Friday, November 25
Omaha, Neb.
7:00 PM
Creighton University
vs
Xavier (Semifinals)
#15 Volleyball Hosts BIG EAST Championship; Opens Play on Friday
11/22/2022 3:30:00 PM | Volleyball
Creighton is the second seet and will meet the Butler/Xavier winner
2022 BIG EAST Championship • Presented by JEEP
Match #30: Xavier or Butler at #15 Creighton • Friday, Nov. 25 • 7:00 p.m. • Omaha, Neb.
| LIVE VIDEO ($) | FLOSPORTS INFO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES (PDF) |
This Week
The postseason beckons for No. 15 Creighton (25-4, 17-1 BIG EAST) as the nine-time defending BIG EAST regular-season champion Bluejays host the BIG EAST Championship, presented by JEEP, this weekend.
   Newly expanded to six teams, the tournament gets underway on Wednesday at 1 p.m. when fourth-seeded St. John's (19-12, 10-8 BIG EAST) takes on fifth-seeded Connecticut (16-13, 10-8 BIG EAST).
   The second quarterfinal will take place at 4 p.m. when third-seeded Xavier (18-10, 11-7 BIG EAST) squares off with sixth-seeded Butler (16-14, 10-8 BIG EAST).
   After taking a day off for Thanksgiving, play resumes on Friday at 4 p.m. when top-seeded and No. 14 Marquette (26-2, 17-1 BIG EAST) faces the winner of Wednesday's 1 p.m. quarterfinal between St. John's and Connecticut.
   Second-seeded Creighton hits the floor on Friday at 7 p.m. when it takes on the victor of Wednesday's 4 p.m. quarterfinal between Xavier and Butler.
   D.J. Sokol Arena (2,500) in Omaha, Neb., will host the action.
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How To Watch
The BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinals and semifinals will air on FloSports. Jon Schriner and Shannon Smolinski will be on the call on Wednesday, while Bob Brainerd and Jill Dorsey Hall take over for Saturday's semifinals.
   More information about discounted subscriptions to FloSports programming can be found at http://GoCreighton.com/FloSports.
   Saturday's championship match will be televised on FS2 and be broadcasted by Bob Brainerd and Jill Dorsey Hall. That match ill be streamed on http://FoxSports.com/live.
How To Listen
Creighton's semifinal match webcast will air on KZOT (1180 The Zone), with Jon Schriner and Shannon Smolinski. Schriner and Smolinski would also call Saturday's match on KZOT (1180 The Zone) should Creighton advance to the final.
   Audio from CU's match(es) will be streamed at http://GoCreighton.com/listen1180.
Live Stats Information
All matches of the BIG EAST Tournament will have free live stats. The link to each is also on the GoCreighton.com volleyball schedule page.
Scouting #15 Creighton
Ranked 15th nationally, Creighton is 25-4 this season after going 17-1 to clinch a share of a ninth straight BIG EAST regular-season title. The lone losses have come to then-No. 16 Kentucky (3-1 on Sept. 3), to then-No. 2 Nebraska (3-2 on Sept. 7), at current No. 22 Rice (3-2 on Sept. 18) and to No. 16 Marquette (3-0 on Nov. 19).
   The Bluejays lost just nine sets in league play all season and had a program-record stretch of 29 straight set wins snapped last Saturday at Marquette.
   Creighton owns wins over a boatload of NCAA Tournament regulars, including No. 16 Marquette, No. 25 USC, Iowa State, Kansas State, Florida State, Northern Iowa and Wichita State.
   Sophomore OH Norah Sis (4.19 kps., 2.48 dps.) was named BIG EAST Player of the Year after a standout season that saw her top the BIG EAST in kills per set and points per set this year.
   Senior MB Kiana Schmitt owns 2.29 kills per set on .323 hitting and was named All-BIG EAST. She led all players with 74 blocks in BIG EAST action this fall.
   As if that wasn't enough, OH Ava Martin (2.38 kps.) has taken her game to another level in league play, hitting .309 and averaging 2.91 kills per set against conference competition to earn BIG EAST Freshman of the Week accolades four times in addition to BIG EAST Freshman of the Year acclaim.
   Quarterbacking the Bluejay offense is sophomore S Kendra Wait (11.04 aps., 3.22 dps., .355%), a two-time all-BIG EAST choice.
   Other seniors to keep an eye on include libero Allison Whitten (2,237 career digs), OH Keeley Davis (CU record 148 aces) and RS/S Jazz Schmidt (.454 hitting % in league play). Davis has led the BIG EAST in aces per set each of the past two years.
   Creighton averages 14.37 kills, 1.60 aces, 16.74 digs and 2.06 blocks per set while hitting .267 as a team.
Scouting Xavier
Xavier is 18-10 on the season and finished third in the BIG EAST with an 11-7 mark despite closing with two straight losses. The Musketeers are 8-2 in five-set matches this season.
   Missouri State transfer Brooklyn Cink (3.42 kps., .266%) leads the Musketeer offense, with Delaney Hogan (2.39 kps., .324%) and Anna Taylor (2.08 kps.) also average multiple kills per set.
   All-BIG EAST setter Carrigan O'Reilly (8.98 aps., 2.46 dps., 1.51 kps.) owns four career triple-doubles, and Lucia Corsaro (4.08 dps.) owns the team lead in digs.
   The Musketeers average 13.06 kills, 1.19 aces, 16.13 digs and 1.73 blocks per set on .239 hitting.
This Season vs. Xavier
Creighton swept Xavier (25-9, 25-17, 25-16) on Sept. 28th in Omaha in the only meeting with the Musketeers this fall.
   Ava Martin hit .684 with 14 kills in 19 swings, Norah Sis (13 kills, 10 digs) contributed a double-double and Keeley Davis served a career-high five aces to pace the Bluejays. CU hit a season-best .381 in the win.
   The Musketeers hit just .059 and were paced by seven kills by Brooklyn Cink.
Series History vs. Xavier
Creighton is 22-0 all-time against Xavier, with all the matches having occurred since 2013. Thirteen of the last 15 meetings have been 3-0 CU sweeps, but the two exceptions were 3-2 Creighton wins in Omaha in 2018 and the spring of 2021.
   Thanks in part to a 3-0 record in league tourney action against the Musketeers, Creighton has more wins against Xavier (22) than any other team since joining the BIG EAST.
   Creighton's victory on Oct. 5, 2013 in Cincinnati was the program's first BIG EAST win in history.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 22-0 vs. Xavier, and she is 16-0 against Christy Pfeffenberger.
Scouting Butler
Butler is 16-14 this season and tied for fourth in the BIG EAST with a 10-8 league record. The Bulldogs bring a three-match win streak into the league championships after saving seven match points to win a 24-22 fifth set vs. UConn on Sunday.
   Mariah Grunze (3.32 kps.), Megan Sheridan (2.32 kps.) and Amina Shackelford (2.97 kps., 0.94 bps.) lead the team in kills per set.
   Cora Taylor (9.34 aps.) tops the club in assists and two-time BIG EAST Libero of the Year Jaymeson Kinley (5.42 dps.) leads the BIG EAST in digs per set.
   The Bulldogs average 12.16 kills, 1.12 aces, 15.96 digs and 2.37 blocks per set on .186 hitting.
This Season vs. Butler
Creighton swept Butler (25-15, 25-16, 25-17) on Sept. 30th in Omaha in the lone meeting this season.
   Ava Martin hit .500 and had 14 kills in the win, while Kendra Wait added 38 assists, 11 digs and five blocks.
   Mariah Grunze and Amina Shackelford both had 11 kills for the Bulldogs, and Jaymeson Kinley contributed a match-high 18 digs.
Series History vs. Butler
Creighton is 18-1 all-time against Butler, including five-set victories in three of the past 11 meetings.
   Butler ruined Creighton's BIG EAST debut on Oct. 4, 2013 in Indianapolis, handing the Bluejays a four-set loss, but Creighton has won all 18 meetings since then.
   The teams have never met in the BIG EAST Tournament.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 18-1 vs. Butler and head coach Sharon Clark.
Creighton Coaches
Creighton is coached by Kirsten Bernthal Booth (Truman State, 1997), who owns a 439-183 record in her 20th season with the Bluejays. She's led Creighton to nine straight BIG EAST titles (2014-21), and 10 league crowns in the last 11 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 11 NCAA Tournament bids in the program's modern history. She's also coached CU into the top-25 each of the last 11 seasons (including 2022), 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, Brian Rosen and Elise Fulcher.
BIG EAST Championship History
Creighton is 15-2 all-time in nine previous BIG EAST Championship appearances, including seven titles (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021).
   Creighton is 8-1 in the semifinal round and 7-1 in the finals.
   CU has never faced Butler at the BIG EAST Championship, but is 3-0 against Xavier in tourney action (2013, 2014, 2016).
   Nine of Creighton's last 10 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 7-1 all-time at D.J. Sokol Arena at the BIG EAST Championships, including titles in 2015, 2018 and 2020, but did lose in the final in 2013.
   At 15-2, Creighton is the only team in this weekend's BIG EAST Championship with a winning record in the event all-time. Butler is 0-2, Marquette is 11-12, UConn is 11-40, St. John's is 7-8 and Xavier is 1-4.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 15-2 in BIG EAST Championship action with seven titles. By comparison, the league's 10 other active coaches have a combined mark of 14-30 in the BIG EAST Championship with two titles, and none of the other 10 have a winning record in the event.
