Creighton finished the 2018 season with a 29-5 record, tying a school record for victories.
Photo by: Mark Kuhlmann
2018 Season Recap
12/31/2018 2:19:00 PM | Volleyball
A comprehensive review of the 2018 season
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2018 Year-End Creighton Volleyball Recap
   The 2018 season saw the Creighton Volleyball program spend 12 straight weeks in the top-10, win the BIG EAST regular-season and Championship titles for a fifth straight year, and finish in the NCAA Tournament for a seventh straight campaign.
   Creighton finished with a 29-5 record, running the table in BIG EAST play for the second time in the last three seasons, and compiling a 21-match win streak.
   The season started early with a June trip to Europe that saw the Bluejays spend time in Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic while playing five matches and capturing a lifetime full of memories.
   After reporting for camp in early August, Creighton started its regular-season with a five-set victory over No. 5 Kentucky at the Trojan Invitational. It would prove to be one of five losses all season for Kentucky, which reached the Sweet 16 after finishing SEC play 18-0.
   Creighton's second weekend saw the program win the SMU DoubleTree Classic with 3-0 sweeps over Arkansas State, North Carolina State and SMU in Dallas.
   The rugged schedule continued with the home opener one week later as Creighton hosted defending national champion Nebraska before an NCAA volleyball-only regular-season record crowd of 14,022 fans at CHI Health Center Omaha. Creighton won the first two sets over the seventh-ranked Cornhuskers before NU rallied to win the match in five sets.
   Creighton would return to campus to host the Bluejay Invitational that weekend, which it won after posting 3-1 victories over regional rivals Iowa State and Wichita State. The momentum continued a week later with sweeps over Lipscomb and Northern Iowa before dropping its final non-conference match of the fall at No. 8 Illinois in the title tilt of the Illini Classic.
   BIG EAST play commenced on Sept. 21 with a 3-0 victory vs. DePaul to set up a showdown with preseason league favorite Marquette. CU swept the 21st-ranked Golden Eagles in the first of three meetings vs. MU during the season.
   The Jays improved to 3-0 in league play with a five-set win at Butler, then won 15 of the next 16 sets to improve to 8-0 in the BIG EAST. Creighton's biggest scare of the fall in conference action came on Oct. 18, as the Bluejays fell behind 2-0 against Xavier before rallying for a five-set victory to reach the midpoint of the league schedule with a 9-0 record.
   The scare seemed to bring out the best in the Bluejays, as CU swept 8-of-9 matches down the stretch to join its 2016 team as the only squads in league history to finish 18-0 in BIG EAST play.
   Creighton hosted the BIG EAST Championship for the third time in six seasons. CU swept Villanova before winning a four-set battle vs. No. 16 Marquette to claim a fifth straight tournament title.
   Armed with a 20-match win streak and a 28-4 record heading into Selection Sunday, Creighton earned the No. 9 national seed and a chance to host for a second straight season.
   Creighton swept South Dakota to tie a school-record with 29 victories before suffering a season-ending loss at the hands of No. 22 Washington. The loss snapped CU's program-record 15-match home win streak, and ended the career of the outstanding senior class of Samantha Bohnet, Taryn Kloth, Kelsey O'Connell and Jaali Winters. Creighton's 111 victories in the past four years ranked tied for sixth-most of any senior class nationally.
   Kloth and Winters were both named CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, and along with junior Madelyn Cole named All-Americans by the AVCA at year's end. All three women were selected First Team All-BIG EAST, and junior Megan Ballenger was recognized as a Second Team All-BIG EAST honoree.
   Winters set 96 school records, finishing her career with marks for kills (1,843), points (2045.5), attacks (5,093) and wins appeared in (111), among others.
   Creighton started the year ranked 13th in the preseason AVCA poll, would spend 12 straight weeks ranked either ninth or 10th from Sept. 10 - Nov. 26, and finished the season ranked 13th. CU's 47,632 total home fans ranked eighth nationally, and CU's 2,802 fans per home match was good for 11th. Both figures were school records.
Broadcast Information
All of Creighton's home matches, including neutral site tilts it hosted in the NCAA Tournament and Bluejay Invitational, were video webcast at no charge this season.
   Creighton also had three televised home matches, as its Sept. 6 contest vs. No. 7 Nebraska and Sept. 7 match vs. Iowa State both aired on NET, and the Nov. 24 BIG EAST Championship final against No. 16 Marquette aired on FS2.
   Exact links to each broadcast could be found on the GoCreighton.com volleyball schedule page.
   For the first time since 2003, Creighton did not air any of its matches on radio as it reallocated those resources to its video platforms.
Live Stats Information
All matches during the 2018 season had free live stats, many via StatBroadcast.com. Exact links could also be found on the GoCreighton.com volleyball schedule page.
Creighton Coaches
Creighton was coached by Kirsten Bernthal Booth (Truman State, 1997), who completed her 16th season with a 346-165 record. She's led Creighton to five straight BIG EAST titles, and six league crowns in the last seven 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 eight 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 was assisted by Angie Oxley Behrens, Craig Dyer and Noel Carpio.
NCAA Hosts, Again
Creighton hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the second time after earning the No. 9 national seed. Creighton hosted Washington, Saint Mary's and South Dakota, with the Huskies advancing to a Regional hosted by eventual national champion Stanford.
   All three matches aired on FOX Sports Go, with Donny Baarns and Shannon Smolinski handling the broadcasts, and John Fanta filling the sideline reporter role.
Creighton's NCAA Tournament History
Creighton made its eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the past nine years after earning a seventh straight bid to the Big Dance.
   The Bluejays are 10-8 in their eight appearances, and have knocked off the likes of Iowa State (2010), Marquette (2012), Arkansas (2013), Coastal Carolina (2015 and 2017), No. 23 North Carolina (2015), Northern Iowa (2016), No. 4 Kansas (2016), No. 17 Michigan (2016) and South Dakota (2018).
   Creighton is 7-1 in first round play, 2-5 in the second round, 1-1 in the Regional semifinal round and 0-1 in the Regional final round. The Bluejays are 2-2 at home, 6-2 in neutral-site matches and 2-4 in true road matches.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 10-8 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and is the only Bluejay head coach to lead the program into the postseason.
The Great Eight
Kirsten Bernthal Booth is in some select company, as she has now directed her troops to eight NCAA Tournaments. That puts her in the company of some of the greatest coaches in CU Athletics history.
   Booth is the second head coach in Creighton history to lead eight different NCAA Tournament teams, trailing only former men's soccer coach Bob Warming.
Name   Sport   NCAA's @CU
Bob Warming   Men's Soccer   11
Kirsten Bernthal Booth   Volleyball   8
Dana Altman   Men's Basketball   7
Brent Vigness   Softball   7
Elmar Bolowich   Men's Soccer   6
NCAA Tourney Streak
The inclusion of Creighton Volleyball into the 2018 NCAA Tournament extended an impressive streak for Bluejay athletics.
   This year marks the 32nd straight academic calendar year that Creighton has had at least one NCAA Tournament team.
History of No. 9 Seeds
The 2018 NCAA Tournament marked the 18th year of the NCAA Tournament in the rally scoring era.
   In that time, the No. 9 national seed (such as Creighton this fall) are 18-0 in the opening round with 16 sweeps, with only the 2005 Louisville and 2017 Creighton teams not winning in straight sets (UofL won 3-1 vs. Western Kentucky; CU won 3-1 vs. Coastal Carolina).
   Since 2001, the No. 9 seed has advanced to the Sweet 16 (or further) 13-of-18 times, including 2011 national champion UCLA and two other teams (2010 Texas and 2015 Kansas) that reached the Final Four.
   No fewer than 10-of-16 seeds have reached the Sweet 16 in each of the last 18 seasons.
Year   No. 9 Seed   W-L   Seeds to Sweet 16?
