Volleyball Opens BIG EAST Championship Friday vs. UConn

This Weekend

April 2   11 am   Connecticut at Creighton (BEDN)   Omaha, Neb. (D.J. Sokol Arena)
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS | UCONN NOTES | CU NOTES | TICKETS

April 2   1:30 pm   Marquette vs. St. John's (BEDN)   Omaha, Neb. (D.J. Sokol Arena)
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS | MU NOTES | SJU NOTES | TICKETS

April 3   11:30 am   Championship Match (FS1)   Omaha, Neb. (D.J. Sokol Arena)
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS | TICKETS

This Weekend
An automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament is on the line as Creighton (10-3, 7-1 BIG EAST) hosts The BIG EAST Championship Presented by JEEP this weekend.
   After earning the top seed in the Midwest Division, the Bluejays will meet the No. 2 seed in the East Division, Connecticut (4-6, 4-4 BIG EAST) in Friday's 11 a.m. semifinal. The Huskies finished third in the East Division but accepted a bid into the tourney on Tuesday after Providence withdrew due to COVID issues within the Friar program.
   Friday's second semifinal is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. and will pit St. John's (10-3, 6-2 BIG EAST) against Marquette (9-3, 4-2 BIG EAST) in a rematch of last year's title tilt. St. John's is the No. 1 seed in the East Division and Marquette the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Division.
   The victors in Friday's semifinals will meet in Saturday's championship match, which is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
   All three matches will be held at D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha, Neb.

Broadcast Information
Friday's semifinal matches will air on The BIG EAST Digital Network presented by SoFi, with links to each match available on the Creighton Volleyball Schedule page, or the BIG EAST's YouTube Channel.
   Saturday's championship match will be televised nationally on FS1 and can also be viewed on FoxSportsGo.com.
   Bob Brainerd and Jill Dorsey Hall will call the action for all three matches.

Live Stats Information
All three matches will have free live stats available at http://Creighton.StatBroadcast.com.
   Fans can also find the links on the GoCreighton.com volleyball schedule page.

Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 10-3 this spring and had the best record in the BIG EAST with a 7-1 league record. Creighton has been ranked in nine of 11 AVCA polls this season, but dropped out last week after a four-set loss to Kansas State.
   The Bluejay offense has been led by Preseason All-BIG EAST selections Jaela Zimmerman (3.46 kps., 2.83 dps.) and Keeley Davis (3.11 kps., 2.57 dps.). Zimmerman owns six double-doubles this year, one more than Davis.
   Senior Naomi Hickman (1.30 kps., 1.26 bps.), Kiara Reinhardt (1.10 kps., 1.10 bps.), Annika Welty (1.88 kps., 0.83 bps.) and Kiana Schmitt (1.58 kps., 0.68 bps., .302%) have helped the Bluejays turn into one of the nation's best blocking teams.
    Ally Van Eekeren (5.48 aps.) and Mahina Pua'a (4.31 aps.) have split time at setter, and former BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week Ellie Bolton (3.50 dps.) has taken over the libero role and had a career-high 28 digs last Saturday in the 3-2 win vs. Xavier that clinched a bid to the BIG EAST Championship.
   Creighton averages 12.76 kills, 14.10 digs, 2.45 blocks and 1.50 aces per set while hitting .229 as a team.
Scouting Connecticut
UConn enters the BIG EAST Championship with a 4-6 overall record and a 4-4 mark in league play. The Huskies won a pair of matches last weekend vs. Seton Hall, then gained the opportunity to play this weekend in Omaha after a COVID issue within the Providence program forced the Friars to withdraw.
   Caylee Parker (3.67 kps., 2.64 dps.) leads the Huskies offensively, while Aset Baker-Falealili averages 3.97 digs per set.
   Courtney Morris (6.32 aps.) and Madi Whitmire (5.59 aps.) share setting duties, and Taylor Pannell (1.62 bps.) is tops in blocks per set in limited action.
   As a team, UConn averages 11.56 kills, 1.62 aces, 14.51 digs and 2.33 blocks per set on .205 hitting.

Creighton Coaches
Creighton is coached by Kirsten Bernthal Booth (Truman State, 1997), who owns a 381-174 record in her 18th season with the Bluejays. She's led Creighton to six straight outright BIG EAST titles, and seven league crowns in the last eight 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. Booth was tabbed BIG EAST Coach of the Year for the third time in 2019.
   The winningest coach in school history, Booth has taken Creighton to its only nine NCAA Tournament bids in the program's modern history. She's also coached CU into the top-25 each of the last nine seasons, another program first.
   Booth came to Creighton after going 112-41 in three years at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. A native of Lincoln, Neb., Booth played volleyball at Truman State, where she was named conference MVP, an Academic All-American and Missouri's 1997 NCAA Woman of the Year. She ranked third in Division II history with 6,077 assists when she graduated.
   Booth is assisted by Angie Oxley Behrens, Craig Dyer and Justin Dueck.

Series History vs. UConn
UConn defeated Creighton in five sets (25-16, 22-25, 17-25, 25-23, 15-13) in the only previous meeting on Sept. 12, 2009 at the Dayton Flyer Invitational in Dayton, Ohio.
   Allie Oelke had 14 kills and Laurel Sanford 10 blocks for CU. UConn was led by 21 kills in 37 swings from Mattison Quayle and got kills on the final two points from Chauntay Mickens.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 0-1 all-time against UConn and has never coached against Ellen Herman-Kimball.

Common Opponents
Despite both teams being members of the BIG EAST Conference, Creighton and UConn have not played any common opponents this season.

BIG EAST Championship History
Creighton is 11-2 all-time in seven previous BIG EAST Championship appearances, including five titles (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018).
   Creighton is 6-1 in the semifinal round and 5-1 in the finals.
   CU has never faced UConn at the BIG EAST Championship.
   Seven of Creighton's last eight teams have reached the conference tournament title match, a stretch that started in 2012 when the Bluejays were members of the Missouri Valley Conference.
   Creighton is 6-2 all-time in conference tournament action inside D.J. Sokol Arena with two titles in four tries. Since joining the BIG EAST, that mark stands at 5-1 with two titles in three tries.
   At 11-2, Creighton is the only team in this weekend's BIG EAST Championship with a winning record in the event all-time. UConn is 11-37, St. John's is 7-7 and Marquette is 10-11.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 11-2 in BIG EAST Championship action with five titles. By comparison, the league's 10 other active coaches have a combined mark of 13-26 in the BIG EAST Championship with two titles.

