Friday, September 28
Indianapolis, Ind.
5:00 PM
Creighton University
at
Butler
Annika Welty
Photo by: A.J. Olnes
#10 Volleyball Takes First BIG EAST Road Trip This Weekend
9/26/2018 9:45:00 AM | Volleyball
League-leading Bluejays will try to hold off Butler and Xavier
Download Notes as a PDF
This Week's Schedule
Sept. 28 5 p.m. CST #10 Creighton at Butler Indianapolis, Ind. (Hinkle Fieldhouse) | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
Sept. 29 4 p.m. CST #10 Creighton at Xavier Cincinnati, Ohio. (Cintas Center) | LIVE STATS
This Week
No. 10 Creighton (10-4, 2-0 BIG EAST) hits the road in BIG EAST play for the first time this weekend when it faces the two other schools who joined the league in the summer of 2013.
First off is a match on Friday at 5 p.m. Central against Butler (4-10, 1-1 BIG EAST) at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind.
On Saturday at 4 p.m. Central, the Bluejays visit Xavier (3-10, 1-1 BIG EAST). That match will take place at Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Broadcast Information
Friday's match will be video webcast by Butler via Facebook Live. Visit their page at FB.com/ButlerBulldogs, and the link will appear about five minutes before the start of the match.
Xavier is not streaming a webcast on Saturday.
A link to Butler's Facebook page can be found on the GoCreighton.com volleyball schedule page.
Live Stats Information
Both matches this weekend will have free live stats. The exact links can be found on the GoCreighton.com volleyball schedule page.
Scouting #10 Creighton
Creighton is 10-4 this season after facing a grueling schedule that includes five national seeds from a year ago, and 12 contests against teams that played in the postseason a year ago.
Creighton's best wins include triumphs over No. 5 Kentucky, No. 21 Marquette, Northern Iowa, NC State, Iowa State and Wichita State, while the losses have come against Northern Iowa, No. 7 Nebraska, No. 10 USC and No. 8 Illinois.
Three returning All-Americans pace the Bluejays. Senior outside hitters Taryn Kloth (4.27 kps., .277%) and Jaali Winters (3.76 kps., 3.41 dps.), as well as 2017 BIG EAST Libero of the Year Brittany Witt (4.65 dps.) were named Preseason All-BIG EAST this season. Winters was named MVP of the Bluejay Invitational on Sept. 9, while Kloth owns four matches of 23+ kills this fall.
Creighton boasts seven newcomers, including four freshmen who were ranked as the No. 10 recruiting class in the nation, in addition to three transfers. One of those is junior Madelyn Cole, a Marshall transfer who leads the BIG EAST with 10.71 assists per set and claimed a pair of All-Tournament Team accolades.
Creighton has been picked to finish second in the BIG EAST Conference, but has already swept preseason league favorite Marquette.
CU averages 14.14 kills, 1.27 aces, 16.98 digs and 2.22 blocks per set on .245 hitting overall.
Scouting Butler
After a 1-9 start, Butler has won 3-of-4 matches to improve to 4-10 overall and 1-1 in BIG EAST play. The Bulldogs opened league play with a 3-0 win at Seton Hall before compiling 23 blocks in a five-set loss at St. John's.
Bri Lilly (2.80 kps., 1.49 bps., .288%) leads the BIG EAST in blocks per set and is tied with Brooke Gregory (2.80 kps.) for the team-lead in kills per set.
Melody Davidson (1.25 bps.) is also a formidable blocker, and Natalie Ravenell (2.77 kps.) is yet another offensive threat.
Megan Ramseyer (8.82 aps.) and Maddie Freiwald (8.12 aps.) have each played at setter in BU's 5-1 system, and Elizabeth LaBue (3.57 dps.) tops the team in digs.
Senior outside hitter Anna Logan, a two-time First Team All-BIG EAST selection, is redshirting due to a back injury.
The Bulldogs average 11.88 kills, 1.10 aces, 14.14 digs and a league-high 2.96 blocks per set on .166 hitting.
Scouting Xavier
Xavier has started the season 3-10, including a 1-1 mark in BIG EAST action. The Musketeers own wins over Northern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky and Seton Hall.
Senior Laura Grossman averages 2.96 kills per set and 2.76 digs per set.
McKena Estes (5.46 aps.) and Nadia Dieudonne (4.78) split setting duties, and Meredith Klare (3.87 dps.) returns as libero.
The Musketeers average 12.43 kills, 0.93 aces, 12.74 digs and 2.09 blocks per set on .214 hitting.
Creighton Coaches
Creighton is coached by Kirsten Bernthal Booth (Truman State, 1997), who is in her 16th season with a 327-164 record. She's led Creighton to four straight BIG EAST titles, and five league crowns in the last six years. Booth 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 seven NCAA Tournament bids in the program's modern history. She's also coached CU into the top-25 each of the last seven 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, Craig Dyer and Noel Carpio.
Series History vs. Butler
Creighton is 9-1 all-time against Butler, including a pair of five-set victories last season.
Butler ruined Creighton's BIG EAST debut on Oct. 4, 2013 in Indianapolis, handing the Bluejays a four-set loss, but Creighton has won all nine meetings since then.
Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 9-1 vs. Butler and head coach Sharon Clark.
Series History vs. Xavier
Creighton is 13-0 all-time against Xavier, with all the matches having occurred since 2013. The last six meetings have all been 3-0 CU sweeps.
Thanks in part to a 3-0 record in league tourney action against the Musketeers, Creighton has more wins against Xavier (13) than any other team since joining the BIG EAST.
Creighton's victory on Oct. 5, 2013 in Cincinnati was the program's first BIG EAST win in history.
Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 13-0 vs. Xavier, and she is 7-0 against Christy Pfeffenberger.
Winters Is Coming
Jaali Winters enters this week with 1,584 kills, good for third place on Creighton's all-time career kills list. She's just 39 kills from passing Leah Ratzlaff for CU's all-time record, which has stood since 2005.
While that's a big ask for any player, keep in mind that Winters has recorded double-figure kills in all 13 career matches against either Xavier or Butler, and last year tied her career-high with 28 kills in a home victory over the Bulldogs.
Not to be forgotten, Winters' All-American teammate on the outside Taryn Kloth has climbed from 17th to 10th on CU's all-time kills list, and could ascend another spot or two this weekend.
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. Jaali Winters 427 1,584 2015-Pr.
4. Kelly Goc 394 1,414 2004-07
5. Jessica Houts 451 1,385 2005-09
6. JoDe Cieloha 398 1,375 1994-97
7. Leah McNary 458 1,257 2011-14
8. Marysa Wilkinson 499 1,183 2014-17
9. Lauren Smith 511 1,160 2013-16
10. Taryn Kloth 395 1,155 2015-Pr.
11. Allie Oelke 445 1,126 2007-10
Kloth Earns Player of the Week Honor
Creighton senior Taryn Kloth has been named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday.
Though Kloth was named First Team All-Conference in 2016, and Second Team All-Conference and BIG EAST Championship Most Valuable Player in 2017, it's the first time in her career the Sioux Falls, S.D., native has been named a Player of the Week by the BIG EAST.
Kloth averaged 5.08 points, 4.50 kills, 1.17 digs, 0.50 blocks and 0.33 aces per set on .440 hitting as No. 10 Creighton won all six sets it played to open BIG EAST play.