With a Win...
With a win on Friday, Creighton would...
- Improve to 26-4 on the season, tied for the sixth-most single-season wins in team history.
-Improve to 16-2 all-time in the BIG EAST Championship, including an 9-1 mark in the semifinal round.
- Kirsten Bernthal Booth would improve to 16-2 at the BIG EAST Championship, while the rest of the league's active coaches would be a combined 17-34 by the day's end.
- Improve to 2-1 all-time in BIG EAST Tournament play as the No. 2 seed, and 2-2 in all conference tournaments as a No. 2 seed.
- Advance to its 10th conference tournament title match in the past 11 seasons, a stretch that started with the 2012 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament final.
Booth's Haul
With seven titles, Kirsten Bernthal Booth is one of two volleyball coaches in league history to win six or more BIG EAST Championship titles.
   The only other coach with six or more was Notre Dame's Debbie Brown (9).
BIG EAST Tournament Champions
Creighton Volleyball is seeking the school's 10th different BIG EAST Tournament title won by the school since joining the BIG EAST in the summer of 2013.
   All but two of those titles have been won by the volleyball program.
   With a title this weekend, Creighton can join Notre Dame (1996), Louisville (2010) and Marquette (2013) as the only programs to win the BIG EAST Tournament in men's soccer and women's volleyball in the same year.
Creighton's BIG EAST Tournament Titles (9)
Baseball (1): 2019
Men's Soccer (1): 2022
Volleyball (7): 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021
All-BIG EAST Quartet
Four members of the Creighton Volleyball program have earned All-BIG EAST honors, with Norah Sis being selected as Player of the Year and Ava Martin recognized as Freshman of the Year.
   Sis joins Lydia Dimke (2016) and Jaali Winters (2018) as Creighton women named BIG EAST Player of the Year. Sis lived up to the hype as Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year as she led the league in kills per set (4.19) and points per set (4.61). The Papillion, Neb., product was a three-time BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week and has single-match highs of 28 kills (vs. Florida State), 19 digs (vs. Florida State and at Rice) and nine blocks (vs. DePaul). Sis was also an All-BIG EAST selection in 2021, when she brought home Freshman of the Year accolades from the BIG EAST.
   Martin becomes Creighton's fourth BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, joining Jaali Winters (2015) as well as current teammates Keeley Davis (2019) and Norah Sis (2021). A four-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week this season, Martin ranked ninth in the BIG EAST in hitting percentage (.309) during league play and the Bluejays are 11-0 when the Overland Park, Kan., native owns eight or more kills.
   One of the league's most improved players, Kiana Schmitt earns her first All-BIG EAST plaudit after a huge season that saw her top the conference in BIG EAST play with 1.23 blocks per set and ranking fourth with a .361 hitting percentage. Creighton is 19-0 all-time when the senior owns four or more blocks and 40-5 when the Waunakee, Wis., middle blocker generates six or more kills. The two-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week this fall had her best match in a 3-2 win vs. DePaul when she finished with career-highs of 16 kills and 13 blocks.
   Kendra Wait was named All-BIG EAST for the second straight season after once again leading the BIG EAST in assists per set. The Gardner, Kan., native is the nation's only player averaging at least 11.00 assists and 3.00 digs per set and had career-highs with 59 assists and 36 digs vs. Florida State on Sept. 9. Wait leads the Bluejays with 17 double-doubles this fall.
   This year marks the 10th time in as many years as a member of the BIG EAST that Creighton has had multiple all-conference selections, and eighth straight season with three or more First Team selections.
Back For More (Awards)
Last season Norah Sis was named Most Outstanding Player of the BIG EAST Championships and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by fellow Bluejay returnees Jaela Zimmerman and Kendra Wait.
   No player has been named Most Outstanding Player of the BIG EAST Championship multiple times since Creighton's Jaali Winters (2016, 2018), and no player has won the award in back-to-back seasons since Notre Dame's Jaimie Lee in 1996 and 1997.
As The Second Seed
Creighton is the No. 2 seed for a conference tournament for just the third time in team history.
   The Bluejays were the No. 2 seed in the 2008 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, where it was upset by No. 3 seed Northern Iowa in five sets in Wichita, Kan.
   Creighton's only BIG EAST Tournament as a No. 2 seed came in its first year in the league in 2013, where it defeated thired-seeded Xavier in four sets before falling to top-seeded Marquette in four sets. Both of those matches took place inside D.J. Sokol Arena.
   The BIG EAST Championship has been won by the top seed eight of the last nine years, and the No. 1 seed has also gone 17-1 in its last 18 games.
X Marks The Spot
Creighton owns 22 straight matches against Xavier, its best streak against any team.
Most Consecutive Match Wins Over One Team
   Wins   Opponent   Dates
   22   Xavier   2013-Present
   21   DePaul   2013-Present
   19   Southern Illinois   2003-11
   19   Georgetown   2013-Present
   18   Butler   2013-Present
   16   Indiana State   2005-Present
Nine In A Row
Creighton clinched a share of its ninth straight BIG EAST regular-season title last weekend with a win at DePaul.
   With its 2022 title, Creighton became the first team in BIG EAST volleyball history to win nine straight regular-season titles. The previous record had been seven by Notre Dame from 1999-2005.
   The Bluejay volleyball team is also the first Creighton program in any sport to win nine or more straight league titles, surpassing the five in a row by the men's soccer program (1992-96).
Champions Among Champions
Since the start of the 2012 season, Creighton, Texas and Western Kentucky are the nation's only schools to have won nine conference regular-season titles (entering 2022). All but one of Creighton's nine crowns (entering 2022) were outright titles, whereas Texas shared one title and WKU shared five.
   Creighton has also won eight conference tournament titles since 2012, tied for the most in the nation with Dayton and Western Kentucky.
Most Conference Titles 2012-2021
(Columns Don't Include 2022)
Regular-Season   League Tournament
9 (1 shared) Creighton   8 Creighton
9 (1) Texas   8 Dayton
9 (5) Western Kentucky   8 Western Kentucky
8 BYUÂ Â Â 7 Fairfield
8 (1) Colorado State   6 LIU
8 Fairfield   6 American
The. Best.
No matter how you slice it, Creighton and Marquette have dominated BIG EAST Volleyball since 2013.
Stat   CU   MU   Everyone Else
BIG EAST Reg.-Season Titles   9   3   0
BIG EAST Play Win Percentage   .917   .830   .408
BIG EAST Tourney TItles   7   1   1
BIG EAST Player of the Year   3   5   3
BIG EAST Libero of the Year   2   0   8
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year   4   3   4
BIG EAST Coach of the Year   3   2   5
AVCA All-Americans*Â Â Â 6Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 0
AVCA H.M. All-Americans   14   7   14
AVCA Region Freshman of Year   3   1   2
AVCA Region Coach of Year   3   0   2
CoSIDA Academic All-Americans   5   3   0
*First/Second/Third Teams only
Thorn In Marquette's Side
Marquette is 234-71 since the start of the 2013 season, but just 5-21 in that time against Creighton.
   In other words, the Golden Eagles own a .192 winning percentage against Creighton (5-21) compared to a .821 mark (230-50) against everyone else.
   No other team has beaten Marquette more than five times in the past decade (2013-22), with in-state rival Wisconsin (5) next-closest. Among BIG EAST teams, Xavier owns four wins to top those schools not named Creighton.
   If you wanted to break it down to just the past five seasons, Marquette is 2-11 against Creighton (.154) and 116-13 (.899) against everyone else.
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, 2018 and 2020. 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. In 2021, Creighton and Marquette shared the regular-season title and CU won the tournament title. Both Creighton and Marquette also shared the 2022 regular-season title.
   Below is a look at the record of each BIG EAST team since league realignment in 2013:
BIG EAST VB Standings Since 2013 (thru 11/22)
           BIG EAST only   All   matches
Team (NCAA Bids)Â Â Â WÂ Â Â LÂ Â Â WÂ Â Â L
Creighton (9)Â Â Â 154Â Â Â 14Â Â Â 252Â Â Â 64
Marquette (8)Â Â Â 137Â Â Â 28Â Â Â 235Â Â Â 71
Xavier   97   69   149   137
Butler   90   78   157   137
Villanova (1)Â Â Â 84Â Â Â 84Â Â Â 155Â Â Â 134
St. John's (1)Â Â Â 79Â Â Â 89Â Â Â 171Â Â Â 137
Seton Hall (1)Â Â Â 71Â Â Â 96Â Â Â 143Â Â Â 156
DePaul   45   123   109   173
Georgetown   35   125   86   186
Connecticut#Â Â Â 27Â Â Â 17Â Â Â 44Â Â Â 31
Providence*Â Â Â 27Â Â Â 125Â Â Â 94Â Â Â 165
*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.
The Avengers
During its nine-year run of BIG EAST Tournament titles from 2014-22, Creighton has just 10 regular-season losses. In nearly every case, Creighton would avenge that loss with a league tournament victory over the opponent that beat them previously.
   This year's Creighton team owns one league loss, and could have a chance for revenge against Marquette in the final.