With a Win...
With a win on Friday, Creighton would...
- Improve to 11-3 with its third straight win, and sixth victory in its last seven outings.
- Improve to 12-2 all-time in the BIG EAST Championship, including a 7-1 mark in the semifinal round.
- Improve to 8-2 at home this season with its fifth straight home victory.
- Kirsten Bernthal Booth would improve to 12-2 at the BIG EAST Championship, while the rest of the league's active coaches would be a combined 14-28 by the day's end.
- Improve to 13-1 all-time in league tournament play as a top seed (11-1 in BIG EAST play).
- Advance to its eighth conference tournament title match in the past nine seasons, a stretch that started with the 2012 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament final.
- Beat UConn for the first time ever, evening the series at 1-1.
- Improve to 27-2 all-time on BEDN.
- Improve to 67-1 in its last 68 home matches against unranked teams.

Booth's Haul
Kirsten Bernthal Booth is one of two volleyball coaches in league history to win five or more BIG EAST Championship titles.
   The only other coach with five or more was Notre Dame's Debbie Brown (9).

BIG EAST Tournament Champions
Creighton Volleyball is seeking the school's seventh different BIG EAST Tournament title won by the school since joining the BIG EAST in the summer of 2013.
   All but one of those titles have been won by the volleyball program.
Creighton's BIG EAST Tournament Titles (6)
Baseball: 2019
Volleyball: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

As The Top Seed
Creighton will be the No. 1 seed at a conference tournament for the eighth time in program history. Six of the previous seven times it has been the No. 1 seed, the Bluejays went on to win the title with two straight wins.
   In 2012, Creighton was the top seed in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in Springfield, Mo., and beat Illinois State and Wichita State.
   In 2014, Creighton was the top seed in the BIG EAST Tournament and beat Xavier and Seton Hall in Milwaukee, Wis.
   In 2015 Creighton hosted the tournament and defeated Marquette and Villanova en route to hoisting the trophy.
   In 2016, Creighton went to Indianapolis, Ind., and swept both Seton Hall and Xavier to win the crown.
   In 2017, Creighton went to Milwaukee, Wis., and beat both Villanova and Marquette to win the title.
   In 2018, Creighton hosted the tournament and topped Villanova and Marquette to bring home the hardware.
   The exception came in the fall of 2019, when Creighton went to Milwaukee, Wis., and lost to St. John's in the semifinals.
   The BIG EAST Championship has been won by the top seed seven of the last eight years, and the No. 1 seed has also gone 15-1 in its last 16 games.

The Case For An At-Large Bid
Should Creighton not win the BIG EAST Championship this weekend, its case is still very strong for an at-large bid. Consider the following ...
- Creighton has been ranked in the top-25 in 9-of-11 polls this season, and among the top three teams 'also receiving votes' in the two weeks it wasn't.
- Per the NCAA, Creighton's opponents have combined to go 131-92. That .587 win percentage ranks as the nation's 26th-toughest schedule.
- Two of Creighton's three losses this season have come in five sets.
- One of Creighton's losses came on the road against the Big 12's third-place team, Kansas State, on a night when CU was without All-Region outside hitters Keeley Davis and Jaela Zimmerman.

All-Tourney Team Recipient Returns
Naomi Hickman is the lone active Bluejay who has won All-Tournament Team honors in the past at the BIG EAST Championship.
   In 2018, Naomi Hickman landed a spot on the All-Tourney Team after she averaged 2.00 kills and 1.86 blocks on .387 hitting.
   The only five Bluejays in program history to be named to the All-Tournament Team at the BIG EAST Championship multiple times are Taryn Kloth (2017, 2018), Lauren Smith (2013, 2014, 2016), Marysa Wilkinson (2014, 2017), Jaali Winters (2016, 2018) and Brittany Witt (2017, 2019).
   All five of those women earned AVCA Honorable-Mention All-America honors at some point in their career, something Hickman has yet to attain.

BEDN Brings Out The Best In the Bluejays
Since the network originated in 2014, Creighton is 26-2 on BEDN. Six of those victories came in five sets.
   CU's first appearance on BEDN this season is scheduled for Friday vs. Connecticut.

More Than One Way To Lead
Naomi Hickman leads the BIG EAST with 1.26 blocks per set and 63 total blocks in all matches.
   The senior from Kansas did herself one better in league play, where she was first in the BIG EAST with 1.33 blocks per set, 40 total blocks and a .363 hitting percentage.
   Since the 2013 realignment of the BIG EAST, the only other players besides Hickman to lead the league in both blocks per set and hitting percentage in conference action were Marquette's Jenna Rosenthal (in 2016) and Butler's Bri Lilly (in 2017).

All Four One
UConn has played 10 matches this season, and all but one have ended in exactly four sets.
   Creighton has played in 13 matches this season and only one has ended in exactly four sets.
   Creighton has won 27 straight matches vs. BIG EAST teams to go exactly four sets dating to Nov. 30, 2013 vs. Marquette.
   UConn has not been swept in any match since Nov. 1, 2019 at East Carolina.

Bressman Breakthrough
Emily Bressman 15 kills and two aces in 32 career matches before a coming out party on March 20 at Kansas State.
   Bressman had a breakout performance with 14 kills and an ace against the Wildcats.
   Though she's been used primarily as a defensive specialist since arriving on campus, Bressman did set the Omaha Marian High School career record with 1,412 kills while a prep.

Zimmerman Earns Defensive Honor
Jaela Zimmerman was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week on March 31st after helping Creighton to a pair of victories last weekend that clinched a spot in the BIG EAST Championship Presented by JEEP.
   A junior from Lincoln, Neb., Zimmerman averaged 2.50 kills, 3.50 digs, 0.62 aces and 0.50 assists per set as Creighton won a pair of matches against second-place Xavier.
    Zimmerman tied her career-high with 19 kills and added 10 digs and three aces in Saturday's 3-2 win vs. Xavier that clinched a BIG EAST Tournament bid for the Bluejays.
    Playing libero for the first time in her career on Sunday, Zimmerman delivered a career-high 18 digs in addition to contributing two aces and a kill in CU's 3-0 sweep of the Musketeers. Xavier hit just .114.
   This is the fourth weekly honor of Zimmerman's season, and fifth of her career, but first time she's been named the Defensive Player of the Week. She has previously been named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 25, 2019 as well as Feb. 2, 2021, March 9, 2021 and March 16, 2021.