The outside hitter had 11 kills, four digs and an ace on .409 hitting as Creighton swept DePaul to open league play. She then had 16 kills, three digs and two blocks on .464 hitting in a sweep over No. 21 Marquette, the preseason league favorite. Kloth had eight kills in the opening set, a 25-17 triumph, that set the tone in the victory.
Kloth is now averaging 4.86 kills per set on .310 hitting in five matches against top-25 competition this fall, and leads the BIG EAST with 218 overall kills.
Butler For The Block
Butler lost last Saturday at St. John's despite an incredible 23 blocks against the Red Storm.
By comparison, Creighton committed a total of 17 attack errors all last weekend and was rejected just three times in 205 overall swings.
Butler leads the BIG EAST with 2.96 blocks per set (and 4.06 blocks per set in league play), with Creighton a distant second at 2.22 blocks per set on average.
Clean Weekend Opens League Play
Creighton swept both DePaul and Marquette last weekend to open BIG EAST play. It's the eighth time in the last nine seasons that Creighton has started 2-0 or better.
In 2016, Creighton posted the BIG EAST's first 18-0 volleyball season in league history, and in 2015 the Bluejays opened 11-0 in conference action.
Last weekend was also the third time that Creighton won both of its first two conference matches by 3-0 sweeps, having also done it in 2010 and 2011. Creighton has never swept each of its first three league matches in any season.
The Butler Did It
You could make a case that it was a pair of five-set wins over Butler last season that helped propel Creighton to its fourth straight BIG EAST title.
Creighton overcame a 2-0 deficit in Omaha to topple the Bulldogs, ending the match on a 7-1 run to win 15-9 in the fifth set after trailing 8-7 as teams switched benches.
In the rematch in Indianapolis, Creighton lost the first set, then saved five set points to win a 38-36 second frame to even the match. The teams would split the next two sets before CU emerged with a 15-11 victory.
Conversely, Butler did win a 3-2 match at Marquette, a costly loss for a Golden Eagles team that would finish the season one game behind the Bluejays in the final standings.
With 4-10 Butler and 3-10 Xavier on tap for this weekend, it's worth noting that Creighton has won 19 straight matches against teams that enter a match under .500 since a loss at USC on Sept. 3, 2016. The Bluejays have not lost a match to a conference team with an overall record under .500 prior to the match since Nov. 12, 2011 at Bradley.
Go East, Young Woman
Creighton's next four road matches will take place in the Eastern time zone, but history suggests the travel hasn't been an issue.
Creighton has gone 19-1 in its last 20 matches in the Eastern time zone.
X Marks The Spot
Creighton is a perfect 13-0 all-time against Xavier, and has won the last 21 sets in the series.
The 13 straight wins is the third-longest streak over any program, trailing only win streaks over Southern Illinois (19) and Indiana State (16).
The 21 straight set victories over the Musketeers is four away for the record against any opponent, Indiana State (25).
Most Consecutive Match Wins Over One Team
Wins Opponent Dates
19 Southern Illinois 2003-11
16 Indiana State 2005-Present
13 Xavier 2013-Present
Most Consecutive Set Wins Over One Team
Wins Opponent Dates
25 Indiana State 2005-09
23 Indiana State 2009-Present
21 Xavier 2015-Present
20 Seton Hall 2015-Present
19 Providence 2014-17
BIG EAST Preseason Poll
For the first time since Creighton's 2012 season in the Missouri Valley Conference, the Bluejays were not picked to win their league. This year a preseason poll of BIG EAST coaches tabbed Marquette with 78 points and six first-place votes, edging out Creighton's 76 points and four first-place votes. Butler was picked third in the league's preseason poll, with Villanova fourth. Creighton also had three women named to the 12 member on the BIG EAST's preseason all-conference team, as Taryn Kloth, Jaali Winters and Brittany Witt were all honored. It was the second straight preseason honor for Kloth and Witt, and third in a row for Winters.
Creighton has finished in the spot predicted of them or better in the preseason poll in 13 of the past 15 years, including eight 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 1st - -
2018 2nd ?? ??
Something To Shoot For
Creighton's current senior class has never lost to a BIG EAST team at D.J. Sokol Arena, going a perfect 31-0 in that span. The Bluejays were 11-0 (including two BIG EAST Tournament wins) in 2015, 10-0 in 2016, 8-0 last fall and 2-0 to date this fall.
Creighton has not lost a home match to a BIG EAST team since Seton Hall upset the Bluejays on Nov. 23, 2014.
Champions Clash
Since the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST in the summer of 2013, Creighton and Marquette are the only teams to win any sort of BIG EAST volleyball title.
Marquette won the regular-season and tournament title in 2013, while Creighton swept both titles in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Below is a look at the record of each BIG EAST team (through Sept. 25) since the league's reconfiguration in 2013:
BIG EAST VB Standings Since 2013 (thru 9/25)
BIG EAST only All matches
Team (NCAA Bids) W L W L
Creighton (5) 81 9 139 45
Marquette (5) 70 20 127 49
Xavier 60 30 94 77
Butler 54 36 103 68
Seton Hall (1) 50 41 95 81
Villanova (1) 46 45 95 76
St. John's 37 55 97 84
Georgetown 19 71 54 112
DePaul 16 74 58 106
Providence* 11 63 53 91
*Providence rejoined the league for volleyball in 2014 and
its 2013 overall record (12-20) is not included above.
Against The BIG EAST
Since the BIG EAST was restructured in 2013, Creighton owns a winning record against each of the other teams currently in the BIG EAST.
The Bluejays enter this weekend with 90 wins against BIG EAST competition (including BIG EAST Championship play) since 2013, 17 more wins than Marquette for most in the league.
Seton Hall and Marquette are the only league foes to top the Bluejays three times since 2013.
Opponent Reg. Season BE Tourney Total
Butler 9-1 - 9-1
DePaul 11-0 - 11-0
Georgetown 10-0 - 10-0
Marquette 9-2 2-1 11-3
Providence 8-0 - 8-0
Seton Hall 7-3 2-0 9-3
St. John's 9-1 - 9-1
Villanova 8-2 2-0 10-2
Xavier 10-0 3-0 13-0
Total 81-9 9-1 90-10
Ranked vs. Ranked in the BIG EAST
Last Sunday's match-up between No. 10 Creighton and then-No. 21 Marquette was the first regular-season BIG EAST match-up since 2005 that featured a pair of ranked teams.
You'd have to go back to October 29, 2005 to find the last previous time two ranked BIG EAST faced each other in league play, when No. 7 Notre Dame beat No. 6 Louisville.
The last previous time any two BIG EAST foes faced each other while ranked at any point in time came Nov. 18, 2007, when No. 20 St. John's swept No. 21 Louisville in the title match of the conference tournament.
Jays Get New Court
After playing on the same sport court tiled surface since the opening of D.J. Sokol Arena, Creighton Volleyball introduced a new Taraflex® Sports Flooring surface at D.J. Sokol Arena for its match on Sept. 21 vs. DePaul.
Taraflex® floors have been used for the last 11 Summer Olympics, and provides better shock absorption and comfort while preventing both short and long-term injuries, preventing skin burns and providing for optimal levels of sliding while also allowing for easier maintenance.
The new court was paid for by private donations.
New Time For November 11th
The Creighton University Athletics Department has moved the start time for its Nov. 11 volleyball home match against Villanova from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The start time was moved to avoid a conflict with a nationally-televised Creighton men's basketball home game vs. East Tennessee State that same day that begins at 12:30 p.m. Contact was made with the Villanova Athletic Department, who agreed to accommodate the request.