Date   Loss   Tourney Rematch Result
10/10/14   at Seton Hall  Â
11/23/14   Seton Hall   W 3-1
10/30/15   at Villanova   W 3-0
10/05/17   at Marquette   W 3-2
11/17/17   at Villanova   W 3-0
11/08/19   at Villanova   Didn't Meet
02/06/20   Marquette   W 3-1
10/01/21   at St. John's   Didn't Meet
10/16/21   at Connecticut   Didn't Meet
11/19/22   at #16 Marquette   Possibly Saturday?
Sweep Revenge
Creighton doesn't get swept very often...in fact last Saturday's 3-0 loss at Marquette was the first time the Bluejays were swept since Sept. 8, 2021 vs. No. 3 Nebraska.
   Creighton answered that loss with eight straight victories.
   The last time Creighton was swept in a BIG EAST match came Feb. 6, 2021 when No. 25 Marquette handed the Jays a 3-0 loss. CU responded with four straight wins.
   Last Saturday was just the seventh time in 168 BIG EAST regular-season matches that Creighton has been swept.
Break Out The Brooms
Prior to last Saturday's 3-0 loss in Milwaukee, Creighton had won 29 straight sets over the course of 33 days.
   It was the longest streak of sets won in program history, four more than the previous high. Three of CU's longest eight sets won streaks have now been snapped by Marquette.
   Creighton has won 14 straight sets inside D.J. Sokol Arena, where it returns home this weekend.
Consecutive Sets Won
   Set Wins   Dates   Snapped By
   29   Oct. 16, 2022-Present   at #16 Marquette
   25   Oct. 22-Nov. 20, 2016   Villanova
   25   Oct. 26-Nov. 23, 2018   #16 Marquette
   22   Nov. 7-Dec. 2, 2021   Kansas
   19   Oct. 12-Nov. 3, 2019   at Villanova
   15   Oct. 7-21, 2016   at Marquette
   15   Sept. 28-Oct. 13, 2018   at Villanova
   15   Sept. 11-24, 2021   at Butler
Top 25 History
Creighton is 170-39 all-time when playing as a ranked team, and also 17-23 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, 38 of Creighton's 68 losses have come against ranked teams. In that same period, Creighton is 261-30 against unranked teams. Creighton has won all but two of its past 92 home matches over unranked teams and all but nine of its last 119 matches at all sites against unranked teams.
   After a total of three total top-25 wins from 1994-2014, Creighton has earned at least one top-25 win each of the last eight seasons (2015-22). That includes a record-tying four top-25 victories in 2019.
   Creighton is 22-84 all-time against ranked teams and 12 of those top 25 wins all-time have come against either Marquette (7) or Kentucky (5).
   The highest ranked teams that Creighton has ever beaten at any site were No. 3 Washington (8/26/17 in Seattle) and No. 3 Kentucky (9/4/21 in Lexington). CU's highest-ranked opponent it has defeated at home was a 3-1 win over then-No. 9 Marquette on Nov. 22, 2019.
Ranked vs. Ranked (CU is 17-23)
Home: 7-9Â Â Â Away: 5-8 Â Â Â 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   0-3
09/08/21   #3 Nebraska   #19 Creighton   0-3
09/02/22   #17 Creighton   #25 USC   3-1
09/03/22   #16 Kentucky   #17 Creighton   1-3
09/07/22   #2 Nebraska   #17 Creighton   2-3
10/14/22   #21 Creighton   #16 Marquette   3-2
11/19/22   #16 Marquette   #11 Creighton   0-3
Block Record Falls
Creighton set a school-record for total blocks and block assists the last time it met DePaul on Oct. 16.
   Creighton's 22.0 blocks broke the record of 21.0 done twice before (in 2003 and 2012), and were the most by any BIG EAST team since 2018.
   Creighton's 40 block assists were two more than the previous mark set in 2009 and 2012, and eight more than the previous mark for a five-set match done three times.
   Individually, Kiana Schmitt's 13 total blocks were the most by a Bluejay since Kelli Browning in 2012, and tied for fifth-most ever by a Bluejay.
Most Total Blocks, Individual
   17   Ashley Williams (3-14) vs. Wichita State (5s)   10-10-03
   16   Ashley Williams (4-12) vs. Southern Illinois (5s)   9-19-03
   15   Kelli Browning (0-15) vs. Tulsa (4s)   9-8-12
   14   Jessica Houts (0-14) vs. Lipscomb (4s)   9-4-09
   13   Laurel Sanford (1-12) vs. Southern Illinois (5s)   10-21-11
   13   Kiana Schmitt (1-12) vs. DePaul (5s)   10-16-22
Most Total Blocks, Team
   22   vs. DePaul (2-40)   10-16-22
   21   vs. Southern Illinois (8-26) (5s)   9-19-03
   21   vs. Tulsa (2-38) (4s)   9-8-12
   20   vs. Lipscomb (1-38) (4s)   9-4-09
   20   vs. Indiana State (3-34) (3s)   10-24-09
   20   at Kansas (4-32) (5s)   9-19-12
Most Block Assists, Team
   40   vs. DePaul (5s)   10-16-22
   38   vs. Lipscomb (4s)   9-4-09
   38   vs. Tulsa (4s)   9-8-12
   36   vs. Southern Illinois (4s)   10-27-12
   35   at Bradley (4s)   11-19-05
Against The BIG EAST
Since the BIG EAST was restructured in 2013, Creighton owns a record better than .500 against each of the other teams currently in the BIG EAST.
   The Bluejays own 169 wins against BIG EAST competition (including BIG EAST Championship play) since 2013, 27 more wins than Marquette for most in the league.
   CU still has not lost to four league foes (DePaul, Georgetown, Providence, Xavier) since joining the BIG EAST, and Marquette (5), Villanova (3), Seton Hall (3) and St. John's (3) are the only BIG EAST programs to top the Bluejays multiple times since 2013.
Opponent   Reg. Season   BE Tourney   Total
Butler   18-1   -   18-1
Connecticut   2-1   1-0   3-1
DePaul   20-0   1-0   21-0
Georgetown   18-0   -   18-0
Marquette   16-4   5-1   21-5
Providence   15-0   -   15-0
Seton Hall   15-3   2-0   17-3
St. John's   16-2   0-1   16-3
Villanova   15-3   3-0   18-3
Xavier   19-0   3-0   22-0
Total   154-14   15-2   169-16
Five For Fighting
Creighton won back-to-back five set home matches against Marquette and DePaul on Oct. 14 and Oct. 16. Incredibly, it was the first time in 10 years of regular-season BIG EAST play that Creighton had played back-to-back five setters in conference matches at any site.
   The last time it happened was CU's final two league matches as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference in 2012 when it won road matches at Wichita State and Missouri State.
   Ironically, Creighton honored the league champion 2012 Volleyball team that weekend during its victory over Marquette.
   Creighton had not won multiple five-set home matches on the same weekend since October of 2010 when it beat Missouri State and Wichita State on consecutive days.
Depth, Depth and More Depth
Only nine active players throughout the 11-team BIG EAST have at least 800 career kills, 500 career digs and 100 career blocks, and five of those women are Creighton Bluejays.
800 Kills, 500 Digs, 100 Career Blocks, BIG EAST
Name, School   Kills   Digs   Blocks
Rachele Rastelli, SJUÂ Â Â 1,832Â Â Â 607Â Â Â 400
Caylee Parker, UConn   1,682   1,211   208
Bethany Clapp, CUÂ Â Â 1,214Â Â Â 879Â Â Â 165
Brooklyn Cink, XUÂ Â Â 1,085Â Â Â 711Â Â Â 219
Jazz Schmidt, CUÂ Â Â 1,003Â Â Â 728Â Â Â 205
Jaela Zimmerman, CUÂ Â Â 1,000Â Â Â 796Â Â Â 165
Keeley Davis, CUÂ Â Â 961Â Â Â 838Â Â Â 155
Jasmine Davis, UConn   860   810   145
Norah Sis, CUÂ Â Â 854Â Â Â 591Â Â Â 114
Streak Reached 17
Before last Saturday, Creighton had won 17 straight matches, its 10th double-digit winning streak since 2012. The win streak was tied for the third-longest in program history.
   When Kirsten Bernthal Booth was hired, the Jays had never had a win streak longer than five. Each of the 17 longest win streaks in program history have come under Booth's guidance.
Most Consecutive Wins, Creighton History
   Wins   Dates   Snapped By
   23   Sept. 23-Dec. 9, 2016   at #5 Texas, 3-0
   21   Sept. 21 - Nov. 30, 2018   #22 Washington, 3-0
   17   Sept. 29-Nov. 30, 2012   at #11 Minnesota, 3-1
   17   Sept. 23 - Nov. 18, 2022   at #16 Marquette, 3-0
   14   Sept. 19-Nov. 3, 2019   at Villanova, 3-0
   14   Oct. 17-Dec. 2, 2021   Kansas, 3-1
   12   Sept. 20-Oct. 25, 2015   at Villanova, 3-2
   11   Oct. 11-Nov. 21, 2014   Seton Hall, 3-0
   11   Oct. 6-Nov. 12, 2017   at Villanova, 3-0
   10   Oct. 31-Dec. 5, 2015   vs. #2 USC, 3-1
Spectacular Sis
Norah Sis owns 10 or more kills in each of Cu's last 12 matches. That ranks tied for eighth in program history. With 10 kills on both Friday and Saturday, she could tie Kelly Goc for fifth place.