Top 25 Jays
Creighton had been ranked in 63 straight polls, the nation's ninth-longest active streak, before falling out on March 22nd and placing second among those 'also receiving votes'. This week CU is third among those 'also receiving votes'.
   It marks the first time that Creighton is unranked since the Oct. 31, 2016 poll was released.
   In program history, Creighton has been ranked 77 times, including 21 weeks in the top-10. CU's all-time best ranking in program history is No. 7, which came in the poll released on Aug. 28, 2017.
   Creighton is one of just nine programs to have spent at least one week in the AVCA Top 10 in each of the previous four seasons, a list that consists of BYU, Creighton, Florida, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford, Texas and Wisconsin.

Title Hunting, Again
Creighton owned the best record in the BIG EAST for the seventh straight season.
   Creighton won the regular-season title the previous six campaigns and would have every right to the 2020 crown, though league officials have indicated that only the BIG EAST Tournament champ will be recognized as a league champion.

6 Straight BIG EAST Regular-Season Titles
With its 2019 title, Creighton became the first team in BIG EAST volleyball history to win six straight outright regular-season titles.
   No team had won six straight regular-season BIG EAST titles (including shares) since Notre Dame won seven in a row from 1999-2005, though the Irish shared the title in 2003 (with Pittsburgh) and 2005 (with Louisville)
   The Bluejay volleyball team is also the first Creighton program in any sport to win six or more consecutive league titles, breaking a tie it had held with the men's soccer program (1992-96).

Players of the Week
Jaela Zimmerman and Ellie Bolton were recognized by the BIG EAST Conference after the duo helped Creighton to a pair of wins at Butler on March 12-13. Zimmerman was named the league's Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this spring, while Bolton brought home Defensive Player of the Week acclaim.
   Bolton averaged 5.33 digs and 1.00 assists per set as Creighton picked up a pair of 3-0 road wins at Butler. The freshman libero from Shawnee, Kan., anchored a defense that limited Butler to just 8.83 kills per set and .062 hitting in six sets. In Friday's 3-0 blanking of Butler, Bolton had 14 digs and a pair of assists. Creighton held Butler to .096 hitting. Bolton concluded her week with 18 digs and four assists in Saturday's sweep. CU held Butler to .033 hitting. This is the first honor of her college career.
    Zimmerman averaged 4.17 kills and 3.50 digs per set while hitting .312 against Butler. On Friday, Zimmerman had 13 kills and nine digs while hitting .448 in a 3-0 sweep. The junior outside hitter from Lincoln, Neb., followed that up with 12 kills, 12 digs and an ace in CU's 3-0 victory on Saturday. It was Zimmerman's second consecutive and third overall Offensive Player of the Week honor this season, as she was previously recognized on Feb. 2 and March 9.

Zimmerman Gets It Done
Junior Jaela Zimmerman owned 10 or more kills in each of the first 11 matches she appeared in this season, a streak that ended last Sunday when she donned the libero jersey for the first time in her career.
   Zimmerman also had 10+ kills in her final seven contests in the fall of 2019, giving her the fourth-longest streak in program history.
   Leah Ratzlaff owns the record with 58 straight, far and away more than anyone else.
CU's Most Consecutive Matches, 10 or More Kills
   58   Leah Ratzlaff, Sept. 13, 2003-Sept. 9, 2005
   21   Jaali Winters, Oct. 6, 2015 - Aug. 28, 2016
   19   JoDe Cieloha, Sept. 26-Nov. 21, 1997
   18   Jaela Zimmerman, Nov. 16, 2019 - March 27, 2021
   14   Kelly Goc, Sept. 8-Oct. 19, 2007

JZ Plays The Hits
Jaela Zimmerman finished with 10 or more kills in each of the first 11 matches she appeared in so far this season. That was the fourth-longest streak of double-figure kills to start a season in Creighton history.
   St. John's Efrosini Alexakou remains the only player in the BIG EAST with 10 or more kills in each match she's played in this season.
CU's Consec. Matches, 10 or More Kills, To Start Year
   29   Leah Ratzlaff   (every match) 2004
   15   Alicia Runge   2010
   12   Amanda Cvejdlik   2006
   11   Jaela Zimmerman   2020
   8   JoDe Cieloha   1994
   7   Leah Ratzlaff   2003
   7   Leah Ratzlaff   2005

Biggest Block Wins
Creighton averages 2.45 blocks per set, a figure that leads the BIG EAST and ranks 46th nationally.
   Leading the way for the Bluejays are Naomi Hickman (1.26 bps.) and Kiara Reinhardt (1.10 bps.). Hickman leads the BIG EAST and ranks 43rd nationally in blocks per set, while Reinhardt is fifth in the BIG EAST with 1.10 blocks per set, a figure that also places her 21st nationally among freshmen and 103rd overall nationally.
   Hickman owns 325 career block assists, a figure that ranks in the top-10 in program history.
Block Assists, Career
       Name   Sets   No.   Years
   1.   Kelli Browning   424   547   2011-14
   2.   Jessica Houts   451   536   2005-09
   3.   Lauren Smith   511   499   2013-16
   4.   Megan Bober   480   380   2009-12
   5.   Laurel Sanford   369   376   2008-11
   6.   Marysa Wilkinson   499   374   2014-17
   7.   Ashley Williams   359   347   2001-04
   8.   Megan Ballenger   450   343   2016-19
   9.   JoDe Cieloha   398   331   1994-97
   10.   Naomi Hickman   358   325   2017-Pr.

Keeley's 500
Keeley Davis enters this weekend with 501 career kills, reaching the 500 kill milestone last Sunday in her 43rd career match.
   She's tied with JoDe Cieloha for the third-fastest Bluejay in program history to reach that milestone, trailing only program icons Jaali Winters and Melissa Walsh.
Creighton's Quickest Players To 500 Kills (Career)
Name   MP   Date   Opponent
Jaali Winters   34   12/04/15   vs. Coastal Carolina
Melissa Walsh   37   09/25/99   Indiana State
JoDe Cieloha   43   10/15/95   at Indiana State
Keeley Davis   43   03/28/21   Xavier
Amanda Cvejdlik   44   10/13/06   at Wichita State
Leah Ratzlaff   46   10/18/03   at Illinois State

On The Run
Every team has a rotation where it can feel confident to generate some separation based on who is serving.
   Creighton has gone on some serious runs this season, and each time it seems like a different person is at the service line.
   Creighton ended its five-set win on Jan. 31 vs. South Dakota with a 7-0 run with Kiara Reinhardt serving.
   On Feb. 5th vs. Marquette, Keeley Davis authored a 12-0 run to establish some momentum and put the Jays ahead 17-5 in the first set.
   Also on Feb. 5th, Mahina Pua'a served up back-to-back aces to end the match vs. Marquette as part of a 4-0 run.
5-Point Serving Runs This Season
   6   Keeley Davis
   6   Ally Van Eekeren
   5   Kiara Reinhardt
   5   Jaela Zimmerman
   3   Erica Kostelac
   1   Emily Bressman
   1   Mahina Pua'a

Let's Play Five
Creighton and South Dakota split a pair of five-set matches on Jan. 29 and Jan. 31.
   It's the first time Creighton has played the same team in multiple five-set matches in the same season since going 2-0 in 2017 vs. Butler.
   It's the first time Creighton has split five-set matches against the same team in the same season since Wichita State in 2010.
   It's the first time Creighton has split five-set matches against the same team in the same season with the road team winning each time since Indiana State in 2000.
   Creighton followed the five-setters vs. South Dakota with a five-set match vs. Marquette. It was the first time since CU's memorable 2016 NCAA Tournament run that the program played in three consecutive five-setters.