2018   Creighton   1-1   12/16
2017   Creighton   1-1   11/16
2016   Michigan State   1-1   12/16
2015   Kansas   4-1   13/16
2014   Illinois   2-1   13/16
2013   San Diego   2-1   11/16
2012   Florida State   1-1   12/15
2011Â Â Â UCLAÂ Â Â 6-0Â Â Â 11/16
2010   Texas   4-1   11/16
2009   California   3-1   12/16
2008   Illinois   2-1   13/16
2007   Kansas State   1-1   10/16
2006   Florida   2-1   15/16
2005   Louisville   2-1   13/16
2004   San Diego   2-1   14/16
2003   Nebraska   2-1   16/16
2002   Pepperdine   3-1   13/16
2001   Hawai'i   2-1   16/16
Up To Speed on Seeds
Creighton is one of 12 schools to be a national seed in three of the last four NCAA Tournaments.
   BYU, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford and Texas have been national seeds all four times.
   Creighton, Florida, UCLA, USC, Washington and Wisconsin have each been national seeds three times in that span.
Against NCAA Tournament Teams
Creighton went 6-5 against teams in the field of 64, and went 4-3 in seven matches against national seeds.
   In 11 matches against NCAA Tournament teams this fall, Taryn Kloth averaged 4.52 kills and hit .297, while Jaali Winters averaged 4.00 kills and 3.07 digs. Brittany Witt averaged 4.50 digs, Madelyn Cole was good for 11.00 assists per set and Naomi Hickman put up 1.23 blocks per frame.
Opponent (National Seed)   CU Score  Â
Kentucky (10)Â Â Â W 3-2Â Â Â
Northern Iowa   L 0-3, W 3-0  Â
USC (11)Â Â Â L 2-3Â Â Â
Nebraska (7)Â Â Â L 2-3Â Â Â
Illinois (3)Â Â Â L 1-3Â Â Â
Marquette (14)Â Â Â W 3-0, W 3-1, W 3-1
South Dakota   W 3-0
Washington   L 0-3
Select Company
The BIG EAST's Creighton and Marquette are two of 16 teams nationally to have appeared in each of the last seven NCAA Tournaments. That group features BYU, Colorado State, Creighton, Florida, Florida State, Hawaii, Kentucky, Marquette, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, San Diego, Stanford, Texas, USC and Washington.
   Creighton is one of 13 teams to win a match in each of the last four NCAA Tournaments. That group includes BYU, Creighton, Florida, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Purdue, Penn State, Stanford, Texas, USC, Washington and Wisconsin.
   Creighton is also one of 10 teams to be in the year-end AVCA poll in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. That list includes BYU, Creighton, Florida, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.
   Creighton is one of 14 schools with seven straight seasons of 20+ wins (2012-18). That list features American, BYU, Colorado State, Creighton, Florida, Florida State, Kentucky, Marquette, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford, Texas, Washington, Western Kentucky.
   Creighton is one of just seven schools nationally who have won 23 matches or more in each of the last seven seasons (2012-18). That group consists of BYU, Creighton, Florida, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford and Texas.
Winters Is Coming
Jaali Winters has historically played some of her best volleyball against the best teams on Creighton's schedule.
   Winters played in 11 career NCAA Tournament matches, and had 20 or more kills in five of those, which account for the top five single-match totals in CU's NCAA Tournament history.
   No other player in program history has ever had more than 17 kills in an NCAA Tourney match.
Most Kills, NCAA Tournament Match
   Kills   Player, Opponent   Date
   24   Jaali Winters vs. UNI   12-01-16
   23   Jaali Winters at Kansas   12-02-16
   21   Jaali Winters vs. Michigan   12-09-16
   21   Jaali Winters at North Carolina   12-05-15
   20   Jaali Winters vs. Coastal Carolina   12-04-15
   18   Marysa Wilkinson vs. UNI   12-01-16
   17   Leah McNary vs. Oregon State   12-05-14
   17   Alicia Runge vs. Iowa State   12-03-10
Double-Double? Dilly, Dilly
Jaali Winters had double-doubles in both matches of the BIG EAST Championship, and a team-leading 16 double-dips on the season.
   Winters played in 11 career NCAA Tournament matches, and delivered a double-double in six of them.
   In 11 career NCAA Tournament matches with Winters, Creighton was 6-0 when she had a double-double, and 1-4 when she did not.
Bluejays Collect The Hardware
Creighton had quite a haul of honors as the BIG EAST named its All-Conference Team.
   Jaali Winters, Taryn Kloth and Madelyn Cole were named First Team All-BIG EAST, while Megan Ballenger was named Second Team All-BIG EAST.
   This was the fourth First Team All-Conference award for Winters, as she joined Doug McDermott (men's basketball) and Tara Oltman (softball) as the only athletes in Creighton history across all sports to be a four-time First Team All-Conference selection. Winters was also named BIG EAST Player of the Year.
   Kloth earned First Team All-BIG EAST distinction for the second time in three seasons (also 2016), as she was a Second Team choice in 2017.
   This was the first All-Conference recognition for Cole and Ballenger.
Full House
Creighton hosted 2,552 fans at D.J. Sokol Arena in the First Round this year, good for ninth of 16 First Round sites.
   The turnout in the Second Round of 2,509 was the eighth-best site nationally.
   Combined, the total of 5,061 fans was ninth-most of the 16 host sites.
   Creighton averaged 2,802 fans per home match this season, which ranked 11th-best nationally.
2018 NCAA Tournament VB Attendance
Host Team   Round 1   Round 2   Combined
Nebraska   8,358   8,382   16,740
Wisconsin   5,453   5,504   10,957
Minnesota   5,101   5,155   10,256
BYUÂ Â Â 3,675Â Â Â 5,183Â Â Â 8,858
Illinois   4,002   3,754   7,756
Texas   2,845   3,243   6,088
Kentucky   2,881   2,794   5,675
Pittsburgh   2,807   2,405   5,212
Creighton   2,552   2,509   5,061
Oregon   2,407   2,508   4,915
Penn State         2,247   2,274   4,521
Stanford   2,061   2,104   4,165
Washington St.   1,486   1,762   3,248
Marquette   1,761   1,441   3,202
UCFÂ Â Â 1,774Â Â Â 1,207Â Â Â 2,981
USCÂ Â Â 914Â Â Â 650Â Â Â 1,564
Bluejay Trio Honored By AVCA
Creighton had three players honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Madelyn Cole, Taryn Kloth and Jaali Winters were all named to the All-East Region First Team.
   It was the first honor for Cole, the second for First Team honor for Kloth (who was also Honorable Mention All-East Region in 2017) and the fourth in a row for Winters, which made her one of three athletes nationally with four such honors (Minnesota's Samantha Seliger-Swenson and Nebraska's Mikaela Foecke).
   Cole and Kloth ended up as Honorable Mention All-American choices, while Winters was a Third Team All-American for the second time in her career (also 2015). Winters is CU's first player to earn a spot on one of the AVCA's first three All-America teams more than once, and joins Kelli Browning as three-time AVCA All-Americans.
Booth Also Honored By AVCA
Kirsten Bernthal Booth earned AVCA East Region Coach of the Year honors in 2018.
   It's the third time that Booth has been recognized (also 2015 and 2016) in the East Region, making her the nation's only coach to be honored three of the last four seasons.
CoSIDA Academic All-Americans
Both Jaali Winters and Taryn Kloth were named Academic All-Americans by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
   Winters was named a Second Team selection after last fall being a Third Team honoree. She was one of five volleyball athletes nationwide to repeat as an Academic All-American, and the eighth athlete in Creighton Athletics history across all sports to be recognized multiple times.
   Kloth was named a Third Team Academic All-American.
   Both women graduated from Creighton in December in just seven semesters.
Winters Named MVP
Jaali Winters became the first player in more than 20 years to twice be named MVP of the BIG EAST Championship.
   Winters, who also earned the honor in 2016, averaged 4.57 kills and 4.71 digs per set to help CU to wins over Villanova and Marquette.