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
   13   JoDe Cieloha, Sept. 7-Oct. 18, 1996
   13   Jaali Winters, Nov. 12, 2016-Sept. 1, 2017
   12   Amanda Cvejdlik, Aug. 25-Sept. 19, 2006
   12   Norah Sis, Oct. 7, 2022-Present
Ava Again?
Creighton's Ava Martin was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week for the fourth time this fall on Nov. 14th.
   Martin had 11 kills, six digs and an ace in Creighton's 3-0 victory against St. John's, finishing the week with averages of 3.67 kills, 2.00 digs and 0.33 aces per set.
   This is the fourth time in the past eight weeks that Martin has been honored, having previously been recognized on Sept. 26, Oct. 3 and Oct. 17.
   Martin's senior teammates Jazz Schmidt and Keeley Davis also landed a spot on the BIG EAST's Weekly Honor Roll.
Seniors Leading The Way
Creighton recognized seniors Emily Bressman, Bethany Clapp, Keeley Davis, Jazz Schmidt, Allison Whitten and Jaela Zimmerman following its Nov. 13th win vs. Seton Hall.
   Clapp (Incarnate Word), Schmidt (Palm Beach Atlantic) and Whitten (Morehead State) are all graduate transfers in their first year in the Bluejay program.
   Bressman has missed all of this season due to injury but owns 38 kills, 138 digs and four aces in her career as a defensive specialist and outside hitter.
   Davis is a two-time All-Region and All-BIG EAST selection who burst onto the scene in 2019 as the league's Freshman of the Year. She owns 961 kills, 838 digs and ranks first in CU history with 148 aces.
   Zimmerman is a three-time All-BIG EAST choice, two-time AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and a four-time event MVP. She enters this weekend with 1,000 kills, 796 digs and 77 aces.
   All told, the group has combined for 5,616 digs, 4,234 kills, 2,000 assists, 690 blocks and 554 service aces at the collegiate level.
Attendance Update
Creighton enters the week ranked 10th nationally in total home attendance (35,814) and 15th in fans per home match (2,558).
   Creighton has led the BIG EAST in average home attendance in every non-COVID year since joining the league.
   Creighton's 35,814 home fans this fall are already second-most in program history. The 2,558 fans per home match are also second-most ever.
Most Home Fans, Season
   Rk.   Fans   Dates   Year
   1.   47,632   17   2018
   2.   35,814   14   2022
   3.   30,211   14   2021
   4.   29,905   18   2015
   5.   25,615   13   2019
Highest Home Attendance Average, Season
   Average Rk.   Fans   Dates   Year
   1.   2,802   47,632   17   2018
   2.   2,558   35,814   14   2022
   3.   2,158   30,211   14   2021
   4.   1,970   25,615   13   2019
   5.   1,873   24,346   13   2017
Decade of Dominance
Ten years in the BIG EAST gives Creighton a pretty good set of data to compare its yearly performance in league matches. Here's how the 2022 campaign compares to previous seasons:
Creighton's Year-By-Year BIG EAST Stats
Year   W-L   KPS   HIT%   SAPS   DPS   BPS
2013Â Â Â 12-4Â Â Â 13.75Â Â Â .213Â Â Â 1.00Â Â Â 16.20Â Â Â 3.13
2014Â Â Â 16-2Â Â Â 14.89Â Â Â .242Â Â Â 1.30Â Â Â 17.09Â Â Â 2.86
2015Â Â Â 17-1Â Â Â 15.02Â Â Â .271Â Â Â 1.33Â Â Â 16.97Â Â Â 2.47
2016Â Â Â 18-0Â Â Â 15.37Â Â Â .317Â Â Â 1.69Â Â Â 16.08Â Â Â 2.41
2017Â Â Â 16-2Â Â Â 14.81Â Â Â .302Â Â Â 1.31Â Â Â 16.62Â Â Â 2.05
2018Â Â Â 18-0Â Â Â 14.45Â Â Â .294Â Â Â 2.13Â Â Â 15.67Â Â Â 2.38
2019Â Â Â 17-1Â Â Â 14.61Â Â Â .269Â Â Â 2.07Â Â Â 15.80Â Â Â 2.25
2020Â Â Â 7-1Â Â Â 12.93Â Â Â .249Â Â Â 1.30Â Â Â 14.17Â Â Â 2.75
2021Â Â Â 16-2Â Â Â 13.95Â Â Â .242Â Â Â 1.82Â Â Â 18.02Â Â Â 2.86
2022Â Â Â 17-1Â Â Â 14.80Â Â Â .299Â Â Â 1.85Â Â Â 16.10Â Â Â 2.33
Sis Is Rolling
Sophomore Norah Sis owns 419 kills this season and 854 in her career.
   The 854 kills is second-most ever by a Bluejay in their first two seasons, trailing only Jaali Winters' 994.
   The 419 kills this season ranks fourth-most ever by a Bluejay sophomore. That record of 516 is held by Leah Ratzlaff.
Most Kills, After 2 Seasons at Creighton
   Kills   Yr1   Yr2   Name   Year
   994   546   448   Jaali Winters   2015 & 2016
   854   435   419   Norah Sis   2021 & 2022
   769   341   428   Melissa Walsh   1998 & 1999
   733   270   463   Alicia Runge   2009 & 2010 (Jr. & Sr.)
   696   180   516   Leah Ratzlaff   2002 & 2003
   653   267   386   Jessica Houts   2005 & 2006
   640   225   415   Amanda Cvejdlik   2005 & 2006
Most Kills, Creighton Sophomores
   Kills   Name   Year
   516   Leah Ratzlaff   2003
   448   Jaali Winters   2016
   428   Melissa Walsh   1999
   419   Norah Sis   2022
   415   Amanda Cvejdlik   2006
   390   Taryn Kloth   2016
   386   Jessica Houts   2006
   376   Leah McNary   2012
   350   Kelli Browning   2012
No Losers Here
Currently 25-4, Creighton has been nearly as good as anyone at avoiding losses in recent seasons.
   BYU, Creighton, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Texas, Towson, Western Kentucky and Wisconsin are the nation's only teams with five losses or less in the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons.
   If you go back two years more, the nation's only teams to lose six times or less in the 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons are BYU, Creighton, Pittsburgh and Texas.
President Elect Booth
Creighton coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth has been voted the President-Elect of the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
   Booth will begin her service on January 1, 2023 then become AVCA President in 2024. She will join the 17-member AVCA Board of Directors, which includes elected representatives, appointed voting members for Diversity Development and Legislation, and non-voting members for Education and Awards.
   Booth will serve as President-Elect in 2023, be President in 2024 and 2025, and then finish out her term as Past President in 2026.
   Booth is in her 20th season as the head women's volleyball coach at Creighton.
Putting The 0 In October And November
Creighton finished the month of October with a perfect 8-0 record, which included five sweeps and three 3-2 victories.
   It's the fourth time in the past six fall seasons that Creighton has been unbeaten in October.
   All told since October of 2014 Creighton is 65-5 in the 10th month of the year.
   Creighton's been awfully good in the month of November too. Since the start of 2014, CU is 59-5 in the 11th month of the year.
   Creighton has won 37 straight October home matches (since 10/15/11) and 31 consecutive home matches in November (since 11/23/14).
20/20 Vision
Creighton earned its 10th season of 20 or more wins in the past 11 seasons with a 3-0 win at St. John's on Oct. 30th. The only exception in that span was the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season (when CU only played 16 matches).
   All 13 of Creighton's 20-win seasons since its 1994 reinstatement have come under the leadership of Kirsten Bernthal Booth. Before her arrival, CU had never won more than 16 matches in a single season.
Most Matches Won, Creighton Season
      Year   MP   W   L   Pct.   Coach
   1.   2021   35   31   4   .886   Booth
   2.   2012   33   29   4   .879   Booth
      2018   34   29   5   .853   Booth
      2016   36   29   7   .806   Booth
   5.   2015   36   27   9   .750   Booth
   6.   2017   33   26   7   .788   Booth
   7.   2022   29   25   4   .862   Booth
      2019   31   25   6   .806   Booth
      2014   34   25   9   .735   Booth
   10.   2013   32   23   9   .719   Booth
   11.   2006   31   21   10   .677   Booth
      2007   31   21   10   .667   Booth
      2010   31   21   12   .636   Booth
   14.   2004   29   18   11   .621   Booth
      2008   27   18   9   .667   Booth
League Streak Reached 28
Before its Nov. 19 loss at No. 16 Marquette, Creighton had won 28 consecutive regular-season BIG EAST matches. That tied the program's second-longest win streak ever in league play.
   During CU's 28-match league win streak, the Bluejays have dropped just eight sets, winning 84-of-92 sets.
Consecutive Regular-Season League Wins
   Wins   Dates   Snapped By   League
   31   Nov. 18, 2017 - Nov. 3, 2019    at Villanova, 3-0   BIG EAST
   28   Oct. 31, 2015 - Sept. 30, 2017   at Marquette, 3-0   BIG EAST
   28   Oct. 17, 2021- Nov. 18, 2022   at #16 Marquette, 3-0   BIG EAST
   14   Sept. 29, 2012 - End of 2012   Never (left MVC)   MVC
   12   Sept. 20-Oct. 25, 2015   at Villanova, 3-2   BIG EAST
   11   Oct. 11-Nov. 21, 2014   Seton Hall, 3-0   BIG EAST
   11   Oct. 6-Nov. 12, 2017   at Villanova, 3-0   BIG EAST
   9   Nov. 4, 2005-Sept. 30, 2006   Northern Iowa, 3-2   MVC
Dealing Up Aces
Keeley Davis had nine aces in the final regular-season home weekend of her career (Nov. 11-13), helping her break a 21-year old school record for career aces that had been held by Molly Moran.
