali Winters (2015) and Naomi Hickman (2017). In addition, CU also started redshirt freshmen Lauren Smith (2013) and Brittany Lawrence (2015), as well as 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.

Winters Reaches 1,000 Kills
Jaali Winters owns 1,030 career kills. That's third-most nationally among juniors, trailing only Iowa's Taylor Louis (1,182) and Cincinnati's Jordan Thompson (1,039).
   Winters needed just 72 career matches to reach 1,000 career kills, becoming 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
Jaali Winters   72   08/25/17   vs. Saint Mary's
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 Friday with 1,030 career kills, moving from 12th to 10th last weekend after collecting 36 kills.
   Here's a look at Creighton's top-17 in career kills, which includes teammate Marysa Wilkinson's 872 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.   Jaali Winters   268   1,030   2015-Pr.
   11.   Amanda Cvejdlik   343   1,029   2005-08
   12.   Shelly Kapler   388   1,000   1996-99
   13.   Jess Bird   377   965   2013-16
   14.   Erin Swanson   319   955   1998-01
   15.   Ashley Williams   359   941   2001-04
   16.   Marysa Wilkinson   391   872   2014-Pr.
   17.   Megan Bober   480   833   2009-12

Saturday Night Showdown
Around the country, only one match on the opening week of the 2017 season featured a pair of top-10 teams, and it took place last Saturday night at the Husky Invitational.
   That contest was then-No. 9 Creighton against then-No. 3 Washington, a match the Bluejays won in four sets.

Top 25 History
Creighton is 8-67 all-time against teams in the top-25 of the AVCA poll, but 3-1 since the start of the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
   Last Friday's win at No. 3 Washington is the highest-ranked team that Creighton has ever beaten, surpassing a win over No. 4 Kansas last December.
   Creighton is now 3-27 all-time against top-10 foes (3-20 under Kirsten Bernthal Booth).
   Creighton lost its first 31 true road matches against top-25 foes, but has 'improved' to 3-34 after wins in the last two seasons at No. 23 North Carolina (2015), No. 4 Kansas (2016) and No. 3 Washington (2017).
   Creighton is 35-10 all-time as a ranked team, and also 4-6 all-time against ranked teams when ranked itself.
   Last Saturday's win over No. 3 Washington was the first match in program history that then-No. 9 Creighton and its opponent were both in the top-10 at the time of the match.
   This weekend's matches vs. No. 13 Kentucky and No. 18 USC will be the first time Creighton has played in a match it hosted that involved a pair of top-25 teams.
   Since the start of the 2012 season, 21 of Creighton's 38 losses have come against ranked teams. In that same period, Creighton is 130-17 against unranked teams. Creighton has won 24 straight home matches over unranked teams.
   Creighton 1-3 all-time against teams ranked exactly 13th (including a 2013 neutral-site win over BYU) and 0-3 against teams ranked exactly 18th.

All-Region Picks Return
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
UCLA   5   2
Wisconsin   5   2
Kentucky   4   4

Coaching Them Up
Lydia Dimke became Creighton's first setter in six seasons to start the opening match of the season in consecutive seasons.
   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, then repeated at that spot vs. Saint Mary's this fall.
   Bober had owned 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 previous five seasons ended in the NCAA Tournament, and four of them saw Creighton win conference titles.

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 98-89 in the 63 regular-season tournaments it has participated in all-time, including a 41-20 mark since the start of 2012. Kirsten Bernthal Booth's teams are 78-56 in 47 regular-season tournaments, including 10 titles.
   Before taking the Husky Invitational crown last weekend in Seattle, the last regular-season tournament Creighton had 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 294-2 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 249-9 (.965) all-time when leading a match 2-0, including a 192-3 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 244-28 (.897) 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.
   Nine of Creighton's final 10 non-conference matches this season are against teams that are either ranked or receiving votes in the Aug. 28 top-25 poll. The lone exception to that group, Belmont, a club that is picked to win the Ohio Valley Conference.

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.
   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   4-3   29-7
2017   0-0   3-0
Total   63-54   387-305

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. CU is 2-0 this season against such teams.
   After going 3-35 against teams coming off NCAA Tournament bids prior to Kirsten Bernthal Booth's arrival, the Jays are 64-84 since.
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   10-7
2017   2-0
TOTAL   67-119
TOTAL Under Booth   64-84

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.

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 32 matches in which one team had more assists than the other have been won 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).
   This year's team is 1-0 in matches on Friday's, and 3-0 in sets.

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. 1   1290 AM KOIL   Kentucky
Sept. 2   1180 AM KZOT   Northern Iowa
Sept. 15   1180 AM KZOT   at Wichita State
Sept. 16   1180 AM KZOT   vs. Iowa State
Sept. 22   1180 AM KZOT   Georgetown
Sept. 24   1180 AM KZOT   Villanova
Oct. 15   1180 AM KZOT   Xavier
Oct. 22   1180 AM KZOT   Seton Hall
Nov. 4   1180 AM KZOT   Marquette
Nov. 5   1180 AM KZOT   DePaul

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.

No. 7 Volleyball Hosts Strong Field For Bluejay Invitational

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Megan Ballenger

Jess Bird

Samantha Bohnet

Mac Conlon

Kenzie Crawford

Lydia Dimke

Amanda Foje

Naomi Hickman

Taryn Kloth

Brittany Lawrence

Kelsey O'Connell

Alexa Roumeliotis

Lauren Smith

Jaclyn Taylor

Marysa Wilkinson

Jaali Winters

Brittany Witt