Feb. 5-6 Now League Matches
The BIG EAST notified both Creighton and Marquette on Feb. 25th that the matches between the schools on Feb. 5-6 in Omaha will be counted as conference matches after all.
   The contests were scheduled as non-conference play, but the decision was made to change that after a COVID pause within the Bluejay program caused the Feb. 19-20 matches to be postponed.

League Opener Histories
The Feb. 5 win vs. Marquette improved Creighton to a 19-8 record all-time in conference openers, including a 16-2 record under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. That includes a 7-1 mark in BIG EAST lid-lifters, and seven straight wins.
   Each of the last eight times that Creighton won its league opener (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020), the Bluejays went on to win the regular-season title (or the Midwest Division), going a combined 126-8 in regular-season league action. Creighton also won six of the conference tournament titles during those years, going 12-1 in those seasons entering this weekend.
   In the 18 seasons (including 2020) that Creighton has won its conference opener, it has never finished worse than .500 in league play and it owns a combined .759 (252-80) winning percentage in league matches.
    In the eight years in which Creighton lost its league opener, the Jays have had a losing record five times and it owns a combined .363 (53-93) winning percentage during league contests.
   In conference home openers, Creighton is 22-5 overall and 16-2 under Booth, with 10 straight wins.
   In league road openers, Creighton is 18-9 overall and 15-3 under Booth, with six straight wins.

BIG EAST's Best
Since the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST in the summer of 2013, Creighton, Marquette and St. John's are the only teams to win any sort of BIG EAST volleyball title.
   Marquette won the regular-season and tournament title in 2013, while Creighton swept both titles in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. CU won the 2019 regular-season crown, while St. John's upset nationally-ranked Creighton and Marquette to bring home the 2019 tournament title. In 2020, Creighton won the Midwest Division regular-season title, while St. John's claimed the East Division crown.
   Below is a look at the record of each BIG EAST team since the league's realignment in 2013:
BIG EAST VB Standings Since 2013 (through 4/1/21)
             BIG EAST only   All   matches
Team (NCAA Bids)   W   L   W   L
Creighton (7)   121   11   194   55
Marquette (7)   104   25   182   62
Xavier   78   52   118   111
Butler   71   61   126   106
Villanova (1)   70   62   129   100
St. John's (1)   65   67   138   104
Seton Hall (1)   60   70   112   120
Georgetown   30   95   76   139
DePaul   28   104   81   138
Providence*   18   98   67   134
Connecticut#   4   4   4   6
*Providence rejoined the league for volleyball in 2014 and
its 2013 overall record (12-20) is not included above.
#Connecticut rejoined the league in 2020 and
its record from 2013-19 (96-121) is not included above.

What's The Difference?
En route to its league titles in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, Creighton compiled an 102-6 record in BIG EAST regular-season play. The Jays won those six titles by a combined 13.5 games over their nearest competitors, meaning if you took the record for the best second-place club each year they'd be 88-19.
   Add in Creighton's 2020 Midwest Division title and the Bluejays are 113-7 in BIG EAST against league teams in the regular-season since 2014.

Bouncing Back
Creighton is 138-12 (.920) in league play since the start of the 2012 campaign, a stat that includes CU's final season in the MVC.
   After all 12 occasions where it lost, Creighton responded with a victory in its next match.
   Creighton has not lost consecutive league matches since suffering a three-match skid in November of 2011.

Davis Doubles Up
Keeley Davis had double-doubles in both matches vs. South Dakota on Jan. 29-31, as the sophomore had 14 kills and 19 digs on Friday before turning in 20 kills and 17 digs on Sunday.
   In 31 matches last season, Davis had a total of two double-doubles. Both of those came in her final four contests.
   Davis had 303 kills and 97 digs in her first 27 career matches, but since then has 198 kills and 168 digs in her past 16 contests.

BIG EAST Preseason Poll
Though it has won six straight BIG EAST regular-season titles, this year marks the first time since 2017 that Creighton Volleyball has been picked to win the BIG EAST.
   Last season CU was picked second and went 17-1 in league play en route to a sixth straight regular-season title.
   This spring, a preseason poll of BIG EAST coaches tabbed Creighton as the favorite in the Midwest Division with 3-of-5 first place votes, good for 15 points. That edged our Marquette (14 points, 2 first place votes) and also outdistanced DePaul (8), Xavier (7) and Butler (6).
   The East Division was headed by St. John's (16 points, 4 first place votes) and Villanova (13, 1) and rounded out by Connecticut (8), Seton Hall (7) and Providence (6).
   Creighton also had three women named to the 13 member on the BIG EAST's preseason all-conference team, as Keeley Davis, Erica Kostelac and Jaela Zimmerman were all honored. Zimmerman was a unanimous selection.
   Creighton has finished in the spot predicted of it or better in the preseason poll in 15 of 17 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
2019   2nd   1st   #1
2020   1st   1st   - -