   The only other players in league history that have been named Tournament MVP twice are Notre Dame's Jaimie Lee (1996-97) and Pittsburgh's Ann Marie Lucanie, who won four MVP laurels in a row from 1990-93.
5 Straight BIG EAST Regular-Season Titles
With its 2018 title, Creighton became the first team in BIG EAST volleyball history to win five straight outright regular-season titles.
   No team had won five straight regular-season BIG EAST titles (including shares) since Notre Dame won seven in a row from 1999-2005.
   The only other team in Creighton history to win five 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.
5 Straight BIG EAST Championship Titles Too
Creighton won its fifth straight BIG EAST Championship title in 2018, becoming the first team to do so since Pittsburgh's seven straight league tournament titles from 1988-94.
   Creighton is the only school in the country to win a league tournament each of the last five seasons.
BIG EAST Champion Roll Call
Creighton Volleyball's title was the 10th different regular-season crown won by the school since joining the BIG EAST in the summer of 2013.
   As seen below, half of those titles have been won by the volleyball program.
Creighton's BIG EAST Regular-Season Titles (10)
Baseball: 2014, 2017
Men's Soccer: 2014, 2018
Volleyball: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Women's Basketball: 2016-17 (tie)
What's The Difference?
En route to its league titles in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, Creighton has compiled an 85-5 record in BIG EAST regular-season play. The Jays have won those five titles by a combined 12.5 games over their nearest competitors, meaning if you took the record for the best second-place club each year they'd be 72-17.
First Class Seniors In Every Way
Creighton's senior quartet of Samantha Bohnet, Taryn Kloth, Kelsey O'Connell and Jaali Winters (along with Megan Ballenger, who redshirted and is now a junior) arrived on campus in 2015 as the 10th-ranked recruiting class in the nation, and they exceeded those lofty expectations every step of the way.
   They went 69-3 in regular-season BIG EAST play and 8-0 in BIG EAST Championship action, winning all eight possible conference titles in that time. All three regular-season losses were later avenged in the league tournament that same year.
   Combined the four seniors contributed 3,314 kills, 2,378 digs, 228 aces and 394 blocks while helping CU to a 111-28 overall record. All four women also graduated in December in four years or less.
   As freshmen, they helped Creighton go 27-9 as the Bluejays earned the first national seed in team history, advanced to the program's first Sweet 16, and were ranked 19th in the year-end poll.
   As sophomores, Creighton tied a school-record with 29 wins and they became the first volleyball team in BIG EAST history to finish league play 18-0. The Bluejays then became the first team in history to open an NCAA Tournament with three straight five-set wins to advance to the program's first Elite Eight, and wrapping up the year ranked ninth nationally.
   Last season, Creighton went 26-7 and hosted the NCAA Tournament for the first time. CU posted road wins over No. 3 Washington and No. 7 Kansas early in the season en route to winning three straight non-conference tournaments.
   This year's team tied the school-record for wins with a 29-5 record and won 21 straight while running the table in league play once again and earning a national seed yet again.
   Creighton's 111 wins are the most victories in any four-year span in program history. The 69 league wins are the most by any BIG EAST team in a four-year span in conference history.
111 Wins!
Creighton's senior class went 111-28 in the last four seasons. Creighton had reached 100 victories in a four-year span only three times previously, with the previous record being 107 from 2014-17.
   Jaali Winters played in all 111 of those wins, most in school history.
Most Wins, Four-Year Span
   W-L   Years
   111-28   2015-18
   107-32   2014-17
   104-31   2012-15
   104-34   2013-16
   94-36   2011-14
Most Wins, Appeared In As A Player
   111   Jaali Winters   2015-18
   109   Taryn Kloth   2015-18
   106   Marysa Wilkinson   2014-17
   104   Lauren Smith   2013-16
   102   Melanie Jereb   2012-15
All They Do Is Win
Creighton owns a 111-28 record since the start of the 2015 season. On a national basis, the 111 wins are sixth-most, and CU's .799 win percentage is 10th-best.
Last Four Years (2015-18)
    Sorted By Wins       Sorted By Win Percentage
1.   124   Nebraska   1.   BYU   .901   118-13
2.   118   BYU   2.   Nebraska   .873   124-18
3.   114   Minnesota   3.   Texas   .870   107-16
   114   Stanford   4.   Stanford   .857   114-19
5.   113   Western Kentucky   5.   Minnesota   .851   114-20
6.   111   Creighton   6.   Florida   .844   108-20
   111   Penn State   7.   W. Kentucky   .843   113-21
8.   108   Florida   8.   Dayton   .811   103-24
9.   107   Texas   9.   Penn State   .810   111-26
10.   105   Washington   10.   Creighton   .799   111-28
Ran The Table, Again
Creighton tied the BIG EAST record for the best record in league history with an 18-0 mark this fall, matching the mark first done by Creighton's 2016 club.
   Creighton's 18-0 mark in 2016 made CU the first team to finish BIG EAST play unbeaten since Notre Dame went 14-0 in 2009.
   Here's a look at the most consecutive wins to start league play in BIG EAST history:
Consecutive Wins To Start BIG EAST Play
   Wins   School   Year   Final W-L
   18   Creighton   2016   18-0
   18   Creighton   2018   18-0
   14   St. John's   2006   14-0
   14   Notre Dame   2009   14-0
   13   Louisville   2007   13-1
Comparing Seasons
Now in its sixth year in the BIG EAST, this year's Creighton team compares favorably with some of its past teams.
   The 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 teams all would win the BIG EAST Championship and regular-season league title.
Creighton in BIG EAST Play (League Stats Only)
Year   W-L   KPS   HIT%   SAPS   DPS   BPS
2013Â Â Â 12-4Â Â Â 13.75Â Â Â .213Â Â Â 1.00Â Â Â 16.20Â Â Â 3.13
2014Â Â Â 16-2Â Â Â 14.09Â Â Â .242Â Â Â 1.30Â Â Â 17.09Â Â Â 2.86
2015Â Â Â 17-1Â Â Â 15.02Â Â Â .271Â Â Â 1.33Â Â Â 16.97Â Â Â 2.47
2016Â Â Â 18-0Â Â Â 15.37Â Â Â .317Â Â Â 1.69Â Â Â 16.08Â Â Â 2.41
2017Â Â Â 16-2Â Â Â 14.81Â Â Â .302Â Â Â 1.31Â Â Â 16.62Â Â Â 2.05
2018Â Â Â 18-0Â Â Â 14.45Â Â Â .294Â Â Â 2.13Â Â Â 15.67Â Â Â 2.38
Getting Better and Better
Creighton started 9-0 in league play, but still made huge strides during the second half of BIG EAST competition.
   Creighton averaged 14.16 kills, 1.75 aces and 2.27 blocks per set while hitting .268 during the first half of the league slate.
   During the final nine conference matches, Creighton was significantly better, averaging 14.79 kills, 2.57 aces and 2.50 blocks per set on .326 hitting.
You Got Served
Creighton had 94 aces and just 84 service errors in its final 13 matches of the season.
   The Bluejays had more aces than errors in seven of those contests, including three matches with 10 or more service winners.
   Creighton finished with a school-record 204 aces on the season, breaking the previous mark of 195 set in 2000.
   Madelyn Cole's 51 aces ranked second-most in Creighton single-season history.
Unbeaten In Conference
There are 32 conferences in the country, and Creighton was one of seven teams that went unbeaten in league play.
Team   League W-L   Conference
Stanford   20-0   Pacific 12
Creighton   18-0   BIG EAST
Stephen F. Austin   18-0   Southland
UCFÂ Â Â 18-0Â Â Â American Athletic
Kentucky   18-0   Southeastern
Denver   16-0   Summit
Stony Brook   12-0   America East
Nice Work, Ace
In 18 league matches this fall, Creighton allowed three aces or less in 16 of them, and one ace or less in eight of them.
   Creighton served more aces than its opponent in 17-of-18 league matches this year. The Bluejays have won 78 consecutive matches against BIG EAST foes when owning more aces than its competition since a Nov. 1, 2013 loss to St. John's.
