Sunday, October 16
Omaha, Neb.
1:00 PM
Creighton University
16-3,8-0Big East
3
vs
2
DePaul
6-14,2-6Big East
1
2
3
4
5
F
DePaul
15
27
25
12
11
2
#21 Creighton
25
25
22
25
15
3
Kiana Schmitt
Photo by: Bonnie Ryan
Blocking Record Fuels Comeback as #21 Volleyball Escapes DePaul Test
10/16/2022 4:31:00 PM | Volleyball
Creighton had a school-record 22 blocks in Sunday's win, including 13 from Kiana Schmitt
OMAHA, Neb. -- Kiana Schmitt had a career-high 13 of Creighton's school-record 22 blocks as the Bluejays remained unbeaten in BIG EAST play with another come-from-behind 3-2 win over DePaul on Sunday, Oct. 16.
Scores of the match in favor of Creighton were 25-15, 25-27, 22-25, 25-12, 15-11.
The Bluejays improved to 16-3 overall and 8-0 in BIG EAST play following its third five-set win in the last nine days, while DePaul dropped to 6-14 overall and is 2-6 in league action.
Norah Sis led the Bluejay offense with 22 kills while also contributing eight digs and a career-high nine blocks. Schmitt's 16 kills and 13 blocks were both career-highs, and her 13 blocks rank as the most in the BIG EAST this season. Kendra Wait finished with 52 assists, 19 digs and six blocks, while Allison Whitten dug 20 balls. Creighton notched 70 kills, six aces, 77 digs and 22.0 blocks on .286 hitting.
Jill Pressly led DePaul with 18 kills, adding 12 digs. Libero Rachel Krasowski led all players with 23 digs. The Blue Demons had 53 kills, seven aces, 69 digs and nine blocks on .114 hitting.
Creighton never trailed in its 25-15 first set victory, hitting .414 and holding the Blue Demons to .097 hitting. Creighton held a narrow 12-10 lead before Whitten served up a 9-0 run that included three of Ava Martin's five kills in the set.
The Bluejays looked in control with a 17-12 lead in the second set before DePaul battled back to tie the score at 18-all. Creighton squandered a 24-21 lead before the Blue Demons headed to the locker room with a 27-25 victory to even the match. Taylor Underwood had six kills in 11 swings and Krasowski dug seven balls in the frame for DePaul, which helped offset seven kills from Schmitt on the Bluejay side. Wait had 15 assists and seven digs in the second game.
DePaul stunned the D.J. Sokol Arena crowd of 1,884 again in the third set, using a 7-1 run to build an 18-14 advantage. Creighton saved three set point chances before a service error gave the Blue Demons a 2-1 lead in the match. Pressly had seven kills and four digs in the third set victory for DePaul, helping to overcome a Bluejay defense that recorded five blocks, including four by Kiara Reinhardt.
Creighton didn't trail in the fourth set, racing to a 7-2 lead. The Bluejay margin was trimmed to 10-8 before Ellie Bolton unleashed an 11-0 run that included three consecutive aces. A solo stuff from Schmitt at 24-12 forced a fifth set. Sis had five kills and Reinhardt, Wait and Schmitt each had three blocks as CU held DePaul to -.026 hitting in the frame.
A 4-0 run on Pressly's serve helped DePaul storm to a 6-3 lead to open the fifth set, but the Jays tied the contest on Bolton's serve after consecutive kills by Reinhardt, Jazz Schmidt and Sis. With the score tied at 7-all, Creighton head coach called on fifth-year senior Jaela Zimmerman for just the third time all season to serve. The captain served a 3-0 run as Creighton took the lead for good. The Jays got to match point on the sixth kill of the set from Sis and won the contest when Pressly sailed an attack wide. Creighton hit .308 in the fifth set and limited DePaul to .042 hitting in the finale.
The Bluejays will play their next four matches on the road, a stretch that starts at 6 p.m. Central on Friday at Villanova.
NOTES: Creighton improved to 5-2 in five-set matches this season, while DePaul fell to 0-4 ... Creighton won its 14th consecutive Pink Out, and eighth straight match this fall ... Creighton has won 20 straight meetings against DePaul, including three matches to go five sets (all in Omaha) ... DePaul was picked third in the preseason BIG EAST poll ... Creighton is now 67-35 all-time in five-set matches under Kirsten Bernthal Booth ... Sunday was Kirsten Bernthal Booth's birthday and was CU's first win on her birthday since 2016 ... Creighton has won 39 straight matches when outblocking its opponent ... Creighton has won 37 straight October home matches, a streak that dates to 2011 ... Creighton's 22 blocks were the most by any BIG EAST team since Butler had 23 at St. John's on Sept. 22, 2018 ... Creighton has won 21 straight matches against BIG EAST competition and 19 straight regular-season BIG EAST matches ... Norah Sis had her 10th career match with 20 or more kills, and second in a row ... Norah Sis, who entered the day as the BIG EAST's only player in an ace in each league match this year, was held without an ace ... Creighton's previous record for blocks in a match had been 21 vs. Southern Illinois on Sept. 19, 2003 and tied on Sept. 8, 2012 vs. Tulsa ... Kiana Schmitt's 13 blocks were the most by a Bluejay since Kelli Browning had 15 stuffs vs. Tulsa on Sept. 8, 2012 .... Creighton's 40 block assists were a school-record.