Top 25 History
Creighton is 19-80 all-time against teams in the top-25 of the AVCA poll, but 14-14 since the start of the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
   An opening-weekend 2017 win at No. 3 Washington is the highest-ranked team that the Bluejays have ever beaten, surpassing a win at No. 4 Kansas the previous December.
   Creighton is 7-32 all-time against top-10 foes (7-25 under Kirsten Bernthal Booth).
   Creighton lost its first 31 true road matches against top-25 foes, but has 'improved' to 6-38 after wins in recent seasons at No. 23 North Carolina (2015), No. 4 Kansas (2016), No. 3 Washington (2017), No. 7 Kansas (2017), No. 18 Marquette (2018) and No. 10 Marquette (2019).
   Creighton is 120-31 all-time when playing as a ranked team, and also 15-19 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, 34 of Creighton's 59 losses have come against ranked teams. In that same period, Creighton is 206-24 against unranked teams. Creighton has won all but one of its past 67 home matches over unranked teams and all but four of its last 59 matches at all sites against unranked teams.
   After a total of three top-25 wins from 1994-2014, Creighton enters this season having earned multiple top-25 victories in every season since 2015. That includes a record-tying four top-25 victories last season.
Ranked vs. Ranked (CU is 15-19)
Home: 5-6   Away: 5-7    Neutral: 5-6
Date   Winner   Loser   CU Score
11/19/12   #11 Minnesota   #21 Creighton   1-3
08/30/13   #25 Creighton   #13 BYU   3-1
09/14/13   #11 UCLA   #24 Creighton   1-3
09/16/13   #7 Hawaii   #23 Creighton   2-3
08/30/14   #22 Kansas   #23 Creighton   1-3
09/03/16   #23 Kentucky   #22 Creighton   0-3
12/02/16   #21 Creighton   #4 Kansas   3-2
12/09/16   #21 Creighton   #17 Michigan   3-2
12/10/16   #5 Texas   #21 Creighton   0-3
08/26/17   #9 Creighton   #3 Washington   3-1
09/01/17   #7 Creighton   #13 Kentucky   3-0
09/02/17   #18 USC   #7 Creighton   0-3
09/08/17   #17 Purdue   #9 Creighton   1-3
09/09/17   #9 Creighton   #7 Kansas   3-0
09/16/17   #19 Iowa State   #8 Creighton   2-3
12/12/17   #12 Michigan St.   #15 Creighton   1-3
08/24/18   #13 Creighton   #5 Kentucky   3-2
08/25/18   #10 USC   #13 Creighton   2-3
09/06/18   #7 Nebraska   #14 Creighton   2-3
09/15/18   #8 Illinois   #10 Creighton   1-3
09/23/18   #10 Creighton   #21 Marquette   3-0
10/26/18   #10 Creighton   #18 Marquette   3-1
11/24/18   #9 Creighton   #16 Marquette   3-1
12/01/18   #22 Washington   #9 Creighton   0-3
08/30/19   #2 Nebraska   #18 Creighton   1-3
08/31/19   #20 Baylor   #18 Creighton   0-3
09/06/19   #23 Creighton   #12 Kentucky   3-1
09/07/19   #23 Creighton   #15 USC   3-1
09/14/19   #12 Washington   #17 Creighton   1-3
10/12/19   #13 Creighton   #10 Marquette   3-2
11/22/19   #12 Creighton   #9 Marquette   3-1
12/07/19   #7 Minnesota   #15 Creighton   2-3
02/05/21   #19 Creighton   #25 Marquette   3-2
02/06/21   #25 Marquette   #19 Creighton   3-0

Hickman For The Block
Naomi Hickman has been a force at the net throughout her career, but her game seems to step up a notch when she's playing against Marquette.
   In 34 career sets vs. Marquette, Hickman owns an astounding 54 blocks. That's good for a 1.59 blocks per set average, and it's coming against what has traditionally been one of the nation's best offenses.
   Hickman owns four career matches with 10 or more blocks, with three of those coming against Marquette. She's the only player in Creighton history to produce three matches of 10+ blocks against the same opponent.
Most Blocks In A Match - Naomi Hickman
   Blocks   Opponent, BA-BS, Sets   Date
   11   Hickman at #10 Marquette (1-10 in 5s)   10-12-19
   11   Hickman vs. #25 Marquette (0-11 in 5s)   02-05-21
   10   Hickman vs. #9 Marquette (0-10 in 4s)   11-22-19
   10   Hickman vs. DePaul (1-9 in 4s)   11-24-19

Matches With 10+ Blocks, Career
   10+ Blocks   Name   Years
   9   Kelli Browning   2011-14
   5   Laurel Sanford   2008-11
   4   Ashley Williams   2001-04
   4   Jessica Houts   2006-09
   4   Lauren Smith   2013-16
   4   Naomi Hickman   2017-Present
   3   JoDe Cieloha   1994-97

On The Double
Creighton had four players register a double-double on Feb. 5th in its five-set win vs. No. 25 Marquette, as Ally Van Eekeren (20 assists, 13 digs), Mahina Pua'a (20 assists, 11 digs), Keeley Davis (11 kills, 12 digs) and Jaela Zimmerman (19 kills, 15 digs) each had a double-dip.
   It was the first time Creighton had as much as three double-doubles in the same contest since Davis, Zimmerman and Madelyn Cole each did so at No. 7 Minnesota in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
   It was the first time Creighton had four double-doubles in the same match since Nov. 20, 2015, when Jaali Winters, Samantha Bohnet, Jess Bird and Lauren Smith did it at Georgetown.
   Pua'a (20) and Van Eekeren (24) had combined to play in 44 career Division I matches entering that match, but neither woman had ever attained a double-double. Both women had a double-double not only that evening, but also the following day as well vs. Marquette.

Zimmerman Earns League Award
Creighton's Jaela Zimmerman was recognized as the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week on Feb. 2. The recognition actually covered the first two weekends of the season since the majority of the league did not play on the opening weekend.
   Zimmerman averaged 3.50 kills, 2.25 digs, 0.81 blocks and 0.25 aces per set while hitting .252 to lead Creighton to a 3-1 start to the season. The Lincoln native had a pair of double-doubles in those contests.
    She had 11 kills, 12 digs and a career-best six blocks in CU's season-opening victory vs. Nebraska-Omaha on Jan. 22. Two days later Zimmerman had 12 kills, four digs, three blocks and two aces on .320 hitting in a victory over defending MVC champion Northern Iowa.
    In a weekend home-and-home vs. South Dakota, the junior starred. She had a career-high 19 kills and added seven digs, two blocks and two aces on .259 hitting on Jan. 31, then contributed 14 kills, 13 digs and two blocks in the rematch on Sunday as the Jays rallied from an 0-2 hole.
   This is the second time Zimmerman has been recognized as BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week, having also been honored on Nov. 25, 2019 following wins vs. No. 9 Marquette and DePaul that helped Creighton clinch a sixth straight BIG EAST regular-season title.
   Zimmerman earned the third such honor of her career on March 9, 2021 and a fourth recognition on March 16, 2021.