Sweeeeeeeeeep!!!
Creighton swept 14-of-18 matches at all sites in BIG EAST play this season, and has swept 13 of its last 15 home matches against league foes dating to last fall.
   During Creighton's 37-match regular-season home winning streak in league play, the Bluejays have dropped only 14 (of 125) sets at home, with nine of those setbacks coming in set two.
   Creighton is 34-3 in set one, 28-9 in set two, 36-1 in set three, 9-1 in set four and 4-0 in set five during that home streak, which means they are 74-4 in sets that they spend at least some time on the south bench.
   During this 37-match regular-season home win streak in league play, only one opponent has won more than three sets against CU in Omaha, Villanova (4), while neither Providence nor Marquette have won a set.
   In Creighton's 106 all-time regular-season BIG EAST matches at all sites, Creighton is 59-4 in three-set matches, 27-2 in four-set matches and 11-3 in five-set contests.
Sweep, Part 2
Creighton had a school-record streak of eight straight sweeps from Oct. 27-Nov. 23.
   Creighton's 25 straight set victories started in the fourth set on Oct. 26 and was snapped in the first set vs. Marquette on Nov. 24. That tied a school-record done just once before, with that being a 25-set run from Oct. 28-Nov. 18, 2016.
Cole Honored For Defense
Creighton Volleyball setter Madelyn Cole was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week, league officials announced on Nov. 13.
   A junior from Dallas, Texas, Cole led Creighton with 4.00 digs, 10.17 assists and 0.83 aces per set while hitting .400 in a pair of 3-0 wins last weekend. The victories clinched a fifth straight BIG EAST regular-season title for the Bluejays, and the No. 1 seed in the BIG EAST Championship.
   Cole started her week with 32 assists, eight digs, three blocks, two aces and two kills in a 3-0 victory over Georgetown. She then had 29 assists, a season-high 16 digs, three blocks, three aces and two kills on .500 hitting in a 3-0 triumph vs. Villanova.
   Cole led Creighton with 1,289 assists and 51 aces.
Attendance Mark Falls
Creighton smashed yet another major home attendance record on Oct. 21st.
   CU hosted 47,632 fans in 17 home contests. That obliterated the previous program record of 29,905 set in 2015 over the course of 18 home contests.
   Earlier this year Creighton set a program record for the largest home crowd in school history when 14,022 turned out on Sept. 6 to see the Bluejays host Nebraska.
Committee Liked The Jays
Creighton was listed 10th when the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Committee released a top 10 listing on Sunday, Nov. 4.
   The reveal is based on the criteria used to select and seed the 64 teams for the Division I Women's Volleyball Championship and includes strength of schedule, Rating Percentage Index, head-to-head competition, results versus common opponents, and significant wins and losses.  It included matches through October 31.
   The announcement was part of the continued team evaluations that culminated with the final bracket, revealed during the selection show on Sunday, November 25.
   In 2016, the first year of the early preview, nine of the 10 teams in the Nov. 1 rank remained a national seed, with No. 10 Washington moving up to No. 8. Last year's early committee ranking saw 8-of-10 teams hold onto a top-10 ranking, but No. 10 Wisconsin did not end up as a top-16 national seed.
   Here's the top 10 that was announced on Nov. 4 this season, and how they fared in the end.
Rank   School (Final Seed)   10/31 W-L   11/25 W-L
1.   BYU (4)   22-0   27-1
2.   Stanford (1)   20-1   28-1
3.   Minnesota (2)   19-2   25-3
4.   Illinois (3)   20-3   28-3
5.   Wisconsin (6)   16-5   22-6
6.   Texas (5)   15-4   20-4
7.   Southern California (11)   16-7   21-10
8.   Penn State (8)   18-4   23-7
9.   Nebraska (7)   16-6   24-6
10.   Creighton (9)   20-4   28-4
Jays On A Roll
Creighton won 21 straight matches, the second-longest streak in program history, before falling to No. 22 Washington in the NCAA Tournament.
   Dating to last season, Creighton has also won 19 straight regular-season league contests, the program's second-longest conference streak ever.
   Consecutive Wins (All Matches)
      Wins   Dates   Snapped By
      23   Sept. 23-Dec. 9, 2016   at #5 Texas, 3-0
      21   Sept. 21 - Nov. 30, 2018   #22 Washington, 3-0
      17   Sept. 29-Nov. 30, 2012   at #11 Minnesota, 3-1
      12   Sept. 20-Oct. 25, 2015   at Villanova, 3-2
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Consecutive Regular-Season League Wins
      Wins   Dates   Snapped By   League
      28   Oct. 31, 2015-Sept. 30, 2017   at Marquette, 3-0   BIG EAST
      19   Nov. 18, 2017-Present   ???   BIG EAST
      14   Sept. 29, 2012 - End of 2012   Never (left MVC)   MVC
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Team > Individuals
Creighton didn't have a single player ranked in the top 13 of any statistical category nationally, but was in the top-20 of six different team categories.
   Creighton ranked 10th in winning percentage (.853), 10th in aces per set (1.73), 10th in total aces (204), 11th in kills per set (14.31), 18th in assists per set (13.32) and 20th in hitting percentage (.264).
Championship Season
Creighton has saved some of its best work for the months of October and November in recent years.
   Since the start of the 2012 season, Creighton is 54-5 in October, and 55-5 in the month of November.
   Since the start of the 2014 season, Creighton is a combined 80-5 in the months of October and November.
What's Your 20?
Creighton reached 20 wins on October 27th with a victory at DePaul, matching the earliest date on the calendar in program history that the team has reached 20 victories.
   The 2012 team won its 20th match on Oct. 27, as well. That club finished 29-4, while this year's team finished 29-5.
The Wins Keep Coming
Creighton has won eight consecutive road matches, tied for the second-longest streak in program history and one shy of the current mark of nine done in 2016 by CU's Elite Eight team.
   Creighton also set a school-record with 15 straight home wins in 2018. Each of CU's three longest home win streaks in program history have been snapped by a Pac-12 team and been a 3-0 sweep.
Creighton's Longest Road Win Streaks
Wins   Dates   Snapped By
   9   Sept. 30-Dec. 2, 2016   at #5 Texas, 3-0
   8   Sept. 29 - Nov. 30, 2012   at #11 Minnesota, 3-1
   8   Sept. 28, 2018 - Present   TBD
   7   Sept. 21-Nov. 9, 2007   at #24 Wichita State, 3-0
   7   Nov. 21, 2009-Oct. 2, 2010   at Drake, 3-1
Creighton's Longest Home Win Streaks
Wins   Dates   Snapped By
   15   Sept. 7 - Nov. 30, 2018   #22 Washington, 3-0
   13   Sept. 1, 2012 - Sept. 7, 2013   California, 3-0
   13   Sept. 9, 2016-Sept. 1, 2017   #18 USC, 3-0
   12   Sept. 20-Nov. 28, 2015   #4 Kansas, 3-2
   10   Sept. 2-Dec. 1, 2017   #12 Michigan State, 3-1
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 EASTÂ volleyball title.
   Marquette won the regular-season and tournament title in 2013, while Creighton swept both titles in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
   Below is a look at the record of each BIG EAST team since the league's reconfiguration in 2013:
BIG EAST VB Standings Since 2013
           BIG EAST only   All   matches
Team (NCAA Bids)Â Â Â WÂ Â Â LÂ Â Â WÂ Â Â L
Creighton (6)Â Â Â 97Â Â Â 9Â Â Â 159Â Â Â 46
Marquette (6)Â Â Â 84Â Â Â 21Â Â Â 145Â Â Â 52
Xavier   67   39   101   86
Butler   59   46   108   78
Seton Hall (1)Â Â Â 55Â Â Â 50Â Â Â 100Â Â Â 90
Villanova (1)Â Â Â 55Â Â Â 52Â Â Â 104Â Â Â 84
St. John's   47   59   107   90
Georgetown   27   80   61   121
DePaul   20   86   62   118
Providence*Â Â Â 12Â Â Â 78Â Â Â 54Â Â Â 106
*Providence rejoined the league for volleyball in 2014 and
its 2013 overall record (12-20) is not included above.