The men's basketball game will still take place at CHI Health Center Omaha, while the volleyball match remains at D.J. Sokol Arena.
Any Venue Will Do
Since joining the BIG EAST, Creighton has a .500 record or better (in all matches) at every venue in which it has played a BIG EAST match.
Site Creighton W-L
D.J. Sokol Arena (CU) 65-12
Al McGuire Center (MU) 7-2
Hinkle Fieldhouse (BU) 6-1
Carnesecca Arena (SJU) 5-0
McGrath-Phillips Arena (DPU) 5-0
Cintas Center (XU) 5-0
McDonough Arena (GU) 5-0
Alumni Hall (PC) 4-0
Jake Nevin Field House (VU) 3-2
Walsh Gym (SHU) 3-2
Home Sweet Home
Creighton has gone unbeaten at home in league play in four of its previous six seasons (2012, 2015, 2016, 2017), and is off to a 2-0 start in conference home matches this fall.
Creighton is 44-2 all-time (.957) in regular-season BIG EAST play at D.J. Sokol Arena, falling once each to St. John's (2013) and Seton Hall (2014).
Since D.J. Sokol Arena opened in 2009, Creighton is 75-7 (.915) all-time in regular-season conference matches in the facility, including 29 straight victories.
Creighton has won all nine meetings with St. John's since that 2013 upset, and all eight encounters versus Seton Hall since dropping the home match in 2014.
The Bluejays have had a winning record in conference home matches each of the last 12 seasons (entering 2018). That streak that dates back to its days at the Omaha Civic Auditorium, a site that was torn down two years ago and no longer exists.
League Opener Histories
Last Friday's win over DePaul improved Creighton to a 17-8 record all-time in conference openers, including a 14-2 record under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. That includes a 5-1 mark in BIG EAST lid-lifters, and five straight wins.
Each of the last five times (before 2018) that Creighton won its league opener (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), the Bluejays went on to win both the regular-season and conference tournament titles, going a combined 84-6 in regular-season league action (and 10-0 in league tournament action) during those years before 2018.
In the 16 seasons that Creighton has won its conference opener, it has never finished worse than 9-9 in league play and (including 2018) it owns a combined .731 (212-78) winning percentage in league matches.
In the eight years in which Creighton lost its league opener, the Jays have had a losing record five times and it owns a combined .363 (53-93) winning percentage during league contests.
In conference home openers, Creighton is now 20-5 overall and 14-2 under Booth, with eight straight wins.
Creighton heads into Friday's contest at Butler 15-9 overall and 12-3 under Booth in league road openers, with four straight wins.
Witt Takes Home Defensive Honors
Creighton libero Brittany Witt has been named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week for the first time this fall, and sixth time in her career, on Sept. 18th.
Witt averaged 5.40 digs per set in three matches at the Illini Classic last weekend as Creighton went 2-1.
The 2017 BIG EAST Libero of the Year had 12 digs and was not aced in CU's 3-0 win over Lipscomb to open the weekend. She then had 16 digs in a sweep over UNI as Creighton avenged a loss from three weeks earlier.
The Omaha native wrapped up the weekend with a season-high 26 digs in a four-set match at No. 8 Illinois, matching the most by a Bluejay in any contest this season.
Winters Earns Defensive Award
Senior Jaali Winters was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 11th in recognition of her 4.54 digs and 3.92 kills per set.
Winters had a double-double in all three matches, starting with 18 kills and 18 digs against No. 7 Nebraska on Sept. 6.
She then lifted a career-high 26 digs to go with 15 kills in a win over Iowa State one night later. Winters' 26 digs vs. Iowa State were the most by a Bluejay outside hitter in one match since October 23, 2009 (Allie Oelke), and were the most by any Creighton player in a four-set match since Oct. 4, 2014 (Kate Elman).
The Ankeny, Iowa, native closed out her week with 18 kills and 15 digs in a victory over Wichita State.
Winters was named MVP of the Bluejay Invitational for her efforts.
This was the second time in her career she's been named Defensive Player of the Week by the BIG EAST (also Oct. 31, 2017), but that's hardly her only league honor. Winters has also been named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week once, was a six-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week in 2015, is a three-time First Team All-BIG EAST selection, the 2015 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, the 2016 BIG EAST Tournament MVP and a three-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team honoree.
Winters Is Coming, Part 2
Jaali Winters ranks second nationally among active players with both 1,584 career kills and 4,414 attack attempts. She trails only Taylor Louis, who has 1,738 kills and 4,503 attack attempts during her career that started at Marquette and has continued at Iowa.
Winters' Creighton team met Louis' Marquette team three times in 2015 and twice in 2016, with Winters owning more head-to-head kills (92-79) in fewer attack attempts (237-248).
Creighton won all five matches.
Double Trouble
Jaali Winters owns nine double-doubles this season, including one in all five matches this season against top-25 opponents. Winters owns 51 double-doubles in her career. That ranks sixth-most in program history, and the most by any outside hitter.
Matches With a Double-Double, Career
D-D Name Years Primary Position
65 Melissa Weisensee 1994-97 Setter
64 Kailey Reyes 1998-01 Setter
60 Melissa Walsh 1998-01 Middle Blocker
57 Megan Bober 2009-12 Setter
56 Korie Lebeda 2005-08 Setter
51 Jaali Winters 2015-Pres. Outside Hitter
41 Allie Oelke 2007-10 Outside Hitter
Winters Part Of 1,000 & 1,000 Club
Jaali Winters enters this week with 1,584 career kills and 1,199 career digs. Last year she became the third player in CU history with 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs, and first to get there as a junior.
Melissa Walsh (1,596 kills; 1,240 digs) and Allie Oelke (1,126 kills; 1,382 digs) previously accomplished the feat.
Winters ranks fifth in the BIG EAST with 192 kills and ninth with 174 digs, making her the league's only player with 142 or more kills and digs. The eight players ahead of her in digs are all liberos who have combined for six kills all season, while Winters averages 3.76 kills per set.
Jaali Scaling The Record Books
Jaali Winters continues to rewrite the record book nearly every time she takes the court.
On Sept. 9 vs. Wichita State, Winters had her 90th career match with 10+ kills, breaking the CU mark of 89 set by Leah Ratzlaff (2002-05).
On Sept. 15 at Illinois, Winters broke Ratzlaff's school record for career attack attempts.
It remains possible that by the end of the month that Winters will erase another mark once owned by Ratzlaff, with that mark being the all-time kills mark. Winters has 1,584 so far in her career as she chases after Ratzlaff's mark of 1,622.