Reverse Sweeps A Trend
On Jan. 29, Creighton won the first two sets vs. South Dakota before losing the next three. On Jan. 31, it was just the opposite as the Coyotes won the first two sets before the Bluejays answered by winning the next three frames.
   A "reverse sweep" like that is rather uncommon in the college game. Since Creighton restarted its volleyball program in 1994, the Bluejays have gone 314-11 when leading a match 2-0 and 15-200 when trailing a match 2-0.
   Prior to South Dakota this spring, the only other time that Creighton has traded reverse sweeps against the same team in the same season was in 1999 against Drake, with the road team winning each contest.

2-0 Better Than 0-2
Creighton is 314-11 (.966) all-time when leading a match 2-0, including a 257-5 mark (.981) under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. CU is 184-3 when up 2-0 dating to September of 2009, and 96-1 all-time at D.J. Sokol Arena when up 2-0 at the break.
   Per RichKern.com, Division I teams that won the first two sets won 95.0 percent of their matches from 2009-18.
   Conversely, the Jays are 15-200 (.070) all-time when trailing a match 0-2. Those 15 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
01/31/21   at So. Dakota   25-20, 25-23, 15-7   Booth

Set 1 Result A Strong Indicator
Creighton is 318-31 (.911) overall under Kirsten Bernthal Booth when it wins set one. In that same time span, CU is just 63-143 (.306) under Booth when it drops the first set.
   All-time in BIG EAST Tournament play Creighton is 8-0 when it wins the first set. The Jays are 15-1 all-time (14-1 under Booth) when winning the first set in a league tournament with 14 straight wins since a 2003 setback.
   Per RichKern.com, Division I teams that lost the first set in 2018 won just 20.7 percent of their matches that season, and 20.2 percent of their matches from 2009-18.
   Since Aug. 29, 2010, Creighton has gone 109-3 in its last 112 home matches when taking a 1-0 lead, losing only on Sept. 12, 2015 to Pacific, on Sept. 6, 2018 to No. 7 Nebraska and on Jan. 29, 2021 to South Dakota.
   Creighton has gone 50-1 in its last 51 matches when winning the first set, compared to a 6-9 record in that same span when dropping the opener.
   Creighton has gone 92-1 in its last 93 matches against unranked foes when winning the opening set.

Third Set's A Charm
Since an Oct. 10, 2014 loss at Seton Hall, Creighton is a perfect 99-0 against BIG EAST teams (91-0 in the regular-season and 8-0 in league tournament play) when winning the third set.

Survival of the Fittest
Creighton has won nine matches under Kirsten Bernthal Booth after surviving an opponent's match point, including its season-opening win over No. 5 Kentucky in 2018 and vs. UTSA in 2011. Three of those comeback wins have come against Wichita State.
   On the other hand, Creighton is 381-3 under Booth when it reaches a match point opportunity, falling only when it wasted two match points on Sept. 4, 2010 to Iowa, two match points on Nov. 1, 2013 in a loss to St. John's, and two match points on Dec. 7, 2019 in an NCAA Tournament loss at No. 7 Minnesota.
Surviving Match Points, Under Booth
Date   Opponent   MP(s) Faced   Final Set 5
08/30/03   vs. McNeese State   13-14, 15-16   18-16
10/10/03   Wichita State   13-14   16-14
10/13/06   at Wichita State   12-14, 13-14, 14-15   17-15
09/11/07   at Drake   13-14, 14-15   17-15
08/26/11   vs. UTSA   12-14, 13-14   16-14
11/16/12   at Wichita State   13-14   16-14
09/20/15   Kansas State   23-24 (4th set)   15-13
11/20/15   at Georgetown   23-24, 26-27 (4th set)   15-7
08/24/18   vs. #5 Kentucky   16-15, 19-18   22-20

Taking The Fifth
Creighton is 61-31 in five-set matches under Kirsten Bernthal Booth, including a 4-1 mark this season 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 16 of its last 21 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, a 2018 win at Butler, wins at UNI and No. 10 Marquette in 2019 and at South Dakota in the 2020 campaign.
   It's also worth noting that Creighton is 15-4 all-time in five-set home matches at D.J. Sokol Arena.
   Creighton's back-to-back-to-back five-set matches vs. South Dakota (twice) and Marquette (Jan. 29-Feb. 5) were its first span of three consecutive five-setters since a stretch of three in a row (all wins) during the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
   Below is a list of Creighton's record in five-set matches on a yearly basis:
Year   Set 5 W-L   Total W-L
1994   0-2   5-20
1995   0-2   11-19
1996   2-6   9-19
1997   3-5   15-13
1998   2-3   7-18
1999   3-3   13-15
2000   3-3   16-12
2001   1-1   14-13
2002   1-3   3-23
2003   5-1   12-18
2004   4-0   18-11
2005   3-1   16-14
2006   4-2   21-10
2007   2-0   21-10
2008   2-3   18-9
2009   1-4   14-17
2010   3-3   21-12
2011   5-2   17-14
2012   4-1   29-4
2013   3-2   23-9
2014   3-2   25-9
2015   5-2   27-9
2016   4-3   29-7
2017   4-1   26-7
2018   3-2   29-5
2019   2-1   25-6
2020   4-1   10-3
Total   76-59   474-326

Familiar Face
Senior Naomi Hickman has started Creighton's season opener each of the past four years, becoming the 16th player to start four season openers.
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
Naomi Hickman   2017-20

Some Fab Freshmen
Including Kiara Reinhardt this season, Creighton has started 12 different true freshmen in its season opener since 2009, and 16 such players since 2000.
   Since 2000, the only true freshmen to start CU's season-opener have been Brittany Coleman (2003), Carolyn Decker (2004), Korie Lebeda (2005), Allie Oelke (2007), Brooke Boggs (2009), Heather Thorson (2009), Julianne Mandolfo (2010), Katie Neisler (2011), Michelle Sicner (2011), Melanie Jereb (2012), Ashley Jansen (2012), Jess Bird (2013), Jaali Winters (2015), Naomi Hickman (2017), Emily Bressman (2019) and Kiara Reinhardt (2020). In addition, CU also started redshirt freshmen Lauren Smith (2013) and Brittany Lawrence (2015), as well as transfers Maggie Baumert (2014), Lydia Dimke (2016), Madelyn Cole (2018), Erica Kostelac (2019) and Mahina Pua'a (2020) in season-openers.
   Seven of those women (Coleman, Decker, Lebeda, Oelke, Mandolfo, Sicner and Jereb) went on to land a spot on the MVC's All-Freshman Team. Winters was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in 2015, Dimke was named BIG EAST Player of the Year in 2016 and Keeley Davis was BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in 2019, though Davis didn't start her debut.