Third Set's A Charm
One key factor to watch in 2018 was the result of the third set.
   Creighton was 26-0 this season when winning the third set, but 3-4 when dropping the third set.
   Since a Oct. 10, 2014 loss at Seton Hall, Creighton is a perfect 81-0 against BIG EAST teams (73-0 in the regular-season and 8-0 in league tournament play) when winning the third set.
Set 1 Result A Strong Indicator
Creighton is 287-30 (.905) overall under Kirsten Bernthal Booth when it wins set one. In that same time span, CU is just 59-135 (.304) 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 91-2 in its last 93 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.
   This year's team was 24-2 when winning the first set and 5-3 when dropping the opener.
   Creighton has won 64 straight matches against unranked foes when winning the opening set.
Ranked vs. Ranked in the BIG EAST
Creighton's two regular-season wins over Marquette this season were the first regular-season BIG EAST match-ups 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 had 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.
   Creighton's victory at No. 18 Marquette on Oct. 26 was the first road win by any team in BIG EAST play over a ranked league team since 2012.
All-American Efforts
In eight contests this fall against teams who were ranked at the time of the match, Taryn Kloth averaged 4.67 kills per set and hit a robust .271. She averaged 19.25 kills per match against ranked opponents this year.
   Jaali Winters averaged 4.24 kills and 3.18 digs per set on .222 hitting against top-25 foes this fall. She had a double-double in seven of the eight matches against ranked teams this fall.
Seven Straight NCAA's
Creighton Volleyball has made the NCAA Tournament in each of the last seven seasons. They are the first women's team in any sport at Creighton to make seven straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
   The only other sport in Creighton history to make seven straight NCAA Tournament appearances is the men's soccer program, which qualified in 17 straight seasons from 1992-2008, and also reached seven straight NCAA Tournaments from 2010-16.
Jaali Scaling The Record Books
Jaali Winters consistently rewrote 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.
   On Oct. 7 at home against St. John's, Winters took down Ratzlaff's mark for career kills.
   On Oct. 12 at Georgetown, Winters broke Ratzlaff's record for career points.
   Below is a complete list of all 96 school records owned by Winters at the end of the 2018 season:
Category   Type   Figure
10+ Kills by a freshman   Consecutive Matches   19
Kills in a debut   Match   17
Points Served To Start Match   Match   11
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
Attack Attempts   Match (3-set NCAA)   37
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 (4-set B.E. Tourn.)   19
Kills   Match (5-set B.E. Tourn.)   21
Attempts   Match (3-set B.E. Tourn.)   41
Attempts   Match (4-set B.E. Tourn.)   49
Attempts   Match (5-set B.E. Tourn.)   77
Aces   Match (3-set B.E. Tourn.)   3
Aces   Match (5-set B.E. Tourn.)   1
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)
Attempts at Sokol Arena   Season   611 (2015)
Points at Sokol Arena   Season   269.5 (2015)
Matches Played at Sokol   Season   17 (2015)
Sets Played at Sokol   Season   61 (2015)
Kills   Season (NCAA Tourn.)   79 (2016)
Attempts   Season (NCAA Tourn.)   218 (2016)
Points   Season (NCAA Tourn.)   86.5 (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 & 2018)
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
Quickest to 1700 kills   Career   128 matches
Quickest to 1800 kills   Career   136 matches
10+ Kill matches   Career   110
Kills   Career   1,843
Attack Attempts   Career   5,093
Points   Career   2045.5
Kills at D.J. Sokol Arena   Career   779
Kills Per Set at Sokol   Career   3.86
Attempts at Sokol Arena   Career   2,052
Matches Played at Sokol Arena   Career   59
Matches Played   Career   139
Matches Started   Career   138
Points at Sokol Arena   Career   856.0
Points Per Set at Sokol Arena   Career   4.24
Wins Played In   Career   111
Kills   Career (NCAA Tourn.)   175
Kills Per Set   Career (NCAA Tourn.)   3.98
Attempts   Career (NCAA Tourn.)   536
Points   Career (NCAA Tourn.)   192.5
Points Per Set   Career (NCAA Tourn.)   4.38
Digs   Career (NCAA Tourn.)   134
Aces   Career (NCAA Tourn.)   7
Wins Played in   Career (NCAA Tourn.)   7
NCAA Tourneys Played In   Career (NCAA Tourn.)   4
Matches Played   Career (NCAA Tourn.)   11
Matches Started   Career (NCAA Tourn.)   11
Sets Played   Career (NCAA Tourn.)   44
Kills   Career (B.E. Tourn.)   117
Kills Per Set   Career (B.E. Tourn.)   4.03
Aces   Career (B.E. Tourn.)   7
Points   Career (B.E. Tourn.)   134.0
Points Per Set   Career (B.E. Tourn.)   4.62
Double-Doubles   Career (B.E. Tourn.)   6
Attempts   Career (B.E. Tourn.)   322
Digs   Career (B.E. Tourn.)   107
Matches Played   Career (B.E. Tourn.)   8
Matches Started   Career (B.E. Tourn.)   8
Wins Played In   Career (B.E. Tourn.)   8
Title Matches Won   Career (B.E. Tourn.)   4
Tournaments Played In   Career (B.E. Tourn.)   4
Onto The Next One
After becoming the Creighton record holder in kills, Jaali Winters continued her onslaught on the BIG EAST all-time kills list. She finished fifth all-time, and had the most kills by any player since the league's reconfiguration in 2013.
   The figures were researched by Matt DeMarinis of WhiteAndBlueReview.com, as the league record book doesn't have such a list.
Big East Volleyball All-Time Kills Leaders
   1.   2,145   Lola Arslanbekova, Louisville   2009-12
   2.   1,976   Stephanie Niemer, Cincinnati   2007-10
   3.   1,852   Karin Palgutova, St. John's   2012-15
      1,852   Diana Andreyko, Pittsburgh   2004-07
   5.   1,843   Jaali Winters, Creighton   2015-18
   6.   1,815   Ann Marie Lucanie, Pittsburgh   1990-93
   7.   1,801   Marcela Gurgel, South Florida   2006-09
   8.   1,774   Abbey Bessler, Xavier   2013-16
   9.   1,766   Jackie Ahlers, St. John's   2002-04, 06
   10.   1,729   Sarah Katinger, Providence   1998-01
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Can You Dig It?
Junior Brittany Witt and senior Jaali Winters climbed into the top five in Creighton history on the all-time digs chart by year's end. Witt is second, while Winters is fourth.
Most Career Digs, Creighton History
      Name   Sets   No.   Years
   1.   Kate Elman   464   2,054   2012-15
   2.   Brittany Witt   364   1,534   2016-Pr.
   3.   Janeen Piller   336   1,392   2001-04
   4.   Jaali Winters   494   1,386   2015-18
   5.   Allie Oelke   445   1,382   2007-10
   6.   Kailey Reyes   368   1,258   1998-01
   7.   Melissa Walsh   394   1,240   1998-01
   8.   Julianne Mandolfo   241   1,224   2010-11
   9.   Melissa Weisensee   411   1,223   1994-97
   10.   Melanie Jereb   471   1,218   2012-15
Invincible At Sokol
Creighton's current senior class never lost to a BIG EAST team at D.J. Sokol Arena, going a perfect 41-0 in that span. The Bluejays were 11-0 (including two BIG EAST Championship wins) in 2015, 10-0 in 2016, 8-0 last fall and 12-0 (including two BIG EAST Championship wins) this fall.
   Creighton has not lost a home match to a BIG EAST team since Seton Hall upset the Bluejays on Nov. 23, 2014.
Home Sweet Home
Creighton has gone unbeaten at home in league play in five of its last seven seasons (2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), including this year.