Below is a complete list of all 76 school records that are currently owned by Winters:
Category Type Figure
10+ Kills by a freshman Consecutive Matches 19
Kills in a debut Match 17
Attack Attempts Match (5-set) 77
Block Solos Match (5-set) 4
Kills at D.J. Sokol Arena Match (3-set) 23
Kills at D.J. Sokol Arena Match (4-set) 23
Kills at D.J. Sokol Arena Match (5-set) 28
Attempts at Sokol Arena Match (5-set) 77
Kills Match (4-set NCAA) 21
Kills Match (5 set NCAA) 24
Attempts Match (4-set NCAA) 63
Attempts Match (5-set NCAA) 66
Points Match (4-set NCAA) 22.0
Points Match (5-set NCAA) 26.0
Kills Match (3-set B.E. Tourn.) 18
Kills Match (5-set B.E. Tourn.) 21
Attempts Match (3-set B.E. Tourn.) 37
Attempts Match (5-set B.E. Tourn.) 77
Aces Match (3-set B.E. Tourn.) 3
Aces Match (5-set B.E. Tourn.) 1
Digs Match (3-set B.E. Tourn.) 14
Block Solos Match (5-set B.E. Tourn.) 1
Points Match (3-set B.E. Tourn.) 19.0
Points Match (5-set B.E. Tourn.) 22.5
Kills by a freshman Season 546 (2015)
Kills Per Set by a freshman Season 4.07 (2015)
20+ Kill matches by a frosh Season 9 (2015)
10+ Kill matches Season 31 (2015)
Kills Season 546 (2015)
Attack Attempts Season 1,428 (2015)
Points Season 595.5 (2015)
Kills at D.J. Sokol Arena Season 249 (2015)
KIlls Per Set at Sokol Season 4.08 (2015)
Attempts at Sokol Arena Season 611 (2015)
Points at Sokol Arena Season 269.5 (2015)
Points Per Set at Sokol Season 4.42 (2015)
Sets Played at Sokol Season 61 (2015)
KIlls Season (NCAA Tourn.) 79 (2016)
Kills Per Set Season (NCAA Tourn.) 4.42 (2015)
Attempts Season (NCAA Tourn.) 218 (2016)
Points Season (NCAA Tourn.) 86.5 (2016)
Points Per Set Season (NCAA Tourn.) 4.81 (2016)
Double-Doubles Season (NCAA Tourn.) 3 (2016)
Kills Season (B.E. Tourn.) 39 (2015)
Kills Per Set Season (B.E. Tourn.) 4.88 (2015)
Attempts Season (B.E. Tourn.) 114 (2015)
Aces Season (B.E. Tourn.) 5 (2016)
Aces Per Set Season (B.E. Tourn.) 0.83 (2016)
Points Season (B.E. Tourn.) 41.5 (2015
Points Per Set Season (B.E. Tourn.) 5.58 (2016)
Double-Doubles Season (B.E. Tourn.) 2 (2017)
Quickest to 200 kills Career 15 matches
Quickest to 300 kills Career 21 matches
Quickest to 400 kills Career 28 matches
Quickest to 500 kills Career 34 matches
Quickest to 600 kills Career 41 matches
10+ Kill matches Career 93
Attack Attempts Career 4,414
Kills at D.J. Sokol Arena Career 626
Kills Per Set at Sokol Career 3.84
Attempts at Sokol Arena Career 1,637
Points at Sokol Arena Career 686.5
Points Per Set at Sokol Career 4.21
Kills Career (NCAA Tourn.) 155
Kills Per Set Career (NCAA Tourn.) 4.08
Attempts Career (NCAA Tourn.) 465
Points Career (NCAA Tourn.) 169.5
Points Per Set Career (NCAA Tourn.) 4.46
Wins Played in Career (NCAA Tourn.) 6
Kills Career (B.E. Tourn.) 85
Kills Per Set Career (B.E. Tourn.) 3.86
Aces Career (B.E. Tourn.) 7
Aces Per Set Career (B.E. Tourn.) 0.32
Points Career (B.E. Tourn.) 100.0
Points Per Set Career (B.E. Tourn.) 4.55
Double-Doubles Career (B.E. Tourn.) 4
All-American Effort
An honorable mention All-American in 2016, Taryn Kloth is well on her way to garnering even more accolades during her senior campaign.
In five contests this fall against teams who were ranked at the time of the match, Kloth has averaged 4.86 kills per set and hit a robust .310. She averages 21.4 kills per match against ranked opponents this year.
Third Set's A Charm
One key factor to watch this weekend is the result of the third set.
Creighton is 9-0 this season when winning the third set, but 1-4 when dropping the third set.
Butler is 4-1 when winning the third set, but 0-9 when losing the third set this season.
Xavier is 3-1 when winning the third set, but 0-9 when losing the third set this season.
Since a Oct. 10, 2014 loss at Seton Hall, Creighton is a perfect 65-0 against BIG EAST teams (59-0 in the regular-season and 6-0 in league tournament play) when winning the third set.
Top 10 Jays
Creighton Volleyball remained a season-best 10th in this week's AVCA poll. It's the seventh different time in program history that the Bluejays have spent in the top-10.
Here's a look at Creighton's all-time top-10 rankings in the AVCA poll:
Rank Week W-L That Week
9 8/9/17 3-0
7 8/28/17 2-1
9 9/4/17 2-1
8 9/11/17 0-2
10 9/10/18 2-1
10 9/17/18 2-0
10 9/24/18 TBD
Can You Dig It?
Junior Brittany Witt and senior Jaali Winters have climbed into the top 10 in Creighton history on the all-time digs chart. Witt is up to fourth, while Winters could rise several spots this weekend.
Most Career Digs, Creighton History
Name Sets No. Years
1. Kate Elman 464 2,054 2012-15
2. Janeen Piller 336 1,392 2001-04
3. Allie Oelke 445 1,382 2007-10
4. Brittany Witt 291 1,261 2016-Pr.
5. Kailey Reyes 368 1,258 1998-01
6. Melissa Walsh 394 1,240 1998-01
7. Julianne Mandolfo 241 1,224 2010-11
8. Melissa Weisensee 411 1,223 1994-97
9. Melanie Jereb 471 1,218 2012-15
10. Jaali Winters 411 1,199 2015-Pr.
Quick Witt-ed
Brittany Witt has had 10 or more digs in every match this season, and 17 in a row dating back to last season.
The streak of 14 straight matches with 10+ digs to open a season is the fourth-longest in program history
Witt's streak of 17 straight double-figure matches in a row is the longest streak of her career, and is eighth-longest in program history.
Consecutive Matches, 10 or More Digs, To Start Year
32 Kate Elman 2012
29 Janeen Piller (every match) 2004
27 Bianca Rivera 2007
14 Brittany Witt 2018
9 Nayka Benitez 2010
Consecutive Matches, 10 or More Digs
43 Janeen Piller, Oct. 10, 2003-Nov. 26, 2004
32 Kate Elman, Aug. 24 - Nov. 30, 2012
30 Kate Elman, Sept. 30, 2013 - Sept. 12, 2014
27 Bianca Rivera, Aug. 24-Nov. 9, 2007
23 Julianne Mandolfo, Sept. 9-Nov. 24, 2011
19 Bianca Rivera, Sept. 20-Nov. 28, 2008
18 Allie Oelke, Oct. 10, 2009-Aug. 28, 2010
17 Brittany Witt, Nov. 25, 2017 - Present
Year-By-Year In Non-Conference Play
Creighton collected eight non-conference wins for the first time since the 2013 team went 9-3.
Creighton Volleyball went 3-3 against ranked non-conference teams last season. Before last fall, CU had been 2-43 all-time vs. ranked teams in regular-season non-conference matches.
This year's club is 8-4 in non-conference play, and 1-3 against ranked teams in the non-con.
Non-Conference Records, By Year, Under Booth
Year Non-Con W-L vs. Ranked Non-Con Final W-L
2003 3-8 0-0 12-18
2004 8-2 0-1 18-11
2005 6-5 0-3 16-14
2006 8-3 0-1 21-10
2007 6-5 0-3 21-10
2008 3-5 0-3 18-9
2009 3-8 0-3 14-17
2010 5-5 0-1 21-12
2011 5-7 0-1 17-14
2012 9-2 0-1 29-4
2013 9-3 1-2 23-9
2014 7-6 0-5 25-9
2015 6-7 1-4 27-9
2016 6-6 0-4 29-7
2017 7-4 3-3 26-7
2018 8-4 1-3 TBD
Record Crowd
Creighton set an NCAA regular-season record for a volleyball-only crowd on Sept. 6 when it hosted 14,022 fans for its home match against No. 7 Nebraska.