   Davis reached 100 career aces in her 82nd career contest on Aug. 26 vs. Wichita State, which ranks third-fastest in Bluejay history.
   Davis is the first player in Creighton history with multiple seasons of 50 or more service aces.
   It's also worth noting that three of Davis' teammates entered the year having owned more than 100 career aces, though they've done so at other schools. Bethany Clapp owned 103 aces in 97 matches at Incarnate Word, Jazz Schmidt had 103 aces in 96 matches at Division II Palm Beach Atlantic and Allison Whitten had 103 aces in 115 contests at Morehead State.
Service Aces, Career
      Name   Sets   No.   Years
   1.   Keeley Davis   378   148   2019-Pr.
   2.   Molly Moran   341   145   1998-01
   3.   Melissa Weisensee   411   125   1994-97
   4.   Brittany Witt   471   122   2016-19
   5.   JoDe Cieloha   398   113   1994-97
   6.   Kate Elman   464   105   2012-15
   7.   Shelly Kapler   388   104   1996-99
   8.   Jaali Winters   494   101   2015-18
   9.   Madelyn Cole   225   93   2018-19
   10.   Carolyn Decker   300   89   2004-08
Creighton's Quickest Players To 100 Aces (Career)
Name   MP   Date   Opponent
Molly Moran   73   08/31/01   vs. DePaul
Melissa Weisensee   77   11/01/96   Southern Illinois
Keeley Davis   82   08/26/22   vs. Wichita St.
JoDe Cieloha   85   09/06/97   at UNLV
Shelly Kapler   95   10/15/99   Bradley
Brittany Witt   107   10/05/19   Seton Hall
Kate Elman   120   11/15/15   Butler
Jaali Winters   135   11/17/18   Providence
Schmitt A Ki Player
Kiana Schmitt entered the 2022 season with three career matches (of 60 played) with 10 or more kills, but the senior already has 11 matches in double-figures this fall.
   Schmitt owns a career-high with 16 kills vs. DePaul on Oct. 16.
   Creighton is 40-5 all-time when Schmitt has six or more kills. CU is also 19-0 all-time when she owns four or more blocks.
Poll Road Ahead
Creighton has been ranked in each of the last 28 AVCA Top 25 polls. With little movement from week-to-week, however, CU is one of 19 teams to be ranked each of those polls, a group that includes Baylor, BYU, Creighton, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, Stanford, Texas, Washington, Western Kentucky and Wisconsin.
   Creighton has been ranked in all but six of the past 97 weeks the AVCA has put out a Top 25 poll.
Whitten Passes 500 Sets
Allison Whitten enters this weekend having appeared in 523 career sets, though the first 417 of those came at Morehead State from 2018-21.
   By comparison, the only Bluejay in history to play in 500 or more sets was Lauren Smith, who appeared in a program-record 511 sets with the Jays from 2013-16. Last year Abby Bottomley completed her career with 517 sets played, including 403 at High Point.
Taking The Fifth
Creighton is 67-35 in five-set matches under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. 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 18 of its last 25 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, at South Dakota in the 2020 campaign and at Omaha and UConn in 2022.
   It's also worth noting that Creighton is 17-4 all-time in five-set home matches at D.J. Sokol Arena.
   Creighton's five victories in five-set matches this season ties a program record also done in 2003, 2011 and 2015.
   Below is a list of Creighton's record in five-set matches on a yearly basis:
Year   Set 5 W-L   Total W-L
1994Â Â Â 0-2Â Â Â 5-20
1995Â Â Â 0-2Â Â Â 11-19
1996Â Â Â 2-6Â Â Â 9-19
1997Â Â Â 3-5Â Â Â 15-13
1998Â Â Â 2-3Â Â Â 7-18
1999Â Â Â 3-3Â Â Â 13-15
2000Â Â Â 3-3Â Â Â 16-12
2001Â Â Â 1-1Â Â Â 14-13
2002Â Â Â 1-3Â Â Â 3-23
2003Â Â Â 5-1Â Â Â 12-18
2004Â Â Â 4-0Â Â Â 18-11
2005Â Â Â 3-1Â Â Â 16-14
2006Â Â Â 4-2Â Â Â 21-10
2007Â Â Â 2-0Â Â Â 21-10
2008Â Â Â 2-3Â Â Â 18-9
2009Â Â Â 1-4Â Â Â 14-17
2010Â Â Â 3-3Â Â Â 21-12
2011Â Â Â 5-2Â Â Â 17-14
2012Â Â Â 4-1Â Â Â 29-4
2013Â Â Â 3-2Â Â Â 23-9
2014Â Â Â 3-2Â Â Â 25-9
2015Â Â Â 5-2Â Â Â 27-9
2016Â Â Â 4-3Â Â Â 29-7
2017Â Â Â 4-1Â Â Â 26-7
2018Â Â Â 3-2Â Â Â 29-5
2019Â Â Â 2-1Â Â Â 25-6
2020Â Â Â 4-2Â Â Â 12-4
2021Â Â Â 1-1Â Â Â 31-4
2022Â Â Â 5-2Â Â Â 25-4
Total   82-63   532-335
Bouncing Back
The Creighton staff is quick to credit athletic performance coach Brad Schmidt for helping the team get stronger during the off-season and maintain that strength during the season.
   Need evidence of that? Creighton has played seven five-set matches so far this season. Not only is Creighton 5-2 in five-setters this fall, but the Jays are also 7-0 this year in the contest after a five-setter.
   Dating to last season, Creighton has won 12 straight matches following a five-set match and are 17-1 in the match following a five-setter since Aug. 25, 2018.
2-0 Better Than 0-2
Creighton is 364-11 (.971) all-time when leading a match 2-0, including a 307-5 mark (.984) under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. CU is 231-3 when up 2-0 dating to September of 2009, and 119-1 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 17-204 (.077) all-time when trailing a match 0-2, and 15-105 (.125) under Booth.
   One of those comebacks came on Oct. 7, 2022 at UConn, which was CU's first comeback win on the road in league play after trailing 0-2 since 2015. CU then overcame an 0-2 home deficit on Oct. 14, vs. No. 16 Marquette, the first such comeback against a ranked foe. Combined, the UConn and Marquette comebacks mark the first time in program history the team has posted multiple reverse sweeps in the same month.
   Those 17 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
10/07/22   at UConn   25-15, 25-12, 15-13   Booth
10/14/22   #16 Marquette   25-19, 25-16, 15-8   Booth
Didn't Have To Wait Long
Creighton sophomore Kendra Wait became the ninth player in program history to reach 2,000 career sets when she did so on Oct. 16 vs. DePaul.
   Wait needed 54 matches to reach the milestone, sixth-fastest in program history. The five women ahead of her combined to win First Team All-Conference honors nine times.
   Wait reached 1,000 assists this season on Nov. 4 in CU's 24th match of the fall.
Creighton's Quickest Players To 2,000 Assists (Career)
Name   MP   Date   Opponent
Korie Lebeda   43   09/22/06   Drake
Brittany Coleman   45   10/02/04   Southern Illinois
Kailey Reyes   49   09/01/00   at Iowa State
Lydia Dimke   52   10/13/17   Butler
Madelyn Cole   53   10/25/19   at Providence
Kendra Wait   54   10/16/22   DePaul
Megan Bober   55   11/05/10   at Wichita State
Melissa Weisensee   66   09/15/96   at UMKC
Michelle Sicner   109   11/23/14   Seton Hall
Single-Season Matches to 1,000 Assists
   Name   MP   Opponent   Year
Korie Lebeda   21   at Drake   2006
Brittany Coleman   22   at Southern Illinois   2004
Korie Lebeda   23   Missouri State   2005
Brittany Coleman   23   Northern Iowa   2003
Kailey Reyes   23   at Southern Illinois   1999
Melissa Weisensee   23   at Evansville   1996
Kailey Reyes   24   at Wichita State   2000
Melissa Weisensee   24   at Evansville   1997
Kendra Wait   24   Providence   2022
Kailey Reyes   25   Wichita State   2001
Korie Lebeda   25   Southern Illinois   2007
Korie Lebeda   26   Bradley   2008
Lydia Dimke   26   Xavier   2016
Madelyn Cole   26   at Seton Hall   2018
Megan Bober   27   Evansville   2010
Lydia Dimke   27   Georgetown   2017
Madelyn Cole   27   #9 Marquette   2019
Megan Bober   28   at Northern Iowa   2009
Megan Bober   28   at Wichita State   2012
Michelle Sicner   28   Xavier   2013
Kendra Wait   29   at Villanova   2021
Maggie Baumert   32   vs. Seton Hall   2014
105 Weeks As A Ranked Team
Creighton is ranked this week for the 105th time in program history. That's 43rd-most of all programs in NCAA history.
   All 105 rankings have occurred since 2012 and under the direction of Kirsten Bernthal Booth.
