Friday, August 27
Columbia, Mo.
5:00 PM
Creighton University
2-0
3
vs
0
Saint Louis
1-1
1
2
3
F
Creighton
25
25
25
3
Saint Louis
15
20
16
0
Photo by: Chelsea Nicholson
Volleyball Handles Billikens, Improves To 2-0
8/27/2021 6:25:00 PM | Volleyball
Jays take on Missouri on Saturday
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Creighton Volleyball closed out the opening day of the regular-season with a 2-0 record after sweeping Saint Louis on Friday evening at the Mizzou Invitational in Columbia, Mo. Scores of the match in CU's favor were 25-15, 25-20, 25-16.
Earlier in the day Creighton swept Kansas City by a 25-23, 25-13, 25-12 count.
Creighton never trailed in the first set, racing to an 8-2 lead. The Billikens closed within 13-9 before Abby Bottomley served an 8-0 run that ended the drama. Six Bluejays had multiple kills in the first set as CU hit .405, led by four kills each from Norah Sis and Jaela Zimmerman. Bottomley added eight digs and an ace. Three of CU's eight points during her serving run came by combo blocks by Naomi Hickman and Kendra Wait.
The second set featured nine ties and six lead changes before CU pulled away late to take a 25-20 decision. The set was deadlocked at 17 before a 3-0 serving run by Emily Bressman. Aces by Keeley Davis and Norah Sis down the stretch closed out the set in CU's favor.
The third set was knotted at 9-all before Wait uncorked a 7-0 serving surge that helped clinch the sweep. CU hit ..500 in the final set with 15 kills in 28 swings.
Creighton head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth was pleased with the 2-0 start to the season. "I think anytime you've got several new faces and play two good teams and sweep you have to feel good. I was pleased with first day effort but we have a lot of things we can get better at. It wasn't totally clean by any stretch but we were lower error in the second match. It was a good first day. Both Saint Louis and UMKC will have really good seasons."
Junior Zimmerman had a team-leading 11 kills for CU while freshman Norah Sis added nine kills and four blocks on .429 hitting. Wait turned in her first career double-double with 31 assists and 10 digs while adding five blocks and four kills on .571 hitting. Bottomley led all players with 17 digs. CU finished with .45 kills, four aces, 50 digs and 10 blocks on .352 hitting.
Saint Louis (1-1) was topped by 12 kills from Maya Taylor and 214 digs by Emily Imo. The Billikens had 35 kills, three aces, 49 digs, one block and hit .157 as a team.
Creighton closes out play at the Mizzou Invitational on Saturday at 3 p.m. in a match against host Missouri that will be broadcast on SEC Network+. The Tigers were swept by Saint Louis on Friday afternoon and are 0-1 on the year entering tonight's contest vs. Kansas City.
NOTES: Creighton evened the series with Saint Louis at 3-3 in the first meeting between the programs since 2010 .. After earning BIG EAST All-Freshman Team honors a year ago, Kiara Reinhardt missed both matches with an injury that Booth said will keep her out indefinitely ... Creighton hit .307 in its two wins on Friday while holding foes to .107 hitting. The Bluejays out-blocked the opposition 18-8 and out-aced foes 10-4.
Earlier in the day Creighton swept Kansas City by a 25-23, 25-13, 25-12 count.
Creighton never trailed in the first set, racing to an 8-2 lead. The Billikens closed within 13-9 before Abby Bottomley served an 8-0 run that ended the drama. Six Bluejays had multiple kills in the first set as CU hit .405, led by four kills each from Norah Sis and Jaela Zimmerman. Bottomley added eight digs and an ace. Three of CU's eight points during her serving run came by combo blocks by Naomi Hickman and Kendra Wait.
The second set featured nine ties and six lead changes before CU pulled away late to take a 25-20 decision. The set was deadlocked at 17 before a 3-0 serving run by Emily Bressman. Aces by Keeley Davis and Norah Sis down the stretch closed out the set in CU's favor.
The third set was knotted at 9-all before Wait uncorked a 7-0 serving surge that helped clinch the sweep. CU hit ..500 in the final set with 15 kills in 28 swings.
Creighton head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth was pleased with the 2-0 start to the season. "I think anytime you've got several new faces and play two good teams and sweep you have to feel good. I was pleased with first day effort but we have a lot of things we can get better at. It wasn't totally clean by any stretch but we were lower error in the second match. It was a good first day. Both Saint Louis and UMKC will have really good seasons."
Junior Zimmerman had a team-leading 11 kills for CU while freshman Norah Sis added nine kills and four blocks on .429 hitting. Wait turned in her first career double-double with 31 assists and 10 digs while adding five blocks and four kills on .571 hitting. Bottomley led all players with 17 digs. CU finished with .45 kills, four aces, 50 digs and 10 blocks on .352 hitting.
Saint Louis (1-1) was topped by 12 kills from Maya Taylor and 214 digs by Emily Imo. The Billikens had 35 kills, three aces, 49 digs, one block and hit .157 as a team.
Creighton closes out play at the Mizzou Invitational on Saturday at 3 p.m. in a match against host Missouri that will be broadcast on SEC Network+. The Tigers were swept by Saint Louis on Friday afternoon and are 0-1 on the year entering tonight's contest vs. Kansas City.
NOTES: Creighton evened the series with Saint Louis at 3-3 in the first meeting between the programs since 2010 .. After earning BIG EAST All-Freshman Team honors a year ago, Kiara Reinhardt missed both matches with an injury that Booth said will keep her out indefinitely ... Creighton hit .307 in its two wins on Friday while holding foes to .107 hitting. The Bluejays out-blocked the opposition 18-8 and out-aced foes 10-4.
Team Stats
CU
SLU
Kills
45
35
Errors
7
18
Attempts
108
108
Hitting %
.352
.157
Points
59.0
39.0
Assists
42
33
Aces
4
3
Blocks
10.0
1.0
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
11
Aces
1
Blocks
3
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
DS
/ Volleyball
DS/OH
/ Volleyball
OH
/ VolleyballMB/RS
/ Volleyball
MB/RS
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballOH
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