The total eclipsed the previous NCAA mark of 13,870 that Nebraska hosted in 2009 for a match against UCLA, and also topped the previous record for a Creighton home match of 13,081 set in 2007 when the Bluejays entertained Cal Poly.
In five all-time volleyball matches at CHI Health Center Omaha, Creighton has played before an average of 11,477 fans.
Below is a list of the largest crowds (and home crowds) in Creighton and NCAA Volleyball history:
Largest Home Crowds
Att. Opponent Date CU W-L Facility
14,022 #7 Nebraska 09/06/18 L 2-3 CHI Health Ctr.
13,081 #18 Cal Poly 09/02/07 L 0-3 CHI Health Ctr.
12,112 #1 Nebraska 09/24/06 L 1-3 CHI Health Ctr.
10,131 #4 Nebraska 09/15/15 L 0-3 CHI Health Ctr.
8,037 #2 Nebraska 10/05/08 L 0-3 CHI Health Ctr.
2,578 #13 Kentucky 09/01/17 W 3-0 Sokol Arena
Largest Crowds (All Sites)
Att. Opponent Date CU Result Facility
14,022 #7 Nebraska 09/06/18 L 2-3 CHI Health Ctr.
13,081 #18 Cal Poly 09/02/07 L 0-3 CHI Health Ctr.
12,112 #1 Nebraska 09/24/06 L 1-3 CHI Health Ctr.
10,131 #4 Nebraska 09/15/15 L 0-3 CHI Health Ctr.
8,627 at #5 Nebraska 09/29/02 L 0-3 Devaney Ctr.
8,277 vs. Montana St. 09/16/16 W 3-0 Devaney Ctr.
Largest Crowds
NCAA Volleyball-Only Regular-Season History
Att. Match Date Site
14,022 Nebraska at Creighton 09/06/18 Omaha, Neb.
13,870 UCLA at Nebraska 09/13/09 Lincoln, Neb.
13,412 LSU at Nebraska 09/12/08 Lincoln, Neb.
13,396 Hawaii at Nebraska 10/21/07 Lincoln, Neb.
13,081 2 matches (CP@CU; PSU-NU) 09/02/07 Omaha, Neb.
More Attendance Notes
How many fans is 14,022? Consider these facts...
- In the five seasons (1998-02) before Kirsten Bernthal Booth's arrival in 2003, the Bluejays attracted a total of 13,670 fans in 51 home matches, an average of 268 fans per match.
- Last year Creighton's nine BIG EAST peers attracted a grand total of 51,433 fans in 122 home dates, an average of 422 fans per match. Multiply 422 by 33 and you still don't get to 14,022.
- Since Creighton joined the BIG EAST in 2013, no league peer has attracted as many as 10,000 fans in any season, nor averaged more than 845 fans per home match.
- Through matches of September 24, the other nine schools in the BIG EAST had attracted a total of 17,902 fans in 48 home dates (373 per match).
Last year Creighton led the BIG EAST in average home attendance in volleyball, men's soccer, women's soccer, baseball and men's basketball.
Here's a look at the national leaders in average home attendance, through matches of Sept. 23:
Rank Average School
1. Nebraska 8,117
2. Wisconsin 7,052
3. Minnesota 5,045
4. Hawai'i 4,918
5. Creighton 4,510
6. Texas 3,783
7. Northern Iowa 3,369
8. Penn State 3,279
9. Wichita State 3,130
10. Colorado State 2,839
The Most Through 14 Matches...
Despite playing a postseason team from a year ago in 12-of-14 matches to date, Creighton is off to an outstanding start statistically this fall.
Creighton's 866 digs are the team's most through 14 matches since 947 digs after 14 contests in 2010.
Taryn Kloth's 218 kills are the most by a Bluejay through 14 matches since Leah Ratzlaff had 220 kills in 2005. Here's a list of the most kills, assists and digs after 14 matches in a season in program history:
Most Digs After 14 Matches, Season, CU History
Digs Name Year
286 Bianca Rivera 2007
277 Janeen Piller 2004
271 Julianne Mandolfo 2011
237 Brittany Witt 2018
233 Nayka Benitez 2009
Most Kills After 14 Matches, Season, CU History
Kills Name Hit % Atk. Year
229 Melissa Walsh .251 585 1999
224 Leah Ratzlaff .196 627 2003
220 Leah Ratzlaff .246 566 2005
218 Taryn Kloth .277 527 2018
217 Alicia Runge .246 573 2010
209 Leah Ratzlaff .258 492 2004
200 JoDe Cieloha .210 462 1997
193 JoDe Cieloha .270 403 1996
193 Amanda Cvejdlik .256 438 2006
192 Jaali Winters .215 577 2018
190 Melissa Walsh .218 505 2000
190 Jessica Houts .309 427 2008
Most Assists After 14 Matches, Season, CU History
Assists Name Year
644 Korie Lebeda 2006
638 Kailey Reyes 1999
633 Brittany Coleman 2004
603 Brittany Coleman 2003
598 Korie Lebeda 2005
581 Melissa Weisensee 1997
575 Lydia Dimke 2016
574 Melissa Weisensee 1996
568 Kailey Reyes 2001
565 Korie Lebeda 2007
549 Michelle Sicner 2013
547 Korie Lebeda 2008
546 Madelyn Cole 2018
528 Maggie Baumert 2014
Top 25 History
Creighton is 12-74 all-time against teams in the top-25 of the AVCA poll, but 7-8 since the start of the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
Last year's win at No. 3 Washington was the highest-ranked team that the Bluejays have ever beaten, surpassing a win at No. 4 Kansas the previous December.
Creighton is 5-30 all-time against top-10 foes (5-23 under Kirsten Bernthal Booth).
Creighton lost its first 31 true road matches against top-25 foes, but has 'improved' to 4-36 after wins in recent seasons at No. 23 North Carolina (2015), No. 4 Kansas (2016), No. 3 Washington (2017) and No. 7 Kansas (2017).
Creighton is 68-21 all-time when playing as a ranked team, and also 8-13 all-time against ranked teams when ranked itself. That mark improves to 2-1 when both Creighton and its opponent are ranked in the top 10.
Since the start of the 2012 season, 28 of Creighton's 49 losses have come against ranked teams. In that same period, Creighton is 159-21 against unranked teams. Creighton has won 38 straight home matches over unranked teams.
This is the third time that Creighton has been ranked exactly 10th. The first two times were the previous two weeks.
Top 25 Jays
Creighton started the 2018 campaign ranked 13th and are currently 10th.
This means the Bluejays are in the top 25 of the AVCA poll for the 28th straight week. That streak started on Oct. 31, 2016. Nationally, that's the 13th-longest active streak, as seen below:
Consecutive Active Weeks in AVCA Top 25
Streak Team Current Rank
532 Stanford 2
532 Nebraska 3
449 Penn State 9
422 Florida 11
246 Washington Tie-13
226 Texas 4
81 Wisconsin 5
80 BYU 1
68 UCLA 18
51 Minnesota 6
32 Kentucky 19
31 Utah 25
28 Creighton 10
Sweep City
Creighton won the SMU DoubleTree Classic by sweeping all three matches from Aug. 31-Sept. 1. It's just the third time in program history CU has not dropped a set while winning a tournament, and first time since the 12th Annual Holiday Inn Classic in 2005.