Not Much Middle Ground
Of Creighton's last 23 matches, there's been seven five-set matches and 15 sweeps. Only one of those contests has been exactly four sets.
   Creighton is 5-2 this year in five-set matches, 4-1 in four-setters and 15-1 in sweeps.
   Creighton is averaging 18.63 digs per set and 14.17 assists per set in contests to go five sets this season. Kiara Reinhardt hits .349 in those matches, while Norah Sis averages 4.14 kills per set.
   Creighton is 45-2 in its last 47 matches to last exactly three sets.
Welcome Back Jaela
Jaela Zimmerman made her 2022 debut on Sept. 30 when she checked in to serve set point in Creighton's 25-15 set one victory over Butler.
   She made her second appearance on Oct. 8 on match point at Providence, and promptly dialed up her first ace of the season.
   The pressure level upped a notch on Oct. 16 when she was inserted into the fifth set with the score tied at 7-all. She earned her first dig of the season immediately and served a 3-0 run as the Jays took the lead for good in the 15-11 win.
   Zimmerman saw her first front row action of the season on Oct. 22 at Georgetown and earned her first kill of 2022 on Oct. 28 at Seton Hall, the 998th of her career.
   A two-time AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and three-time All-BIG EAST selection, Zimmerman tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in Creighton's NCAA Tournament win vs. Ole Miss on Dec. 2, 2021 and underwent surgery five weeks later.
Jae-Z Plays The Hits
Jaela Zimmerman owns 1,000 kills, good for a tie for 14th in Creighton history. She reached the milestone in her 111th career match on Nov. 13 on her Senior Day vs. Seton Hall.
Career Kills
      Name   Sets   No.   Years
   1.   Jaali Winters   494   1,843   2015-18
   2.   Leah Ratzlaff   409   1,622   2002-05
   3.   Melissa Walsh   394   1,596   1998-01
   4.   Taryn Kloth   462   1,427   2015-18
   5.   Kelly Goc   394   1,414   2004-07
   6.   Jessica Houts   451   1,385   2005-09
   7.   JoDe Cieloha   398   1,375   1994-97
   8.   Leah McNary   458   1,257   2011-14
   9.   Marysa Wilkinson   499   1,183   2014-17
   10.   Lauren Smith   511   1,160   2013-16
   11.   Allie Oelke   445   1,126   2007-10
   12.   Kelli Browning   424   1,104   2011-14
   13.   Amanda Cvejdlik   343   1,029   2005-08
   14.   Shelly Kapler   388   1,000   1996-99
      Jaela Zimmerman   355   1,000   2018-Pr.
Creighton's Quickest Players To 1,000 Career Kills
Name   MP   Date   Opponent
Melissa Walsh   70   10/15/00   Eastern Illinois
Jaali Winters   73   08/25/17   vs. Saint Mary's
Leah Ratzlaff   76   10/22/04   Missouri State
JoDe Cieloha   83   09/13/97   at Drake
Kelly Goc   87   11/24/06   vs Northern Iowa
Jessica Houts   90   11/08/08   Illinois State
Leah McNary   96   09/12/14   Pepperdine
Amanda Cvejdlik   99   11/15/08   at Evansville
Shelly Kapler   103   11/18/99   vs. Missouri St.
Taryn Kloth   103   08/31/18   vs. NC State
Allie Oelke   107   10/09/10   Wichita State
Kelli Browning   110   10/26/14   DePaul
Jaela Zimmerman   111   11/13/22   Seton Hall
Lauren Smith   119   10/07/16   at Villanova
Marysa Wilkinson   120   09/30/17   at St. John's
Home Sweet Home
Creighton is in its 10th season as a member of the BIG EAST since joining the league in the summer of 2013.
   Since then, the Bluejays are 90-4 in home matches against BIG EAST teams (83-3 in the regular-season, 7-1 in the BIG EAST Tournament).
   Since November of 2014, Creighton is 74-1 inside D.J. Sokol Arena against BIG EAST teams, which includes a 68-1 league mark and a 6-0 mark in the conference tournament. The only setback (on Feb. 6, 2021 vs. Marquette) was played as a non-conference match, only to be flipped to a league contest 19 days later.
   Put another way, since enrolling at Creighton in 2018, Bluejay fifth-year senior Jaela Zimmerman is 45-1 in home matches against BIG EAST teams, and 135-22 in sets.
Hall Call
Megan (Bober) Varasteh entered the Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 15th, at a banquet at Hilton Omaha.
   Varasteh was part of the 54th class of inductees (along with Renae Sinkler-O'Gorman and Carol Ketcham) and gives the Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame 94 inductees, plus the 1991 Creighton Baseball Team. The Athletics Hall of Fame started in 1968 with the induction of Bluejay great Bob Gibson.
   Varasteh starred as a member of the Creighton Volleyball program from 2008-12, becoming the program's first player in earn AVCA All-America honors multiple times. She became the volleyball program's first woman named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year as well as MVC Tournament MVP, helping the Bluejays to their first regular-season and conference tournament titles and a then-record 29 victories. She closed her career with a school-record 15 triple-doubles (second in MVC history) and as the only player in league history with at least 4,000 assists, 1,000 digs, 800 kills and 400 blocks.
   She joined Melissa Walsh (2009), Korie Lebeda (2014) and Kelli Browning (2021) as the only Creighton Volleyball players to be inducted.
   In addition to being named Creighton's Female Athlete of the Year, she was also recognized as the Carl M. Reinert, S.J., Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, repeated her spot on the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team and was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American Second Team selection as a senior.
    The last win of Bober's career was a 3-0 sweep over Marquette in the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
Defense Delivers
Creighton has had its way in the BIG EAST thanks to dominant defense in recent times.
   Twenty of CU's last 27 BIG EAST opponents have hit lower than .120.
   The only team to hit better than .177 in that time was Marquette's .207 on Oct. 14 and its .274 on Nov. 19.
   Over the past 27 matches versus league opposition, Creighton opponents are hitting .106 (862-536-3067 in 88 sets) and averaging just 9.80 kills per set.
Date   Opponent (CU Result)   K-E-TA   Pct.
10/30/21Â Â Â at DePaul (W 3-0)Â Â Â 35-25-127Â Â Â .079
11/05/21Â Â Â Xavier (W 3-0)Â Â Â 35-14-119Â Â Â .176
11/07/21Â Â Â Butler (W 3-1)Â Â Â 45-30-177Â Â Â .085
11/12/21Â Â Â at Georgetown (W 3-0)Â Â Â 24-22-116Â Â Â .017
11/13/21Â Â Â at Villanova (W 3-0)Â Â Â 24-13-94Â Â Â .117
11/19/21Â Â Â Seton Hall (W 3-0)Â Â Â 16-20-87Â Â Â -.046
11/21/21Â Â Â St. John's (W 3-0)Â Â Â 25-22-105Â Â Â .029
11/26/21Â Â Â vs. DePaul (W 3-0)Â Â Â 33-24-102Â Â Â .088
11/27/21Â Â Â at Marquette (W 3-0)Â Â Â 34-24-121Â Â Â .083
09/23/22Â Â Â Georgetown (W 3-0)Â Â Â 18-12-98Â Â Â .061
09/25/22Â Â Â Villanova (W 3-0)Â Â Â 29-21-89Â Â Â .090
09/28/22Â Â Â Xavier (W 3-0)Â Â Â 24-18-101Â Â Â .059
09/30/22Â Â Â Butler (W 3-0)Â Â Â 32-19-120Â Â Â .108
10/07/22Â Â Â at UConn (W 3-2)Â Â Â 52-29-160Â Â Â .144
10/08/22Â Â Â at Providence (W 3-0)Â Â Â 25-14-99Â Â Â .111
10/14/22Â Â Â #16 Marquette (W 3-2)Â Â Â 59-21-184Â Â Â .207
10/16/22Â Â Â DePaul (W 3-2)Â Â Â 53-33-176Â Â Â .114
10/21/22Â Â Â at Villanova (W 3-0)Â Â Â 26-16-110Â Â Â .091
10/22/22Â Â Â at Georgetown (W 3-0)Â Â Â 25-18-85Â Â Â .082
10/28/22Â Â Â at Seton Hall (W 3-0)Â Â Â 22-14-99Â Â Â .081
10/30/22Â Â Â at St. John's (W 3-0)Â Â Â 42-23-109Â Â Â .174
11/04/22Â Â Â Providence (W 3-0)Â Â Â 20-13-83Â Â Â .084
11/06/22Â Â Â Connecticut (W 3-0)Â Â Â 36-20-114Â Â Â .140
11/11/22Â Â Â St. John's (W 3-0)Â Â Â 28-14-91Â Â Â .154
11/13/22Â Â Â Seton Hall (W 3-0)Â Â Â 20-15-89Â Â Â .056
11/18/22Â Â Â at DePaul (W 3-0)Â Â Â 36-29-119Â Â Â .059
11/19/22Â Â Â at #16 Marquette (L 0-3)Â Â Â 44-13-113Â Â Â .274
Down For The Count
Creighton has outscored teams 1,443-1,031 in league play this season and has allowed a BIG EAST opponent score more than 18 points in just 20 of the 60 sets played.
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20 At A Time For Sis
Norah Sis had 27 kills in a 3-2 win at UConn on Oct. 7, one shy of her career-high done in September in a 3-2 win vs. Florida State.