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Scores of the match in favor of Creighton were 25-15, 25-27, 22-25, 25-12, 15-11.
The Bluejays improved to 16-3 overall and 8-0 in BIG EAST play following its third five-set win in the last nine days, while DePaul dropped to 6-14 overall and is 2-6 in league action.
Norah Sis led the Bluejay offense with 22 kills while also contributing eight digs and a career-high nine blocks. Schmitt's 16 kills and 13 blocks were both career-highs, and her 13 blocks rank as the most in the BIG EAST this season. Kendra Wait finished with 52 assists, 19 digs and six blocks, while Allison Whitten dug 20 balls. Creighton notched 70 kills, six aces, 77 digs and 22.0 blocks on .286 hitting.
Jill Pressly led DePaul with 18 kills, adding 12 digs. Libero Rachel Krasowski led all players with 23 digs. The Blue Demons had 53 kills, seven aces, 69 digs and nine blocks on .114 hitting.
Creighton never trailed in its 25-15 first set victory, hitting .414 and holding the Blue Demons to .097 hitting. Creighton held a narrow 12-10 lead before Whitten served up a 9-0 run that included three of Ava Martin's five kills in the set.
The Bluejays looked in control with a 17-12 lead in the second set before DePaul battled back to tie the score at 18-all. Creighton squandered a 24-21 lead before the Blue Demons headed to the locker room with a 27-25 victory to even the match. Taylor Underwood had six kills in 11 swings and Krasowski dug seven balls in the frame for DePaul, which helped offset seven kills from Schmitt on the Bluejay side. Wait had 15 assists and seven digs in the second game.
DePaul stunned the D.J. Sokol Arena crowd of 1,884 again in the third set, using a 7-1 run to build an 18-14 advantage. Creighton saved three set point chances before a service error gave the Blue Demons a 2-1 lead in the match. Pressly had seven kills and four digs in the third set victory for DePaul, helping to overcome a Bluejay defense that recorded five blocks, including four by Kiara Reinhardt.
Creighton didn't trail in the fourth set, racing to a 7-2 lead. The Bluejay margin was trimmed to 10-8 before Ellie Bolton unleashed an 11-0 run that included three consecutive aces. A solo stuff from Schmitt at 24-12 forced a fifth set. Sis had five kills and Reinhardt, Wait and Schmitt each had three blocks as CU held DePaul to -.026 hitting in the frame.
A 4-0 run on Pressly's serve helped DePaul storm to a 6-3 lead to open the fifth set, but the Jays tied the contest on Bolton's serve after consecutive kills by Reinhardt, Jazz Schmidt and Sis. With the score tied at 7-all, Creighton head coach called on fifth-year senior Jaela Zimmerman for just the third time all season to serve. The captain served a 3-0 run as Creighton took the lead for good. The Jays got to match point on the sixth kill of the set from Sis and won the contest when Pressly sailed an attack wide. Creighton hit .308 in the fifth set and limited DePaul to .042 hitting in the finale.
The Bluejays will play their next four matches on the road, a stretch that starts at 6 p.m. Central on Friday at Villanova.
NOTES: Creighton improved to 5-2 in five-set matches this season, while DePaul fell to 0-4 ... Creighton won its 14th consecutive Pink Out, and eighth straight match this fall ... Creighton has won 20 straight meetings against DePaul, including three matches to go five sets (all in Omaha) ... DePaul was picked third in the preseason BIG EAST poll ... Creighton is now 67-35 all-time in five-set matches under Kirsten Bernthal Booth ... Sunday was Kirsten Bernthal Booth's birthday and was CU's first win on her birthday since 2016 ... Creighton has won 39 straight matches when outblocking its opponent ... Creighton has won 37 straight October home matches, a streak that dates to 2011 ... Creighton's 22 blocks were the most by any BIG EAST team since Butler had 23 at St. John's on Sept. 22, 2018 ... Creighton has won 21 straight matches against BIG EAST competition and 19 straight regular-season BIG EAST matches ... Norah Sis had her 10th career match with 20 or more kills, and second in a row ... Norah Sis, who entered the day as the BIG EAST's only player in an ace in each league match this year, was held without an ace ... Creighton's previous record for blocks in a match had been 21 vs. Southern Illinois on Sept. 19, 2003 and tied on Sept. 8, 2012 vs. Tulsa ... Kiana Schmitt's 13 blocks were the most by a Bluejay since Kelli Browning had 15 stuffs vs. Tulsa on Sept. 8, 2012 .... Creighton's 40 block assists were a school-record.
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Team Stats
DePaul
CU
Kills
53
70
Errors
33
22
Attempts
176
168
Hitting %
.114
.286
Points
69.0
98.0
Assists
51
66
Aces
7
6
Blocks
9.0
22.0
Game Leaders
Kills
16
Aces
0
Blocks
13
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
9
Players Mentioned
DS
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballMB/RS
/ Volleyball
RS/S
/ VolleyballMB/RS
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
DS
/ Volleyball
OH
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