CU first did it at the SDSU Invitational in 2004.
How Many MVP's Can They Have?
Creighton has won seven different tournaments since the start of the 2016 season, and had five different MVP's honored.
Three members of this year's team (Jaali Winters, Taryn Kloth and Megan Ballenger) have won at least one tourney MVP in their careers.
Year Event MVP
2016 BIG EAST Championship Jaali Winters
2017 Husky Invitational Marysa Wilkinson
2017 Bluejay Invitational Lydia Dimke
2017 Kansas Invitational Jaali Winters
2017 BIG EAST Championship Taryn Kloth
2018 SMU DoubleTree Classic Megan Ballenger
2018 Bluejay Invitational Jaali Winters
Kloth Surpasses 1,000 Kills
Taryn Kloth now owns 1,155 career kills after a hot start to her senior season. She's the second active Bluejay to reach the 1,000 mark, as Jaali Winters owns 1,584 career kills to rank third in team history.
Winters reached 1,000 in last year's opening match vs. Saint Mary's in her 73rd career match. Kloth reached the milestone in her 104th career match, doing so against North Carolina State on August 31st.
Creighton's Quickest Players To 1,000 Kills (Career)
Name MP Date Opponent
Melissa Walsh 70 10/15/00 Eastern Illinois
Jaali Winters 73 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.
Taryn Kloth 104 08/31/18 vs. NC State
Allie Oelke 107 10/09/10 Wichita State
Kelli Browning 110 10/26/14 DePaul
Lauren Smith 119 10/07/16 at Villanova
Marysa Wilkinson 120 09/30/17 at St. John's
15 Not Enough For These Jays
Normally when a fifth set is contested, a team must reach 15 points (and win by two) to earn a victory.
In both of CU's five-setters on the opening weekend at the Trojan Invitational, that still wasn't enough to decide a victor.
Creighton lost to No. 10 USC by an 18-16 count in the fifth set on Aug. 25.
One day earlier, Creighton saved two match points and eventually converted its sixth match point opportunity to take a 22-20 decision vs. No. 5 Kentucky.
The 22-20 score was the highest-scoring fifth set in program history, eclipsing a 20-18 win in 2016 at No. 4 Kansas and a 20-18 loss to Iowa in St. Louis in 2010.
All Night Long
Creighton played the longest match (by time) in program history on Aug. 25 against No. 10 USC, as its match against the Women of Troy lasted 3:04. That match was so long that it exceeded the length of the Los Angeles Rams preseason game (3:02) against the Houston Texans that was played just blocks away earlier in the day.
The previous longest matches had been 2:45, done twice in the fall of 2000.
Creighton's Longest Matches (By Length)
Time Opponent, Date Result
3:04 at #10 USC, 8/25/18 USC 3-2
2:45 at Indiana State, 10/14/00 CU 3-2
2:45 at Evansville, 11/4/00 CU 3-2
2:42 at USC, 9/3/16 USC 3-2
Ranked Pair
August 24th marked just the second time that Creighton Soccer and Creighton Volleyball both beat ranked teams on the same day, as the volleyball team topped No. 5 Kentucky (3-2) just hours before the men's soccer team defeated No. 11 Clemson (2-0).
The only previous day with both teams taking down top-25 foes had been Aug. 30, 2013, when the volleyball team opened its season with a 3-1 win over No. 13 BYU and the men's soccer team followed with a 2-0 triumph over No. 14 Tulsa.
BIG EAST Honors Ballenger and Hickman
Megan Ballenger was named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week and Naomi Hickman honored as BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week on September 4th.
Ballenger earned MVP honors at the SMU DoubleTree Classic after helping Creighton to three 3-0 sweeps. She averaged 3.89 points, 3.44 kills and 0.78 blocks per set while hitting .529.
Hickman averaged 1.78 blocks per set to help Creighton win all nine sets it played. She opened the tournament by tying her career-high with six blocks against Arkansas State, then broke that mark hours later with seven blocks against North Carolina State.
This was Hickman's first career Player of the Week honor from the BIG EAST. Ballenger was previously recognized as BIG EAST Freshman of the Week three times in 2016.
Service Improves
Creighton had 23 service errors in its season-opening victory over No. 5 Kentucky, including nine errors in 20 attempts in the first set of the season.
Creighton has minimized such mistakes since then, with a total of just 83 service errors in the past 13 contests.
Below is a list of the most service errors in a match in program history:
Most Team Service Errors in a match, Creighton history
SE Opponent Date Aces Result
25 at Wichita State 9/24/04 5 L 3-1
23 vs. #5 Kentucky 8/24/18 5 W 3-2
21 San Francisco 8/27/10 1 W 3-1
20 Drake 10/10/98 9 L 3-2
18 at Evansville 9/12/98 5 L 0-3
18 Drake 10/8/04 5 W 3-1
18 vs. Miami (Ohio) 8/28/15 7 W 3-2
Special K
Taryn Kloth had a (then) career-high 25 kills in the Aug. 25 match at No. 10 USC. It was two more than her previous best, which was set in 2016 at USC the last time she faced the Women of Troy in the Galen Center.
Kloth eclipsed that with a career-best 26 kills versus No. 7 Nebraska on Sept. 6, and one night later added 23 putaways vs. Iowa State in just four sets. When Kloth had 26 kills on .400 hitting vs. Nebraska, she became the first Creighton player with 26+ kills to hit .400 or better since Kelly Goc hit .625 with 26 kills on Nov. 16, 2007 vs. Drake.
Kloth now owns six career matches of 20+ kills, including four this fall, as seen below:
Taryn Kloth -- Most Kills in a Match
Kills Opponent Date
26 #7 Nebraska 9/6/18
25 at #10 USC 8/25/18
23 at USC 9/3/16
23 Iowa State 9/7/18
23 at #8 Illinois 9/15/18
20 at Villanova 10/7/16
25 Kill Duo
Senior All-American outside hitters Jaali Winters and Taryn Kloth each had a match of 25 kills on the opening weekend of the season.
Winters had 25 kills against No. 5 Kentucky on Aug. 24, and one day later Kloth had 25 kills at No. 10 USC.
In all of last season, Winters (with 28 at Butler) was the only Bluejay performer with 20+ kills in any match last season.
This year marks the first time since 2000 that multiple Creighton players have had a match with 25 or more kills. In 2000, Melissa Walsh had three matches while Melanie Keolanui did it once. It also happened in 1998 with Walsh (twice) and Shelly Kapler (once).
CU has never had multiple players with mulitple 25 kills in a match in the same season, which could happen if Winters does it one more time this fall.
Below is a list of Creighton players with the most career matches of 20 or more kills, as well as 25 or more kills.
