Photo by: Chelsea Nicholson
#24 Volleyball Sweeps Villanova To Earn 20th Win
10/24/2021 3:25:00 PM | Volleyball
Bluejays have won nine straight sets
OMAHA, Neb. -- Annika Welty had a career-high eight blocks to help No. 24 Creighton Volleyball to a 3-0 sweep of visiting Villanova on Sunday at D.J. Sokol Arena.
Scores of Creighton's 20th win of the season were 25-19, 25-17, 25-18. The Bluejays are one game behind Marquette in the BIG EAST standings heading into Friday's showdown in Milwaukee. Creighton (20-3, 8-2 BIG EAST) has now won 20 or more matches 12 times, including nine of the past 10 seasons, with the only exception being last year's COVID-shortened campaign in which the Bluejays only played 16 times and finished 12-4.
Norah Sis had nine kills to pace the Bluejays and Abby Bottomley owned 10 digs, while Keeley Davis and Kendra Wait each served a pair of aces. Welty's eight blocks were two more than her previous season best and one more than her career-high. The Bluejays hit .200 and finished with 33 kills, six aces, 39 digs and 12 blocks.
Villanova (12-10, 4-6 BIG EAST) was led by nine kills by Rose Crist, but star outside hitter Riley Homer (3.69 kps.) was limited to four kills and hit -.120 on 25 swings. Belle Morgan had 17 assists and 11 digs to collect the only double-double of the match. VU had 31 kills, one ace, 42 digs and three blocks on .102 hitting.
A 5-0 run early in the match from Ellie Bolton helped stake Creighton to a 6-3 lead and a Davis kill would end the first set. Nova hit just .030 in 33 swings.
During the second set Creighton trailed 11-9 before pulling following a 4-0 service run by Davis. Sis had four kills, two blocks and an ace in the second set as CU hit .323.
Bottomley served CU to a 6-0 start to open the third set, and Davis followed a short time later with eight straight points to stretch the lead to 16-2. Villanova would threaten and draw within six at 22-16 and 23-17 before the Bluejays won the match on a Wildcat serving error. Creighton's nine kills in the final frame were split amongst seven different Bluejays and Welty owned five blocks in the final set.
Creighton visits Marquette (18-3, 9-1 BIG EAST) on Friday at 7 p.m. in a match that will air on BEDN and FloSports, looking to pick up a season sweep over the Golden Eagles.
NOTES: Creighton improved to 10-0 all-time at home against Villanova, including four straight sweeps ... Creighton's 20-3 start matches the program's best mark ever after 23 contests, also done in 2012 ... Creighton has won 184 straight matches against conference teams when taking a 2-0 lead in the match ... Creighton has won 35 straight October home matches, a streak that is more than a decade old ... Creighton improved to 69-3 all-time in regular-season BIG EAST home matches.
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Scores of Creighton's 20th win of the season were 25-19, 25-17, 25-18. The Bluejays are one game behind Marquette in the BIG EAST standings heading into Friday's showdown in Milwaukee. Creighton (20-3, 8-2 BIG EAST) has now won 20 or more matches 12 times, including nine of the past 10 seasons, with the only exception being last year's COVID-shortened campaign in which the Bluejays only played 16 times and finished 12-4.
Norah Sis had nine kills to pace the Bluejays and Abby Bottomley owned 10 digs, while Keeley Davis and Kendra Wait each served a pair of aces. Welty's eight blocks were two more than her previous season best and one more than her career-high. The Bluejays hit .200 and finished with 33 kills, six aces, 39 digs and 12 blocks.
Villanova (12-10, 4-6 BIG EAST) was led by nine kills by Rose Crist, but star outside hitter Riley Homer (3.69 kps.) was limited to four kills and hit -.120 on 25 swings. Belle Morgan had 17 assists and 11 digs to collect the only double-double of the match. VU had 31 kills, one ace, 42 digs and three blocks on .102 hitting.
A 5-0 run early in the match from Ellie Bolton helped stake Creighton to a 6-3 lead and a Davis kill would end the first set. Nova hit just .030 in 33 swings.
During the second set Creighton trailed 11-9 before pulling following a 4-0 service run by Davis. Sis had four kills, two blocks and an ace in the second set as CU hit .323.
Bottomley served CU to a 6-0 start to open the third set, and Davis followed a short time later with eight straight points to stretch the lead to 16-2. Villanova would threaten and draw within six at 22-16 and 23-17 before the Bluejays won the match on a Wildcat serving error. Creighton's nine kills in the final frame were split amongst seven different Bluejays and Welty owned five blocks in the final set.
Creighton visits Marquette (18-3, 9-1 BIG EAST) on Friday at 7 p.m. in a match that will air on BEDN and FloSports, looking to pick up a season sweep over the Golden Eagles.
NOTES: Creighton improved to 10-0 all-time at home against Villanova, including four straight sweeps ... Creighton's 20-3 start matches the program's best mark ever after 23 contests, also done in 2012 ... Creighton has won 184 straight matches against conference teams when taking a 2-0 lead in the match ... Creighton has won 35 straight October home matches, a streak that is more than a decade old ... Creighton improved to 69-3 all-time in regular-season BIG EAST home matches.
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Team Stats
VU
CU
Kills
31
33
Errors
21
14
Attempts
98
95
Hitting %
.102
.200
Points
35.0
51.0
Assists
30
30
Aces
1
6
Blocks
3.0
12.0
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Players Mentioned
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