   Creighton is 52-2 all-time (.963) 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 83-7 (.922) all-time in regular-season conference matches in the facility, including 37 straight victories.
   Creighton has won all 11 meetings with St. John's since that 2013 upset, and all 10 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 13 seasons (including 2018). That streak that dates back to its days at the Omaha Civic Auditorium, a facility that was torn down two years ago and no longer exists.
   Creighton has not lost an October home match since October 15, 2011 against Northern Iowa, having won its last 29 such matches.
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 own 108 wins against BIG EAST competition (including BIG EAST Championship play) since 2013, 20 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   11-1   -   11-1
DePaul   12-0   -   12-0
Georgetown   12-0   -   12-0
Marquette   10-2   3-1   13-3
Providence   10-0   -   10-0
Seton Hall   9-3   2-0   11-3
St. John's   11-1   -   11-1
Villanova   10-2   3-0   13-2
Xavier   12-0   3-0   15-0
Total   97-9   11-1   108-10
You Dig?
They say that defense wins championships, and that's certainly proven true for Creighton.
   Creighton has won 79 straight matches against BIG EAST teams when winning the dig battle, a streak that dates to Oct. 10, 2014 at Seton Hall.
   All but two of Creighton's last 62 matches (against all foes) have been won by the team with more digs, which goes back to Sept. 15, 2017.
Not Half Bad
Creighton has gone 8-1 or better in 10 straight halves (matches 1-9 or 10-18) of league play. Creighton is 49-4 all-time in the first half of BIG EAST play, and 48-5 in the second half since joining the league in 2013.
League Record by Year
Year   1st Half   2nd Half   Place
1994Â Â Â 2-8Â Â Â 1-9Â Â Â T-9th MVC
1995Â Â Â 3-7Â Â Â 3-7Â Â Â T-7th MVC
1996Â Â Â 2-7Â Â Â 3-6Â Â Â T-6th MVC
1997Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â T-3rd MVC
1998Â Â Â 2-7Â Â Â 3-6Â Â Â 8th MVC
1999Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â 5th MVC
2000Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â T-4th MVC
2001Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 4th MVC
2002Â Â Â 1-8Â Â Â 1-8Â Â Â T-9th MVC
2003Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â T-5th MVC
2004Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5th MVC
2005Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 5th MVC
2006Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 4th MVC
2007Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â T-2nd MVC
2008Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 2nd MVC
2009Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â T-4th MVC
2010Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 3rd MVC
2011Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 4th MVC
2012Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 1st MVC
2013Â Â Â 6-2Â Â Â 6-2Â Â Â T-2nd BIG EAST
2014Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 1st BIG EAST
2015Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 1st BIG EAST
2016Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 1st BIG EAST
2017Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 1st BIG EAST
2018Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 1st BIG EAST
Total   142-84   139-87   --
205 Home Wins
Creighton finished 2018 with an all-time home record of 205-111 record, including a 116-27 mark at D.J. Sokol Arena since it opened in 2009.
   The Bluejays earned their 200th home victory in program history on Nov. 11 vs. Villanova.
   Creighton was 100-91 all-time at home on the morning of Sept. 25, 2010, but is 105-20 at home since.
   Here's a look at Creighton's home record in 25-win increments.
Match #   W-L   Opponent   Date   Result
55   25-30   Bradley   10/24/98   W 3-0
105   50-55   Bradley   10/31/03   W 3-2
149   75-74   Illinois State   09/28/07   W 3-1
187   100-87   San Francisco   08/27/10   W 3-1
222   125-97   Bradley   10/06/12   W 3-1
252   150-102   DePaul   10/26/14   W 3-0
282   175-107   Xavier   11/06/16   W 3-0
310   200-110   Villanova   11/11/18   W 3-0
Winters Is Here
Jaali Winters finished her career with a school-record 1,843 kills, after setting the mark in the second set on Oct. 7 vs. St. John's.
   Not to be forgotten, Winters' All-American teammate on the outside Taryn Kloth finished fourth on CU's all-time kills list.
Most Career Kills, Creighton History
      Name   Sets   No.   Years
   1.   Jaali Winters   494   1,843   2015-18
   2.   Leah Ratzlaff   409   1,622   2002-05
   3.   Melissa Walsh   394   1,596   1998-01
   4.   Taryn Kloth   462   1,427   2015-18
   5.   Kelly Goc   394   1,414   2004-07
   6.   Jessica Houts   451   1,385   2005-09
   7.   JoDe Cieloha   398   1,375   1994-97
   8.   Leah McNary   458   1,257   2011-14
   9.   Marysa Wilkinson   499   1,183   2014-17
   10.   Lauren Smith   511   1,160   2013-16
Winters Is Coming, Part 2
Jaali Winters finished the season ranked fourth nationally among active players with 1,843 career kills and second with 5,093 attack attempts. Taylor Louis, who had 1,964 kills and 5,161 attack attempts during her career that started at Marquette and has continued at Iowa, led both categories.
   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.
Top 25 History
Creighton is 14-75 all-time against teams in the top-25 of the AVCA poll, but 9-9 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 5-36 after wins in recent seasons at No. 23 North Carolina (2015), No. 4 Kansas (2016), No. 3 Washington (2017) and No. 7 Kansas (2017) and No. 18 Marquette (2018).
   Creighton is 87-22 all-time when playing as a ranked team, and also 10-14 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, 29 of Creighton's 50 losses have come against ranked teams. In that same period, Creighton is 176-21 against unranked teams. Creighton has won 48 straight home matches over unranked teams.
Jays To Pirates: "I'm The Captain Now"
Creighton has beaten Xavier 15 straight times, and won 26 straight sets over Seton Hall.
   The 26 straight set victories over the Pirates is a record against any opponent, one more than a stretch against Indiana State from 2005-09.
Most Consecutive Match Wins Over One Team
   Wins   Opponent   Dates
   19   Southern Illinois   2003-11
   16   Indiana State   2005-Present
   15   Xavier   2013-Present
Most Consecutive Set Wins Over One Team
   Wins   Opponent   Dates
   26   Seton Hall   2015-Present
   25   Indiana State   2005-09
   24   Xavier   2015-18
   23   Indiana State   2009-Present
   19   Providence   2014-17
Cole Reaches 1,000 Assists
Madelyn Cole reached 1,000 assists this season in Creighton's 26th match (and her 93rd set) of the fall vs. St. John's on Nov. 3.
   She's the ninth player in program history to record 1,000 career assists.
Creighton's Quickest Players To 1,000 Assists (Career)
Name   SP   MP   Date   Opponent
Korie Lebeda   77   23   10/29/05   Missouri St.
Brittany Coleman   86   23   11/01/03   Northern Iowa
Lydia Dimke   88   26   11/06/16   Xavier
Madelyn Cole   93   26   11/03/18   at St. John's
Kailey Reyes   97   27   09/04/99   Boise State
Maggie Baumert   103   32   11/29/14   vs. Seton Hall
Megan Bober   106   28   11/20/09   at #21 No. Iowa
Melissa Weisensee   119   35   09/20/95   Wichita State
Michelle Sicner   267   72   10/04/13   at Butler
Fewest Single-Season Matches to 1,000 Assists
Name   MP   Opponent   Year
Korie Lebeda   21   at Drake   2006
Brittany Coleman   22   at Southern Illinois   2004
Korie Lebeda   23   Missouri State   2005
Brittany Coleman   23   Northern Iowa   2003
Kailey Reyes   23   at Southern Illinois   1999
Melissa Weisensee   23   at Evansville   1996
Kailey Reyes   24   at Wichita State   2000
Melissa Weisensee   24   at Evansville   1997
Kailey Reyes   25   Wichita State   2001
Korie Lebeda   25   Southern Illinois   2007
Korie Lebeda   26   Bradley   2008
Lydia Dimke   26   Xavier   2016
Madelyn Cole   26   at St. John's   2018
Megan Bober   27   Evansville   2010
Lydia Dimke   27   Georgetown   2017
Megan Bober   28   at Northern Iowa   2009
Megan Bober   28   at Wichita State   2012
Michelle Sicner   28   Xavier   2013
Maggie Baumert   32   vs. Seton Hall   2014
Kloth A Senior CLASS Award Finalist
Creighton's Taryn Kloth was one of 10 women who excels both on and off the court that was selected as a finalist for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate volleyball. Kloth was the only finalist from the BIG EAST.