Most Matches With 20+ Kills, Creighton Career
20+K Name Years
23 Melissa Walsh 1998-01
20 Leah Ratzlaff 2002-05
17 Jaali Winters 2015-Pres.
13 Kelly Goc 2004-07
10 JoDe Cieloha 1994-97
6 Taryn Kloth 2015-Pres.
5 Jessica Houts 2005-09
5 Leah McNary 2011-14
Most Matches With 25+ Kills, Creighton Career
25+K Name Years
8 Melissa Walsh 1998-01
6 Leah Ratzlaff 2002-05
5 Jaali Winters 2015-Pres.
2 Jessica Houts 2005-09
2 Taryn Kloth 2015-Pres.
1 Michelle Prorock 1994-96
1 JoDe Cieloha 1994-97
1 Shelly Kapler 1996-99
1 Melanie Keolanui 1997-00
1 Kelly Goc 2004-07
1 Alicia Runge 2009-10
Four For Four For Number Five
Jaali Winters has started each of the last four season openers, becoming the 15th player in school history to start the initial match of the season four times. Below is that list:
Four Opening Day Starts
Name Years
JoDe Cieloha 1994-97
Melissa Weisensee 1994-97
Shelly Kapler 1996-99
Erin Swanson 1998-01
Kailey Reyes 1998-01
Melissa Walsh 1998-01
Carolyn Decker 2004-06, 08
Korie Lebeda 2005-08
Jessica Houts 2006-09
Allie Oelke 2007-10
Heather Thorson 2009-12
Megan Bober 2009-12
Jess Bird 2013-16
Lauren Smith 2013-16
Jaali Winters 2015-18
Survival of the Fittest
Creighton has won nine matches under Kirsten Bernthal Booth after surviving an opponent's match point, including this year's season-opening win over No. 5 Kentucky. Three of those comeback wins have come against Wichita State.
On the other hand, Creighton is 327-2 under Booth when it reaches a math 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
08/24/18 vs. #5 Kentucky 16-15, 19-18 22-20
Top 10 Recruiting Class
Creighton's freshman quartet of Keeley Davis, Annika Welty, Jaela Zimmerman and Kari Zumach were named the nation's No. 10 recruiting class by PrepVolleyball.com. That's the highest-ranked class in program history.
The same organization ranked Davis as the nation's No. 42 recruit, with Zimmerman 49th.
Creighton has had just two top-50 recruits previously (No. 18 Taryn Kloth in 2015, No. 41 Jaali Winters in 2015) while No. 50 (in 2014) Lydia Dimke went to Purdue for two years before transferring to Creighton.
Top-100 PrepVolleyball.com Senior Aces at CU
Rank Year Player
68 2004 Carolyn Decker
55 2008 Laurel Sanford
60 2011 Michelle Sicner
73 2013 Jess Bird
50 2014 Lydia Dimke*
18 2015 Taryn Kloth
41 2015 Jaali Winters
98 2017 Naomi Hickman
99 2017 Steph Gaston
42 2018 Keeley Davis
49 2018 Jaela Zimmerman
* signed with Purdue and later transferred to Creighton
PrepVolleyball.com Recruiting Class Rankings
Year Rank Freshman Recruits
2004 Best of the Rest (Baumann, Decker, Goc, Lahm, Mehal)
2005 Honorable-Mention (Cvejdlik, Houts, Lebeda)
2006 None (Bloemke, Schulze, Workman)
2007 None (Feldman, Oelke, Vrbicky)
2008 Highest Honorable-Mention (Almgren, Bober, Sanford)
2009 Highest Honorable-Mention (Boggs, Greisch, Moon, Templeton, Thorson)
2010 High Honorable-Mention (Fliss, Hackbarth, Malm, Mandolfo, S. Smith)
2011 Highest Honorable-Mention (Browning, McNary, Neisler, Sicner, Stivers)
2012 High Honorable-Mention (Elman, Jansen, Jereb, L. Smith)
2013 None (Bird, Crawford, Foje)
2014 Highest Honorable-Mention (Lawrence, Tupper, Wilkinson)
2015 11th (Ballenger, Bohnet, Kloth, O'Connell, Winters)
2016 High Honorable-Mention (Conlon, Taylor, Witt)
2017 25th (Gaston, Hickman, Roumeliotis)
2018 10th (Davis, Welty, Zimmerman, Zumach)
The Gauntlet
Creighton played five different non-conference teams that were in the top-25 of the preseason AVCA coaches poll. That's tied for the most in the nation, with Northern Iowa, Texas, USC and Wichita State.
The Bluejays meet up with No. 2 Nebraska, No. 5 Kentucky, No. 10 USC, No. 12 Illinois and No. 21 Iowa State in 2018.
This is the sixth straight season that Creighton will face four or more non-conference foes that are in the preseason Top 25.
Of Creighton's 12 non-conference matches this year, all but one (Lipscomb) were against a team that played in the postseason last fall.
European Summer Tour
Creighton got a head start on the 2018 season with an 11-day trip to Europe in mid-June.
The team played five matches while spending time in Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic.
All 15 members of the 2018 team were allowed to participate, including the seven newcomers.
Ranked To Start The Year
Creighton started the season ranked No. 13 in the AVCA Coaches poll. It's the fifth time in the past six campaigns that CU's been ranked in the preseason AVCA poll, and third straight fall.
Being ranked in the preseason poll is no guarantee of future success, however. In the previous 10 seasons, only 178-of-250 teams (71.2 percent) would be in both the preseason and postseason AVCA Top 25 polls.
Since 2008, all but 25 teams (of 250) named in the preseason AVCA Top 25 poll would go on to reach the NCAA Tournament (90.0 percent).
Creighton's History in the AVCA Preseason Poll
Year Preseason Rank Final W-L Final Rank
2013 25th 23-9 NR
2014 23rd 25-9 NR
2016 18th 27-9 9th
2017 9th 26-7 16th
2018 13th TBD ???
Setting The Table
For the sixth time in seven years, Creighton had a different opening day setter.
The Jays started the season with Megan Bober 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. Lydia Dimke started the initial contest in both 2016 and 2017, but she has graduated.
This year Madelyn Cole started the season-opener against No. 5 Kentucky, producing a double-double in the five-set victory.
The revolving door at setter hasn't hurt the team in that time, as each of the previous six seasons ended in the NCAA Tournament, and five of them saw Creighton win conference titles. Creighton also won six of those seven season-opening matches.
Select Company
The BIG EAST's Creighton and Marquette are two of 19 teams nationally to have appeared in each of the last six NCAA Tournaments. That group features BYU, Colorado State, Creighton, Florida, Florida State, Hawaii, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, Marquette, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, San Diego, Stanford, Texas, USC and Washington.
Creighton is one of 15 teams to win a match in each of the last three NCAA Tournaments. That group includes BYU, Creighton, Florida, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Purdue, Penn State, Stanford, Texas, UCLA, USC, Washington and Wisconsin.
Creighton is also one of 18 schools with six straight seasons of 20+ wins (2012-17). That list features American, BYU, Colorado State, Creighton, Florida, Florida State, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Marquette, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford, Texas, UTSA, Washington, Western Kentucky and Wichita State.
Creighton is also one of just nine schools nationally who have won 23 matches or more in each of the previous six seasons (2012-17). That group consists of BYU, Creighton, Florida, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford, Texas, Washington and Western Kentucky.
Creighton is also one of 11 teams to be in the year-end AVCA poll in 2015, 2016 and 2017. That list includes BYU, Creighton, Florida, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford, Texas, UCLA, Washington and Wisconsin.
2-0 Better Than 0-2
Creighton is 272-10 (.965) all-time when leading a match 2-0, including a 215-4 mark (.982) under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. CU is 142-2 when up 2-0 dating to September of 2009.
Per RichKern.com, Division I teams that won the first two sets in 2017 won 97.0 percent of their matches last season.
Conversely, the Jays are 13-193 (.063) all-time when trailing a match 0-2. Those 13 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
10/13/17 Butler 25-21, 25-23, 15-9 Booth
Set 1 Result A Strong Indicator
Creighton is 270-30 (.900) overall under Kirsten Bernthal Booth when it wins set one. In that same time span, CU is just 57-134 (.298) under Booth when it drops the first set.