   On Oct. 14 and 16 Sis had 21 kills vs. Marquette, then provided 22 more two days later vs. DePaul. More recently, she had 20 kills at St. John's on Oct. 30 in just three sets.
   Sis is one of six players in program history with multiple matches of 25 or more kills. Her 11 career matches of 20 or more kills ranks fifth-most.
Most Matches With 25+ Kills, Creighton Career
   25+K   Name   Years
   8   Melissa Walsh   1998-01
   6   Leah Ratzlaff   2002-05
   6   Jaali Winters   2015-18
   3   Taryn Kloth   2015-18
   2   Jessica Houts   2005-09
   2   Norah Sis   2021-Present
   1   Michelle Prorock   1994-96
   1   JoDe Cieloha   1994-97
   1   Shelly Kapler   1996-99
   1   Melanie Keolanui   1997-00
   1   Kelly Goc   2004-07
   1   Alicia Runge   2009-10
   1   Keeley Davis   2019-Present
Matches With 20+ Kills, Career
   20+K   Name   Years
   23   Melissa Walsh   1998-01
   20   Leah Ratzlaff   2002-05
   18   Jaali Winters   2015-18
   13   Kelly Goc   2004-07
   11   Norah Sis   2021-Present
   10   JoDe Cieloha   1994-97
   7   Taryn Kloth   2015-18
   5   Jessica Houts   2005-09
   5   Leah McNary   2011-14
Matches With 20+ Kills, Season
   20+K   Name   Year
   11   Leah Ratzlaff   2003
   9   Leah Ratzlaff   2004
   9   Jaali Winters   2015
   8   Melissa Walsh   2000
   7   Melissa Walsh   1999
   7   Norah Sis   2022
   6   Kelly Goc   2006
   6   Jaali Winters   2016
   5   Kelly Goc   2007
   5   Taryn Kloth   2018
Wait, How Is That Possible?
Only 16 players in the nation average 11.00 assists per set. Of those 16, only Creighton's Kendra Wait averages more than 3.00 digs per set.
   Wait is averaging 11.04 assists and 3.22 digs per set this fall.
Let's Get It Started
Creighton has won its first 16 league matches in 2022 and has now started 11-0 (or better) in league play in five of the past eight seasons.
    During four of the previous seven seasons, Creighton started BIG EAST play 11-0 or better.
Year   League Wins Before First Loss   Lost To
2013Â Â Â 0Â Â Â at Butler
2014Â Â Â 5Â Â Â at Seton Hall
2015Â Â Â 11Â Â Â at Villanova
2016Â Â Â 18Â Â Â --
2017Â Â Â 4Â Â Â at Marquette
2018Â Â Â 18Â Â Â --
2019Â Â Â 12Â Â Â at Villanova
2020Â Â Â 1Â Â Â #25 Marquette
2021Â Â Â 2Â Â Â at St. John's
2022Â Â Â 17Â Â Â at #16 Marquette
Set Streaks
How often had Creighton previously won each of its first 12 sets of a BIG EAST season before this year? How about never?
   Only once previously had Creighton even won its first six sets in league play, and that came during the 2018 season where CU went 18-0 and dropped just 6-of-60 sets in league play all season.    The most league sets won in a row to start a season had come in 2011, when Creighton won its first eight sets played. That team finished 12-6 in Missouri Valley Conference action.
Year   Set Wins Before First Set Loss   Set Lost To
2013Â Â Â 1Â Â Â at Butler
2014Â Â Â 5Â Â Â Butler
2015Â Â Â 1Â Â Â Seton Hall
2016Â Â Â 4Â Â Â DePaul
2017Â Â Â 2Â Â Â Georgetown
2018Â Â Â 7Â Â Â at Butler
2019Â Â Â 5Â Â Â Georgetown
2020Â Â Â 1Â Â Â #25 Marquette
2021Â Â Â 2Â Â Â at Butler
2022Â Â Â 12Â Â Â --
BIG EAST Preseason Poll
Creighton Volleyball was picked to win the BIG EAST in a preseason poll of league coaches.
   Creighton earned 9-of-11 first place votes and 99 of a possible 100 points. That was just ahead of Marquette's 90 points and the other two votes for first place.
   DePaul (72) was picked third, just ahead of UConn (71) and St. John's (66). Rounding out the bottom half of the poll were Villanova (54), Butler (47), Xavier (42), Georgetown (25), Providence (25) and Seton Hall (14).
   Creighton also had three women among the 12 members on the BIG EAST's preseason all-conference team in Jaela Zimmerman and Kendra Wait as well as unanimous selection Norah Sis. Sis was also tabbed the BIG EAST's Preseason Player of the Year.
   Creighton has finished in the spot predicted of it or better in the preseason poll in 17 of 19 years under Kirsten Bernthal Booth, including nine 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
2020Â Â Â 1st (MW)Â Â Â 1st (MW)Â Â Â - -
2021   1st   1st   - -
2022   1st   T-1st   - -
Wait Making History
Just nine days after she had 59 assists and 36 digs against Florida State, Kendra Wait had 56 assists and 24 digs on Sept. 18 at Rice.
   Wait is the first Bluejay with a match of at least 50 assists and 20 digs in a match since Korie Lebeda in 2006, and first Bluejay since Kailey Reyes (in 1999) to post multiple matches of at least 50 assists and 20 digs in the same season.
   No Creighton player has ever done it three times in the same season.
50 Assists, 20 Digs In A Match
A   D   Name   Opp.   Date
51   21   Melissa Weisensee   at Wichita State (5s)   9/14/96
53   24   Melissa Weisensee   at Indiana State (5s)   10/18/96
65   22   Melissa Weisensee   at Evansville (5s)   11/8/97
55   28   Kailey Reyes   Evansville (5s)   9/11/99
65   24   Kailey Reyes   Illinois State (4s)   9/24/99
64   23   Kailey Reyes   at Evansville (5s)   11/4/00
54   22   Brittany Coleman   at Illinois State (4s)   10/18/03
62   21   Brittany Coleman   at So. Illinois (4s)   10/29/04
71   20   Korie Lebeda   at Evansville (5s)   11/18/06
59   36   Kendra Wait   vs. Florida State (5s)   9/9/22
56   24   Kendra Wait   at Rice (5s)   9/18/22
All That Jazz
Jazz Schmidt had just 25 kills in Creighton's first 10 matches of the season before she erupted for a season-high 17 kills on Sept. 18 at Rice.
   Schmidt's 17 kills were the most by a left-handed Bluejay since Megan Bober owned 19 kills at Southern Illinois on Oct. 21, 2011.
Sis Swings Away
Norah Sis obliterated Creighton's school-record of 77 attack attempts in a match (held by Jaali Winters) when she had 93 swings in CU's 3-2 win vs. Florida State on Sept. 9.
   Sis' 93 attacks are the second-most in the nation by a player this season.
More From Sept. 9
Creighton's 129 digs vs. Florida State were two shy of its school record and second-most in the nation this year for a single match. CU's only match with more was 131 vs. Illinois State on Oct. 13, 2000.
   Creighton's 254 attack attempts rank as its second-most in program history. The only match with more came Oct. 14, 2000 vs. Indiana State (296).
   Norah Sis' 28 kills vs. Florida State are tied for fourth-most in program history, and four away from Michelle Prorock's school record set in 1996.
Whitten Surpasses 2,000 Digs
Creighton libero Allison Whitten surpassed 2,000 career digs on Sept. 18 at Rice, as she had 24 digs on the afternoon.
   The grad transfer had 1,823 digs in four seasons at Morehead State and leads CU with 413 digs this season, giving her 2,237 in her career.
   By comparison, the top two women in digs at Creighton (only) are Brittany Witt (2,079 from 2016-19) and Kate Elman (2,054 from 2012-15).
   Last year's Bluejay libero, Abby Bottomley, finished her career seventh in NCAA history with 2,711 career digs, though the first 2,158 digs came while at High Point from 2017-20.
   Whitten has seven or more digs in all 29 contests this fall.
My Favorite Martin
Ava Martin opened her BIG EAST career with 10 kills (Sept. 23 vs. Georgetown), 11 kills (Sept. 25 vs. Villanova), 14 kills (Sept. 28 vs. Xavier) and 14 kills (Sept. 30 vs. Butler), helping her earn back-to-back BIG EAST Freshman of the Week accolades.
   She was the first Bluejay freshman to open her BIG EAST career with four straight matches of 10 or more kills, and just the third in program history to do so in any conference.
   Martin had her first career double-double vs. No. 16 Marquette when she had 18 kills and 12 digs on Oct. 14.
   Allie Oelke did it in four straight matches in 2007 and JoDe Cieloha set the record that still stands with five straight matches in 1994. Both of those came in the Missouri Valley Conference.
CU Freshmen With 10+ Kills to Start League Play
   Streak   Name   Year
   5   JoDe Cieloha   1994
   4   Allie Oelke   2007
   4   Ava Martin   2022
   3   Rachelle Von   1997
   3   Melissa Walsh   1998
   3   Jaali Winters   2015
   2   Michelle Prorock   1994
   2   Carolyn Decker   2004
   2   Jessica Houts   2005
   2   Melanie Jereb   2012
15,797 Fans!