   To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
   An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
   This year's Senior CLASS Award winner was Nebraska's Mikaela Foecke.
Solid Start In Cincinnati
Jaali Winters was at the service line as Creighton scored the first 11 points of a Sept. 29 sweep at Xavier. Winters had three aces and a kill to help contribute to the hot start.
   Per the NCAA record book, it was tied for the third-best serving run to start a match in NCAA history. It's also a Creighton record, besting the mark held by Megan Ballenger vs. Seton Hall in 2016, as seen below:
Consecutive Points Served to Start a Match
   No.   Player: Team vs. Opponent   Date
   13   Allison Kearney, Arkansas St. vs. Alcorn St.   09/16/11
   12   Katie Bova, Valparaiso vs. IUPUI   10/01/05
   11   Kristin Carpenter, Penn State vs. Princeton   09/18/10
   11   Taylor Barnes, Baylor vs. Louisiana-Monroe   09/01/06
   11   Jaali Winters, Creighton at Xavier   09/29/18
   10   Megan Carter, Lafayette vs. Providence   10/15/05
   10   Megan Ballenger, Creighton vs. Seton Hall   10/16/16
Top 10 Jays
Creighton Volleyball spent 12 straight weeks in the top-10 of the AVCA poll this season, and has now spent 17 weeks in the top-10 all-time.
   Here's a look at Creighton's all-time top-10 rankings in the AVCA poll:
Rank   Week   W-L That Week
9Â Â Â 12/19/16Â Â Â 0-0 (year end poll)
9Â Â Â 8/9/17Â Â Â 3-0
7Â Â Â 8/28/17Â Â Â 2-1
9Â Â Â 9/4/17Â Â Â 2-1
8Â Â Â 9/11/17Â Â Â 0-2
10Â Â Â 9/10/18Â Â Â 2-1
10Â Â Â 9/17/18Â Â Â 2-0
10Â Â Â 9/24/18Â Â Â 2-0
10Â Â Â 10/1/18Â Â Â 2-0
10Â Â Â 10/8/18Â Â Â 2-0
10Â Â Â 10/15/18Â Â Â 2-0
10Â Â Â 10/22/18Â Â Â 2-0
9Â Â Â 10/29/18Â Â Â 2-0
9Â Â Â 11/05/18Â Â Â 2-0
9Â Â Â 11/12/18Â Â Â 2-0
9Â Â Â 11/19/18Â Â Â 2-0
9Â Â Â 11/26/18Â Â Â 1-1
Top 25 Jays
Creighton started the 2018 campaign ranked 13th and finished the season ranked 13th.
   This means the Bluejays are in the top 25 of the AVCA poll for the 38th straight week. That streak started on Oct. 31, 2016. Nationally, that's the 10th-longest active streak, as seen below:
Consecutive Active Weeks in AVCA Top 25
   Streak   Team   Current Rank
   542   Stanford   1
   542   Nebraska   2
   459   Penn State   6
   432   Florida   11
   236   Texas   5
   91   Wisconsin   8
   90   BYU   4
   61   Minnesota   7
   42   Kentucky   10
   38   Creighton   13
Double Trouble
Jaali Winters owned 16 double-doubles this season, including one in 7-of-8 matches against top-25 opponents. Winters compiled 58 double-doubles in her career. That ranks fourth-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
   58   Jaali Winters   2015-18   Outside Hitter
   57   Megan Bober   2009-12   Setter
   56   Korie Lebeda   2005-08   Setter
Winters Part Of 1,000 & 1,000 Club
Jaali Winters closed her career with 1,843 kills and 1,386 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 was the only player in the BIG EAST with 350 or more kills and digs this season.
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.
   Since that court was installed, Creighton went 21-1 at all sites and 13-1 at home.
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)Â Â Â 76-13
Al McGuire Center (MU)Â Â Â 8-2
Hinkle Fieldhouse (BU)Â Â Â 7-1
Cintas Center (XU)Â Â Â 6-0
McGrath-Phillips Arena (DPU)Â Â Â 6-0
Carnesecca Arena (SJU)Â Â Â 6-0
McDonough Arena (GU)Â Â Â 6-0
Alumni Hall (PC)Â Â Â 4-0
Jake Nevin Field House (VU)Â Â Â 4-2
Walsh Gym (SHU)Â Â Â 4-2
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.
   Including 2018, Creighton has finished in the spot predicted of it or better in the preseason poll in 14 of 16 years under Booth, including eight years where it's finished exactly where it was picked.
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   1st   #1
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.
- The other nine schools in the BIG EAST this fall attracted a total of 47,821 fans in 119 home dates (402 per match), compared to 47,632 fans in Omaha in 17 home matches (2,802 per match). Multiply 402 by 34 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 18,000 fans in any season, nor averaged more than 1,100 fans per home match for a full season.
   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.
   Rank   Average   School
   1.   Nebraska   8,205
   2.   Wisconsin   6,595
   3.   Hawai'i   5,502
   4.   Minnesota   5,318
   5.   Texas   3,631
   6.   BYU   3,429
   7.   Penn State   3,346
   8.   Michigan State   3,069
   9.   Florida   2,951
   10.   Illinois   2,856
   11.   Creighton   2,802
   12.   Utah   2,638
Quick Witt-ed
Brittany Witt started her junior season with 10 or more digs in each of her first 18 matches, and a streak of 21 in a row dating to last year, before "just" nine digs at Georgetown on Oct. 12.
   The streak of 18 straight matches with 10+ digs to open a season was the fourth-longest in program history
   Witt's streak of 21 straight double-figure matches in a row was the longest streak of her career, and was the sixth-longest in CU history.
Consecutive Matches, 10 or More Digs, To Start Year
   32   Kate Elman   2012
   29   Janeen Piller   (every match) 2004
   27   Bianca Rivera   2007
   18   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
   21   Brittany Witt, Nov. 25, 2017 - Oct. 7, 2018
   19   Bianca Rivera, Sept. 20-Nov. 28, 2008
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 was 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
2003Â Â Â 3-8Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 12-18
2004Â Â Â 8-2Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 18-11
2005Â Â Â 6-5Â Â Â 0-3Â Â Â 16-14
2006Â Â Â 8-3Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 21-10
2007Â Â Â 6-5Â Â Â 0-3Â Â Â 21-10
2008Â Â Â 3-5Â Â Â 0-3Â Â Â 18-9
2009Â Â Â 3-8Â Â Â 0-3Â Â Â 14-17
2010Â Â Â 5-5Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 21-12
2011Â Â Â 5-7Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 17-14
2012Â Â Â 9-2Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 29-4
2013Â Â Â 9-3Â Â Â 1-2Â Â Â 23-9
2014Â Â Â 7-6Â Â Â 0-5Â Â Â 25-9
2015Â Â Â 6-7Â Â Â 1-4Â Â Â 27-9
2016Â Â Â 6-6Â Â Â 0-4Â Â Â 29-7
2017Â Â Â 7-4Â Â Â 3-3Â Â Â 26-7
2018Â Â Â 8-4Â Â Â 1-3Â Â Â 29-5
How Many MVP's Can They Have?
Creighton has won eight different tournaments since the start of the 2016 season, and had five different women honored as MVP.
   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     M. Ballenger
2018   Bluejay Invitational   Jaali Winters
2018   BIG EAST Championship   Jaali Winters
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
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 minimized such mistakes after that, with a total of just 215 service errors in the last 33 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
23Â Â Â vs. #5 Kentucky*Â Â Â 8/24/18Â Â Â 5Â Â Â W 3-2
21Â Â Â San Francisco*Â Â Â 8/27/10Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 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
18Â Â Â vs. Miami (Ohio)*Â Â Â 8/28/15Â Â Â 7Â Â Â W 3-2
*season opener
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 also had 26 kills on Sept. 28 in a win at Butler.