Per RichKern.com, Division I teams that lost the first set in 2017 won just 20.8 percent of their matches last season.
Since Aug. 29, 2010, Creighton has gone 82-2 in its last 84 home matches when taking a 1-0 lead, losing only on Sept. 12, 2015 to Pacific and on Sept. 6, 2018 to No. 7 Nebraska.
Last year's team was 22-0 when winning the first set and 4-7 when dropping the first set.
This year's team is 7-2 when winning the first set and 3-2 when dropping the opener.
Creighton has won 48 straight matches against unranked foes when winning the opening set.
Taking The Fifth
Creighton is 53-29 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 12 of its last 16 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, an NCAA Tournament win at No. 4 Kansas in 2016 and 2017 victories at Butler, Georgetown and Marquette.
It's also worth noting that Creighton is 11-3 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 4-1 26-7
2018 1-2 10-4
Total 68-57 420-316
Six Straight NCAA's
Creighton Volleyball has made the NCAA Tournament in each of the last six seasons. They are the first women's team in any sport at Creighton to make six straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
4 Straight BIG EAST Regular-Season Titles
Creighton has won each of the last four BIG EAST regular-season titles. No team had won four straight regular-season BIG EAST titles (including shares) since Notre Dame won seven in a row from 1999-2005.
Notre Dame had also been the last team to win four or more straight outright BIG EAST regular-season titles, having claimed four in a row from 1999-2002. No team has ever won five straight outright titles, which CU is striving to do.
The only other team in Creighton history to win four (or more) straight regular-season titles was the men's soccer program, which claimed five straight MVC crowns from 1992-96. All five of those soccer titles were also outright titles.
Back-To-Back-To-Back-To-Back
Creighton won its fourth straight BIG EAST Championship title last year, becoming the first team to do so since Notre Dame won four in a row from 1995-98.
Creighton (2014-Present), Pittsburgh (1988-94) and Notre Dame (1995-98) are the only four schools to ever win back-to-back-to-back-to-back BIG EAST Championships in volleyball.
The only five schools nationally to win a league tournament each of the last four seasons are American, Coastal Carolina, Creighton, Denver and Western Kentucky.
Creighton is 9-1 all-time in five appearances at the BIG EAST Championships, reaching the final each time.
Dating back to its Missouri Valley Conference days, Creighton has made 15 straight appearances in a league tournament after appearing in just 4-of-9 tournaments prior to Kirsten Bernthal Booth's arrival.
Creighton's current senior class is 59-3 against BIG EAST opposition, including a 6-0 mark in league tournament play.
I Know What You Did Last Summer
Taryn Kloth gained valuable experience this summer with the US Collegiate National Team, spending 11 days in China in late May.
It's the second straight season that Kloth has been part of USA Volleyball, as in 2017 she was part of USA Volleyball's team that went to Minneapolis, Minn.
Among Kloth's USA Volleyball teammates from 2018 that Creighton will face this season include Madison Lilley (Kentucky), Carlyle Nusbaum (Lipscomb) and Jenna Rosenthal (Marquette).
Marian Pipeline
This is the 16th straight season that Creighton Volleyball had at least one product of Omaha Marian High School on the roster, as senior Kelsey O'Connell and junior Brittany Witt return.
Each of the last seven 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.
2018: Kelsey O'Connell, Brittany Witt
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
Production Returns
Creighton returns 8-of-13 letterwinners to the court from last season, including four starters and libero Brittany Witt.
From last year's team, only Marysa Wilkinson, Lydia Dimke, Kenzie Crawford, Jaclyn Taylor (transferred to Nebraska-Omaha) and Brittany Lawrence (graduated and transferred to Northern Colorado) are not back.
Below is a breakdown of the production that is back:
Stat Returners Departures
Assists 334 (22.7%) 1203 (77.3%)
Digs 1465 (76.7%) 444 (23.3%)
Aces 123 (80.9%) 29 (19.1%)
Kills 1164 (69.1%) 520 (30.9%)
Matches Started 118 (59.6%) 80 (40.4%)
Points 1428 (68.5%) 656 (31.5%)
Blocks 141 (56.9%) 107 (43.1%)
Against NCAA Tournament Qualifiers
Last season Creighton played 14 matches against 2016 NCAA Tournament qualifiers, going 8-6 against such teams.
This year's team will play 11 matches against teams that played in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, including 10-of-14 opponents so far this fall.
After going 3-35 against teams coming off NCAA Tournament bids prior to Kirsten Bernthal Booth's arrival, the Jays are 76-94 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 8-6
2018 6-4
TOTAL 79-129
TOTAL Under Booth 76-94
Lucky Number Seven
Kirsten Bernthal Booth is in some select company, as she directed her troops to seven NCAA Tournaments. That puts her in the company of some of the greatest coaches in CU Athletics history.
Booth is one of four head coaches in Creighton history to lead seven different NCAA Tournament teams, and tops among all females.
Name Sport NCAA's @CU
Bob Warming Men's Soccer 11
Kirsten Bernthal Booth Volleyball 7
Dana Altman Men's Basketball 7
Brent Vigness Softball 7
Elmar Bolowich Men's Soccer 6
Climbing The List
Kirsten Bernthal Booth became Creighton Volleyball's winningest coach in the program's modern history on August 26, 2007, and hasn't let up.
Booth won her 300th match at CU on Sept. 24 vs. Villanova, and now owns 327 victories on the Bluejay sideline to rank tied for fifth in school history.
Coach, Sport Victories
Brent Vigness, Softball 757*
Mary Higgins, Softball 564
Ed Servais, Baseball 517*
Tom Lilly, Men's & Women's Tennis 427*
Dana Altman, Men's Basketball 327
Kirsten Bernthal Booth, Volleyball 327*
Jim Flanery, Women's Basketball 312*
*still active coaching at Creighton
All They Do Is Win
Creighton owns a 117-36 record since the start of the 2014 season. On a national basis, the 117 wins are tied for ninth-most.
Most Wins, Since 2014 (through 9/23)
Rank School Wins
1. Western Kentucky 134
2. Penn State 130
3. BYU 129
Nebraska 129
5. Washington 126
6. Stanford 124
7. Florida 121
8. Dayton 120
9. Creighton 117
Texas 117
Colorado State 117
12. Wisconsin 116
13. Minnesota 114
14. American 113
15. North Dakota 112
16. Towson 110
This and That
Amaze your friends and neighbors with these nuggets...
• Creighton has won five sets this season after an opponent owned a set point.
• Sunday's match vs. Marquette was Creighton's 100th against a BIG EAST foe since joining the league in the summer of 2013. Creighton is 81-9 in league play and 9-1 in conference tournament action, good for a 90-10 combined mark.
• Off to an 10-4 start this fall, Creighton's improved to 420-316 in program history. It marks the first time that CU has been more than 104 wins over .500, an impressive feat considering the program was 59 matches under .500 before Kirsten Bernthal Booth's arrival.
• Creighton owns multiple wins over top-25 teams for the fourth straight season. From 1994-2014, Creighton had a total of three seasons with one ranked win each.
• All four of Creighton's seniors will graduate in December.
Players Mentioned
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/ VolleyballCreighton Volleyball vs Nebraska Postgame Press Conference Spring Match
Saturday, April 18
Nebraska Volleyball vs Creighton Postgame Press Conference Spring Match
Saturday, April 18
Creighton Volleyball Media Availability - 4/15/26
Wednesday, April 15
Creighton vs. Kentucky Volleyball Press Conference - 12/13/25
Sunday, December 14
