Sis Named Top Freshman as Volleyball Places Four On All-BIG EAST Team

OMAHA, Neb. -- Four members of the Creighton Volleyball program have earned All-BIG EAST honors, and Norah Sis has been named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year. The league announced the awards on Wednesday following a vote of league coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes.

This year marks the ninth time in as many years as a member of the BIG EAST that Creighton has had multiple all-conference selections, and seventh straight season with three or more First Team selections.

Sis becomes Creighton's third BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, joining Jaali Winters (2015) and current teammate Keeley Davis (2019). The outside hitter from Papillion, Neb., who was also a unanimous All-BIG EAST and All-Freshman Team selection, ranks second in the BIG EAST in kills per set (3.63), third in points per set (4.15), 15th in digs per set (2.98) and 23rd in hitting percentage (.254). She's been a six-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week and owns 73 more kills than any other freshman in the country on a top-25 team. Sis has played her best in some of CU's biggest matches, including 23 kills and 21 digs at UConn, 22 kills and 14 digs vs. Marquette, 20 kills and 11 digs vs. Marquette and a 16 kill, 17 dig performance in a 3-0 win at No. 3 Kentucky. She owns 12 double-doubles overall this fall.

Joining Sis on the All-BIG EAST Team as well as the All-Freshman Team is setter Kendra Wait. Wait leads the BIG EAST in assists per set (10.53) while ranking sixth in hitting percentage (.323), 14th in digs per set (3.06) and 19th in blocks per set (0.82). The Gardner, Kan., product is a five-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honoree and on track to become the first freshman to lead the BIG EAST in assists per set since Marquette's Chelsea Heier in 2011. Wait is one of three freshmen setters for a top-25 team and has 24 more assists than any other freshman on a top-25 club. Wait was named MVP of the Mizzou Invitational to open the season and has collected a team-leading 14 double-doubles this fall, including 40 assists and 21 digs in a road win at Marquette on Oct. 29.

Jaela Zimmerman picks up her third straight All-BIG EAST recognition and is a unanimous choice for the second season in a row. The Lincoln, Neb., native ranks second in the BIG EAST in kills per set (3.71), second in points per set (4.32), 11th in digs per set (3.29) and 17th in aces per set (0.28). Zimmerman was named MVP of the Bluegrass Battle, Bluejay Invitational and Shocker Volleyball Classic on three consecutive weekends in the preseason to set the tone as Creighton went 12-1 in non-conference action. The 2020 AVCA East Region Player of the Year is the league's only player to average at least 3.00 kills and 3.00 digs per set this fall.

After picking up All-Big South Conference honors each of the previous four seasons, senior libero Abby Bottomley was named First Team All-BIG EAST to become the rare student-athlete to be named a First Team All-Conference honoree five times. Bottomley ranks second in the BIG EAST with 4.93 digs per set and is fourth with 0.39 service aces per set. The Virginia Beach, Va., native was named to a pair of All-Tournament Teams in the preseason and ranks tied for 10th in NCAA history with 2,656 career digs. Bottomley was a three-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week honoree this fall and has recorded 10 or more digs in 138-of-150 career contests.

In addition to Sis' recognition as the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, other major award winners were Taylor Wolf (Marquette) and Rachele Rastelli (St. John's) as Co-Players of the Year, Butler's Jaymeson Kinley as Libero of the Year, UConn's McKayla Wuensch winning a new award as Setter of the Year, and DePaul taking home the Coaching Staff of the Year honor.

Thirteen of the 18 All-BIG EAST honorees will play in this weekend's BIG EAST Champonship, as DePaul, Marquette and UConn each had three women honored.

Ranked 22nd nationally with a No. 12 RPI ranking, Creighton (28-3) returns to the floor on Friday at 3 p.m. when it takes on DePaul in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Championship, presented by JEEP. The event will take place in Milwaukee, Wis., and be broadcast on FloSports.

2021 BIG EAST Volleyball Regular Season Awards

BIG EAST Co-Players of the Year
Taylor Wolf, Marquette, Gr., S/RS
Rachele Rastelli, St. John's, Sr., RS

BIG EAST Libero of the Year
Jaymeson Kinley, Butler, Jr., L

BIG EAST Setter of the Year
McKayla Wuensch, UConn, Gr., S

BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Norah Sis, Creighton, Fr., OH

Coaching Staff of the Year
DePaul (Head Coach: Marie Zidek)

All-BIG EAST Team
(listed alphabetically by institution, then last name)
Melody Davidson, Butler, R-Sr., MB ^
Jaymeson Kinley, Butler, Jr., L ^
Kennadie Jake-Turner, UConn Sr., MB
Caylee Parker, UConn, Sr., OH ^
McKayla Wuensch, UConn, Gr., S
Abby Bottomley, Creighton, Sr., L
Norah Sis, Creighton, Fr., OH ^
Kendra Wait, Creighton, Fr., S
Jaela Zimmerman, Creighton, Sr., OH ^
Donna Brown, DePaul, Sr., MB
Jill Pressly, DePaul, So., OH
Emma Price, DePaul, So., L
Savannah Rennie, Marquette, Gr., MB
Hope Werch, Marquette, Gr., OH ^
Taylor Wolf, Marquette, Gr., S/RS ^
Ariadni Kathariou, St. John's, Sr., MB
Rachele Rastelli, St. John's, Sr., RS ^
Carrigan O'Reilly, Xavier, Jr., S

All-BIG EAST Freshman Team
(listed alphabetically by institution, then last name)
Mariah Grunze, Butler, Fr., OH
Norah Sis, Creighton, Fr., OH ^
Kendra Wait, Creighton, Fr., S ^
Shaliyah Rhoden, Providence, Fr., OH ^
Giorgia Walther, St. John's, Fr., OH ^
Rose Crist, Villanova, Fr., OH

^ - denotes unanimous selection

Sis Named Top Freshman as Volleyball Places Four On All-BIG EAST Team

Players Mentioned

Abby Bottomley

Keeley Davis

Norah Sis

Kendra Wait

Jaela Zimmerman

Related Videos