   Kloth owned seven career matches of 20+ kills, including five this fall, as seen below:
Taryn Kloth -- Most Kills in a Match
      Kills   Opponent   Date
      26   #7 Nebraska   9/6/18
      26   at Butler   9/28/18
      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 marked the first time since 2000 that multiple Creighton players 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).
   This was the first time CU has had multiple players with multiple 25 kill matches in the same season.
   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
   18   Jaali Winters   2015-18
   13   Kelly Goc   2004-07
   10   JoDe Cieloha   1994-97
   7   Taryn Kloth   2015-18
   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
   6   Jaali Winters   2015-18
   3   Taryn Kloth   2015-18
   2   Jessica Houts   2005-09
   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 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
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
68Â Â Â 2004Â Â Â Carolyn Decker
55Â Â Â 2008Â Â Â Laurel Sanford
60Â Â Â 2011Â Â Â Michelle Sicner
73Â Â Â 2013Â Â Â Jess Bird
50Â Â Â 2014Â Â Â Lydia Dimke*
18Â Â Â 2015Â Â Â Taryn Kloth
41Â Â Â 2015Â Â Â Jaali Winters
98Â Â Â 2017Â Â Â Naomi Hickman
99Â Â Â 2017Â Â Â Steph Gaston
42Â Â Â 2018Â Â Â Keeley Davis
49Â Â Â 2018Â Â Â 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)
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, before graduating.
   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 seven seasons (including 2018) ended in the NCAA Tournament, and six of them (including 2018) saw Creighton win conference titles. Creighton also won six of those seven season-opening matches.
The Gauntlet
Creighton played five different non-conference teams that were in the top-25 of the preseason AVCA coaches poll. That was tied for the most in the nation, with Northern Iowa, Texas, USC and Wichita State.
   The Bluejays met up with No. 2 Nebraska, No. 5 Kentucky, No. 10 USC, No. 12 Illinois and No. 21 Iowa State in 2018.
   This was the sixth straight season that Creighton faced four or more non-conference foes that were 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 last 11 seasons (including 2018), only 197-of-275 teams (71.6 percent) would be in both the preseason and postseason AVCA Top 25 polls.
   Since 2008, all but 28 teams (of 275) named in the preseason AVCA Top 25 poll would go on to reach the NCAA Tournament (89.8 percent), including 2018.
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   29-5   13th
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 346-2 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
08/26/11Â Â Â vs. UTSAÂ Â Â 12-14, 13-14Â Â Â 16-14
11/16/12   at Wichita State   13-14   16-14
09/20/15   Kansas State   23-24 (4th set)   15-13
11/20/15   at Georgetown   23-24, 26-27 (4th set)   15-7
08/24/18   vs. #5 Kentucky   16-15, 19-18   22-20
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 faced this season include Madison Lilley (Kentucky), Carlyle Nusbaum (Lipscomb) and Jenna Rosenthal (Marquette). CU went 1-0 against Kentucky and Lipscomb and 3-0 versus Marquette this fall.
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 346 victories on the Bluejay sideline to rank 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*
Kirsten Bernthal Booth, Volleyball   346*
Dana Altman, Men's Basketball   327
Jim Flanery, Women's Basketball   319* (thru 1/3/19)
*still active coaching at Creighton
2-0 Better Than 0-2
Creighton is 287-10 (.966) all-time when leading a match 2-0, including a 230-4 mark (.983) under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. CU is 157-2 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 14-194 (.067) all-time when trailing a match 0-2. Those 14 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
10/18/18   Xavier   25-17, 25-17, 15-13   Booth
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. The Bluejays have also signed Emily Bressman, and she'll arrive in the fall to continue the tradition.
   Each of the last eight 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
Taking The Fifth
Creighton is 55-29 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 13 of its last 17 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, 2017 victories at Butler, Georgetown and Marquette and a 2018 win at Butler.
   It's also worth noting that Creighton is 12-3 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
1994Â Â Â 0-2Â Â Â 5-20
1995Â Â Â 0-2Â Â Â 11-19
1996Â Â Â 2-6Â Â Â 9-19
1997Â Â Â 3-5Â Â Â 15-13
1998Â Â Â 2-3Â Â Â 7-18
1999Â Â Â 3-3Â Â Â 13-15
2000Â Â Â 3-3Â Â Â 16-12
2001Â Â Â 1-1Â Â Â 14-13
2002Â Â Â 1-3Â Â Â 3-23
2003Â Â Â 5-1Â Â Â 12-18
2004Â Â Â 4-0Â Â Â 18-11
2005Â Â Â 3-1Â Â Â 16-14
2006Â Â Â 4-2Â Â Â 21-10
2007Â Â Â 2-0Â Â Â 21-10
2008Â Â Â 2-3Â Â Â 18-9
2009Â Â Â 1-4Â Â Â 14-17
2010Â Â Â 3-3Â Â Â 21-12
2011Â Â Â 5-2Â Â Â 17-14
2012Â Â Â 4-1Â Â Â 29-4
2013Â Â Â 3-2Â Â Â 23-9
2014Â Â Â 3-2Â Â Â 25-9
2015Â Â Â 5-2Â Â Â 27-9
2016Â Â Â 4-3Â Â Â 29-7
2017Â Â Â 4-1Â Â Â 26-7
2018Â Â Â 3-2Â Â Â 29-5
Total   70-57   439-317
Production Returns
Creighton returns 8-of-13 letterwinners to the court from the 2017 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 was 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 played 13 matches against teams that played in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, going 8-5.
   After going 3-35 against teams coming off NCAA Tournament bids prior to Kirsten Bernthal Booth's arrival, the Jays are 78-95 since.
Year   W-L vs. Previous Season NCAA Teams
1994Â Â Â 0-4
1995Â Â Â 0-2
1996Â Â Â 0-2
1997Â Â Â 0-3
1998Â Â Â 0-5
1999Â Â Â 2-4
2000Â Â Â 0-4
2001Â Â Â 1-6
2002Â Â Â 0-5
2003Â Â Â 0-3
2004Â Â Â 2-2
2005Â Â Â 0-6
2006Â Â Â 4-6
2007Â Â Â 4-9
2008Â Â Â 6-8
2009Â Â Â 1-11
2010Â Â Â 4-7
2011Â Â Â 2-6
2012Â Â Â 8-3
2013Â Â Â 6-6
2014Â Â Â 4-5
2015Â Â Â 11-5
2016Â Â Â 10-7
2017Â Â Â 8-6
2018Â Â Â 8-5
TOTALÂ Â Â 81-130
TOTAL Under Booth   78-95
This and That
Amaze your friends and neighbors with these facts...
• Creighton won seven sets this season after an opponent owned a set point.
• Creighton was the only team in the nation to rank in the top-11 in average home attendance in both women's volleyball and men's soccer.
• Jaali Winters played in 57 matches that were either four-set or five-set contests. She had 10 kills in all but one of them, and had nine in the other.
• Creighton owned 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.
• Creighton's four wins over ranked teams this season were a program record.
• Creighton has played 29 matches against ranked teams in the last four years (going 11-18), including seven matches vs. ranked teams in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and eight in 2018.
• All four of Creighton's seniors will graduate in December.
Players Mentioned
MB/RS
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DS
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DS/S
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OH
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S
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MB/RS
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OH
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MB/RS
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MB/RS
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S
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MB
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MB/RS
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OH
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DS
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OH
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RS
/ VolleyballCreighton Volleyball Media Availability - 9/24/25
Wednesday, September 24
Creighton's Ava Martin Highlights - 9/22/25
Monday, September 22
Creighton Volleyball Postgame Press Conference vs. Kansas - 9/21/25
Monday, September 22
Creighton Volleyball Highlights vs. Kansas, 9/21/25
Monday, September 22