Production Returns
Creighton returns 10-of-14 letterwinners to the court from last season, including four starters.
   From last year's team, only Megan Ballenger, Madelyn Cole, Megan Sharkey and Brittany Witt are not back.
   Below is a breakdown of the production that is back:
Stat   Returners   Departures
Kills   1193 (79.5%)   307 (20.5%)
Points   1437.0 (75.1%)   476.0 (24.9%)
Matches Started   124 (66.7%)   62 (33.3%)
Aces   110 (59.5%)   75 (40.5%)
Blocks   134 (58.8%)   94.0 (41.2%)
Digs   793 (47.7%)   868 (52.3%)
Assists   101 (7.2%)   1297 (92.8%)

Select Company
The BIG EAST's Creighton and Marquette are two of 15 teams nationally to have appeared in each of the last eight NCAA Tournaments (2012-19). That group features BYU, Colorado State, Creighton, Florida, Florida State, Hawaii, Kentucky, Marquette, Nebraska, Penn State, San Diego, Stanford, Texas, USC and Washington.
   Creighton is one of 13 teams to win a match in each of the last five NCAA Tournaments (2015-19). 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, 2018 and 2019. That list includes BYU, Creighton, Florida, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.
   Creighton is one of 13 schools with eight straight seasons of 20+ wins (2012-19). That list features American, BYU, Colorado State, Creighton, Florida, 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 eight seasons (2012-19). That group consists of BYU, Creighton, Florida, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford and Texas.
   Creighton is one of just three schools nationally who have won 25 matches or more in each of the previous six seasons (2014-19). That group consists of BYU, Creighton and Florida.
   Creighton is one of just nine programs to have spent at least one week in the AVCA Top 10 in each of the previous four seasons, (2016-19) a list that consists of BYU, Creighton, Florida, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford, Texas and Wisconsin.

Ranked To Start The Year
Creighton started this season ranked No. 15 in the AVCA Coaches poll. It was the seventh time in the past eight campaigns that CU's been ranked in the preseason AVCA poll, and fifth straight season.
   Only 12 teams have been ranked in the preseason each of the last four years: BYU, Creighton, Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Purdue, Stanford, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. Those same 12 teams are the only programs to be ranked in the preseason in seven of the last eight campaigns.
   Being ranked in the preseason poll is no guarantee of future success, however. In the last 12 seasons, only 214-of-300 teams (71.3 percent) would be in both the preseason and postseason AVCA Top 25 polls.
   Since 2008, all but 31 teams (of 300) named in the preseason AVCA Top 25 poll would go on to reach the NCAA Tournament (89.7 percent).
Creighton's History in the AVCA Preseason Poll
   Year   Preseason Rank   Final W-L   Final Rank
   2013   25th   23-9   NR
   2014   23rd   25-9   NR
   2016   18th   27-9   9th
   2017   9th   26-7   16th
   2018   13th   29-5   13th
   2019   18th   25-6   16th
   2020   15th   TBA   TBA

Setting The Table
Creighton started a different setter in its season-opening match for the seventh time in the past nine seasons when Mahina Pua'a got the nod vs. Nebraska-Omaha.
   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, while Madelyn Cole started in 2018 and 2019.
   The revolving door at setter hasn't hurt the team in that time, as each of the previous eight seasons ended in the NCAA Tournament, and six of them saw Creighton win conference titles.
   Creighton has won seven of the nine previous season-opening matches.

Ranked At Year's End, Again
The Creighton Volleyball team finished last season ranked 16th in the year-end American Volleyball Coaches Association poll.
   It was the fifth straight season that Creighton was ranked in the year-end AVCA poll, something only 10 schools (BYU, Creighton, Florida, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin) can claim.
   Creighton has now been ranked in the year-end poll on six occasions. The Bluejays were No. 24 in 2012, No. 19 in 2015, No. 9 in 2016, No. 16 in 2017 and No. 13 in 2018 before the No. 16 ranking in 2019.

Home Sweet Home
Including 2020, Creighton has gone unbeaten at home in league play in six of the last nine seasons (2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019).
   Creighton is 65-3 all-time (.956) in regular-season BIG EAST play at D.J. Sokol Arena, falling once each to St. John's (2013), Seton Hall (2014) and Marquette (2020). MU's win on Feb. 6, 2021 snapped CU's 46-match home win streak in league play.
   Since D.J. Sokol Arena opened in 2009, Creighton is 96-8 (.923) all-time in regular-season conference matches in the facility.
   Creighton has won all 13 regular-season meetings with St. John's since that 2013 upset, and all 12 encounters versus Seton Hall since dropping the home match in 2014. It has not faced Marquette yet since the loss.
   The Bluejays have had a winning record in conference home matches each of the last 15 seasons. That streak that dates back to its days at the Omaha Civic Auditorium, a site that was torn down five years ago and no longer exists.

Coyotes Snap Some Streaks
South Dakota upset Creighton on Jan. 29th and are the lone blemish in some otherwise impressive streaks. After Jan. 29th, the following was true:
- Creighton was 86-1 in its last 87 matches against unranked teams when winning set one.
- Creighton was 94-1 all-time at D.J. Sokol Arena when leading a match 2-0.
- Creighton was 61-1 in its last 62 home matches against unranked teams and was 108-5 in its last 113 matches at all sites against unranked teams.
- Creighton was 40-1 in its last 41 matches against teams that enter the match with a record below .500.
- Creighton had gone 43-1 in its last 44 matches when winning the first set, compared to a 6-7 record in that same span when dropping the opener.
- Creighton was 12-1 in its last 13 home matches.

Against NCAA Tournament Qualifiers
Last season Creighton played nine matches against 2018 NCAA Tournament qualifiers, going 5-4 against such teams.
   This year's team has gone 2-1 in three matches (two vs. Marquette, one vs. Northern Iowa) scheduled against teams that made the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
   After going 3-35 against teams coming off NCAA Tournament bids prior to Kirsten Bernthal Booth's arrival, the Jays are 85-100 since.
Year   W-L vs. Previous Season NCAA Teams
1994   0-4
1995   0-2
1996   0-2
1997   0-3
1998   0-5
1999   2-4
2000   0-4
2001   1-6
2002   0-5
2003   0-3
2004   2-2
2005   0-6
2006   4-6
2007   4-9
2008   6-8
2009   1-11
2010   4-7
2011   2-6
2012   8-3
2013   6-6
2014   4-5
2015   11-5
2016   10-7
2017   8-6
2018   8-5
2019   5-4
2020   2-1
TOTAL   88-135
TOTAL Under Booth   85-100

Marian Pipeline
This is the 18th straight season that Creighton Volleyball had at least one product of Omaha Marian High School on the roster, as sophomore Emily Bressman keeps the streak alive. Believe it or not, this year marks the first time since 2011 that there hasn't been multiple Marian grads.
   Each of the last nine 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.
2020: Emily Bressman
2019: Emily Bressman, Brittany Witt
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

Eight Straight NCAA's
Creighton Volleyball has made the NCAA Tournament in each of the last eight seasons. They are the first women's team in any sport at Creighton to make eight straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
   The only other sport in Creighton history to make eight straight NCAA Tournament appearances is the men's soccer program, which qualified in 17 straight seasons from 1992-2008.
   Creighton is one of 15 teams nationally to have appeared in each of the last eight NCAA Tournaments. That group features BYU, Colorado State, Creighton, Florida, Florida State, Hawaii, Kentucky, Marquette, Nebraska, Penn State, San Diego, Stanford, Texas, USC and Washington.
   Creighton is one of 13 teams to win a match in each of the last five NCAA Tournaments (2015-19). That group includes BYU, Creighton, Florida, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Purdue, Penn State, Stanford, Texas, USC, Washington and Wisconsin.

Nine Is Divine
Kirsten Bernthal Booth is in some select company, as she has directed her team to nine 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 nine 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   9
Dana Altman   Men's Basketball   7
Brent Vigness   Softball   7
Elmar Bolowich   Men's Soccer   6
Greg McDermott   Men's Basketball   6

Climbing The List
Kirsten Bernthal Booth became Creighton Volleyball's winningest coach in the program's modern history on August 26, 2007, and hasn't let up.
   Booth won her 300th match at CU on Sept. 24 vs. Villanova, and now owns 381 victories on the Bluejay sideline to rank fifth in school history.
Coach, Sport   Victories (as of 3/29/21)
Brent Vigness, Softball   797*
Ed Servais, Baseball   569*
Mary Higgins, Softball   564
Tom Lilly, Men's & Women's Tennis   474*
Kirsten Bernthal Booth, Volleyball   381*
Jim Flanery, Women's Basketball   356*
Ed Hubbs, Men's & Women's Tennis   347
Dana Altman, Men's Basketball   327
*still active coaching at Creighton

Year-By-Year In Non-Conference Play
Despite annually facing one of the nation's toughest non-conference schedules, Creighton has continued to excel against elite competition.
   Creighton is 6-9 against ranked non-conference foes over the last three seasons after going 2-43 all-time vs. ranked teams in regular-season non-conference matches.
Non-Conference Records, By Year, Under Booth
Year   Non-Con W-L   vs. Ranked Non-Con   Final W-L
2003   3-8   0-0   12-18
2004   8-2   0-1   18-11
2005   6-5   0-3   16-14
2006   8-3   0-1   21-10
2007   6-5   0-3   21-10
2008   3-5   0-3   18-9
2009   3-8   0-3   14-17
2010   5-5   0-1   21-12
2011   5-7   0-1   17-14
2012   9-2   0-1   29-4
2013   9-3   1-2   23-9
2014   7-6   0-5   25-9
2015   6-7   1-4   27-9
2016   6-6   0-4   29-7
2017   7-4   3-3   26-7
2018   8-4   1-3   29-5
2019   7-3   2-3   25-6
2020   3-2   0-0   10-3 so far

Up To Speed on Seeds
Though they weren't a seed in the fall of 2019, Creighton is one of 13 schools to be a national seed in three of the last five NCAA Tournaments.
   BYU, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford and Texas have been national seeds all five times.
   Florida, Washington and Wisconsin have been a national seed four of those five seasons.
   Creighton, Kentucky, UCLA, and USC have each been national seeds three times in that span.

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 132 wins against BIG EAST competition (including BIG EAST Championship play) since 2013, 25 more wins than Marquette for most in the league.
   CU still has not lost to five league foes (Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Providence, Xavier) since joining the BIG EAST, and Seton Hall (3), Marquette (4), Villanova (3) and St. John's (2) are the only BIG EAST programs to top the Bluejays multiple times since 2013.
Opponent   Reg. Season   BE Tourney   Total
Butler   15-1   -   15-1
Connecticut   0-0   -   0-0
DePaul   16-0   -   16-0
Georgetown   14-0   -   14-0
Marquette   13-3   3-1   16-4
Providence   12-0   -   12-0
Seton Hall   11-3   2-0   13-3
St. John's   13-1   0-1   13-2
Villanova   11-3   3-0   14-3
Xavier   16-0   3-0   19-0
Total   121-11   11-2   132-13

Another 20 Win Season
Creighton went 25-6 in 2019. It was the 11th time in the program's modern history, and eighth straight season, of 20 or more victories.
   Keep in mind that when Kirsten Bernthal Booth was hired in 2003, Creighton's modern day single-season record for wins was 16, and the Bluejays were coming off a 3-23 campaign.
   Creighton is one of 13 schools with eight straight seasons (2012-19) of 20+ wins. That list features American, BYU, Colorado State, Creighton, Florida, Kentucky, Marquette, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford, Texas, Washington and Western Kentucky.

Last Season Summary
Creighton went 25-6 in a fall 2019 season that saw the Bluejays win a sixth straight BIG EAST regular-season title and one point away from a third trip to the Sweet 16 in the last five years.
   The Bluejays had five women earn All-BIG EAST honors. Libero Brittany Witt (5.09 dps.) was named Third Team All-American and earned her second BIG EAST Libero of the Year award. Setter Madelyn Cole (11.02 aps.) was tabbed Honorable-Mention All-American and AVCA East Region Player of the Year. Megan Ballenger (2.07 kps., 0.97 bps.) controlled the middle, and outside hitters Jaela Zimmerman (3.13 kps.) and BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Keeley Davis (3.35 kps.) had breakthrough seasons.
   Creighton had four wins over teams ranked in the top-15 (No. 9 Marquette, No. 10 Marquette, No. 12 Kentucky and No. 15 USC) and finished 12-1 at home.

Volleyball Opens BIG EAST Championship Friday vs. UConn

Players Mentioned

Megan Ballenger

Ellie Bolton

Emily Bressman

Madelyn Cole

Keeley Davis

Naomi Hickman

Erica Kostelac

Mahina Pua'a

Kiara Reinhardt

Kiana Schmitt

Megan Sharkey

Ally Van Eekeren

Annika Welty

Brittany Witt

Jaela Zimmerman

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