No. 17 Creighton hosted 15,797 fans on Sept. 7 against No. 2 Nebraska, setting a record for the largest regular-season volleyball-only crowd in NCAA history. The mark stood for all of nine days before Wisconsin hosted 16,833 fans for a match vs. Florida.
   Here's a look at the top volleyball-only regular-season crowds in NCAA history. Of note, 13 of the top 14 figures of 11,000 or more have been in the state of Nebraska.
Largest Regular-Season Volleyball-Only Crowds in NCAA History
   Att.   Opponent, Result   Date   Site
   16,833   Florida def. Wisconsin   9/16/22   Madison, WI
   15,797   Nebraska def. Creighton, 3-2   9/7/22   Omaha, NE
   14,022   Nebraska def. Creighton, 3-2   9/6/18   Omaha, NE
   13,870   UCLA def. Nebraska, 3-2   9/13/09   Lincoln, NE
   13,412   Nebraska def. LSU, 3-0   9/12/08   Lincoln, NE
   13,396   Nebraska def. Hawai'i, 3-0   10/21/07   Lincoln, NE
   13,081   Cal Poly def. Creighton, 3-0   9/2/07   Omaha, NE
      Nebraska def. Penn State, 3-0  Â
   12,504   Nebraska def. Colorado, 3-0   11/4/00   Lincoln, NE
   12,112   Nebraska def. Creighton, 3-1   9/24/06   Omaha, NE
   11,892   Dayton def. W. Michigan, 3-0   9/11/10   Lincoln, NE
      Nebraska def. Illinois, 3-2  Â
   11,529   Nebraska def. Colorado, 3-0   10/22/95   Lincoln, NE
   11,279   Nebraska def. Creighton, 3-0   09/08/21   Omaha, NE
   11,076   Nebraska def. UCLA, 3-1   8/25/07   Omaha, NE
      Tennessee def. Utah, 3-2  Â
   11,032   UCLA def. Nebraska, 3-1   9/14/91   Lincoln, NE
   10,927   Minnesota def. Illinois, 3-1   10/16/04   Minneapolis, MN
   10,645   Purdue def. W. Michigan, 3-1   10/29/85   W. Lafayette, IN
   10,576   Penn St. def. Hawai'i, 3-0   8/27/05   Omaha, NE
      Nebraska def. Stanford, 3-0
   10,570   Purdue def. Wisconsin, 3-2   10/17/08   W. Lafayette, IN
Sis Races Past 500, 600 & 700 Kills
Sophomore Norah Sis is one of the fastest players in CU history to 500, 600, 700 and 800 career kills.
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
Norah Sis   40   09/03/22   #16 Kentucky
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
Creighton's Quickest Players To 600 Kills (Career)
Name   MP   Date   Opponent
Jaali Winters   41   09/03/16   at USC
Melissa Walsh   42   10/09/99   at Wichita State
Norah Sis   45   09/17/22   vs. Kansas State
Leah Ratzlaff   52   11/14/03   Illinois State
JoDe Cieloha   53   08/30/96   Murray State
Amanda Cvejdlik   53   11/17/06   at Southern Illinois
Creighton's Quickest Players To 700 Kills (Career)
Name   MP   Date   Opponent
Melissa Walsh   49   11/06/99   Missouri State
Jaali Winters   50   09/25/16   DePaul
Norah Sis   53   10/14/22   #16 Marquette
Leah Ratzlaff   57   09/03/04   vs. Montana
JoDe Cieloha   61   09/14/96   at Wichita State
Alicia Runge   62   11/27/10   at Northern Iowa
Creighton's Quickest Players To 800 Kills (Career)
Name   MP   Date   Opponent
Melissa Walsh   56   09/02/00   vs. UNCG
Jaali Winters   59   10/28/16   at Seton Hall
Norah Sis   59   11/04/22   Providence
Leah Ratzlaff   64   09/14/04   at Iowa
JoDe Cieloha   68   10/11/96   Bradley
10 Straight NCAA's
Creighton Volleyball has made the NCAA Tournament in each of the last 10 seasons. They are the first women's team in any sport at Creighton to make 10 straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
   The only other sport in Creighton history to make 10 straight NCAA Tournament appearances is the men's soccer program, which qualified in 17 straight seasons from 1992-2008.
   Creighton is one of nine teams nationally to have appeared in each of the last 10 NCAA Tournaments (2012-21). That group features BYU, Creighton, Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, Penn State, San Diego, Texas and Washington.
   There are also 13 schools that have appeared in 11 of the last 12 NCAA Tournaments, a group that includes Creighton, Florida State, Hawai'i, Minnesota, Purdue and Stanford.
   Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, Penn State, San Diego, Texas and Washington have appeared in every NCAA Tournament since at least 2010.
Preseason Ranking
Creighton was ranked 18th in the AVCA preseason poll. It's the eighth time in the past 10 years that the Jays have been ranked in the preseason.
   The No. 18 slotting was tied for the fourth-best preseason ranking in program history.
   Over the previous 14 seasons, 255-of-350 teams (72.9 percent) of teams have been in both the preseason and final polls, and since 2008 318-of-350 teams (90.9 percent) in the preseason top-25 polls would go on to reach the NCAA Tournament.
   This year marks the 11th straight season that CU has been ranked at least one week, extending a program record.
   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   16th   12-4   NR
   2022   18th   TBD   TBD
Some Fab Freshmen
Including Sky McCune on Aug. 26 vs. Iowa State, Creighton has started 15 different true freshmen in its season opener since 2009, and 19 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), Kiara Reinhardt (2020), Kendra Wait (2021), Norah Sis (2021) and Sky McCune (2022), with Coleman, Lebeda and Wait the only freshmen to start at setter in the season-opener.
   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.
   Ten of those women (Sis, Wait, Reinhardt, Coleman, Decker, Lebeda, Oelke, Mandolfo, Sicner and Jereb) went on to land a spot on the MVC or BIG EAST's All-Freshman Team (though the BIG EAST had no such team from 2013-19). Winters was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in 2015, Dimke was named BIG EAST Player of the Year in 2016, Davis was BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in 2019 and Sis recognized as BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in 2022.
   Last year marked the first time that Creighton started multiple true freshmen in a season-opener since 2012, when Ashley Jansen and Melanie Jereb both earning a starting nod. The 2012 and 2021 teams are the two winningest single-season teams in program history.
Believe The Hype
Creighton's recruiting class of freshmen Morgan Colangelo, Ava Martin, Sky McCune and Ann Marie Remmes was recognized as the nation's No. 24 class by PrepVolleyball.
   Martin was listed as the nation's No. 47 recruit, while McCune was tabbed 52nd-best. Creighton now owns eight players on its 2022 roster who were Top 100 recruits.
Top-100 PrepVolleyball.com Senior Aces
(list started in 2004)
Rank   Year   Player
68Â Â Â 2004Â Â Â Carolyn Decker
55Â Â Â 2008Â Â Â Laurel Sanford
60Â Â Â 2011Â Â Â Michelle Sicner
73Â Â Â 2013Â Â Â Jess Bird
50Â Â Â 2014Â Â Â Lydia Dimke*
18Â Â Â 2015Â Â Â Taryn Kloth
41Â Â Â 2015Â Â Â Jaali Winters
77Â Â Â 2016Â Â Â Erica Kostelac#
98Â Â Â 2017Â Â Â Naomi Hickman
99Â Â Â 2017Â Â Â Steph Gaston
49Â Â Â 2018Â Â Â Jaela Zimmerman
42Â Â Â 2018Â Â Â Keeley Davis
46Â Â Â 2020Â Â Â Kiara Reinhardt
97Â Â Â 2020Â Â Â Ellie Bolton
7Â Â Â 2021Â Â Â Kendra Wait
28Â Â Â 2021Â Â Â Norah Sis
31Â Â Â 2021Â Â Â Eve Magill
47Â Â Â 2022Â Â Â Ava Martin
52Â Â Â 2022Â Â Â Sky McCune
* signed with Purdue and later transferred to Creighton
# signed with Cincinnati and later transferred to Creighton
PrepVolleyball.com Recruiting Rankings
(list started in 2004)
Year   Rank   Freshman Recruits
2004   Best of the Rest   (Baumann, Decker, Goc, Lahm, Mehal)
2005   Honorable-Mention   (Cvejdlik, Houts, Lebeda)
2006   None   (Bloemke, Schulze, Workman)
2007   None   (Feldman, Oelke, Vrbicky)
2008   Highest Honorable-Mention   (Almgren, Bober, Sanford)
2009Â Â Â Highest HMÂ Â Â Boggs, Greisch, Moon, Templeton, Thorson)
2010Â Â Â High HMÂ Â Â (Fliss, Hackbarth, Malm, Mandolfo, S. Smith)
2011Â Â Â Highest HMÂ Â Â (Browning, McNary, Neisler, Sicner, Stivers)
2012   High Honorable-Mention   (Elman, Jansen, Jereb, L. Smith)
2013   None   (Bird, Crawford, Foje)
2014   Highest Honorable-Mention   (Lawrence, Tupper, Wilkinson)
2015   11th   (Ballenger, Bohnet, Kloth, O'Connell, Winters)
2016   High Honorable-Mention   (Conlon, Taylor, Witt)
2017   25th   (Gaston, Hickman, Roumeliotis)
2018   10th   (Davis, Welty, Zimmerman, Zumach)
2019Â Â Â Highest HMÂ Â Â (Bressman, Krause, Schmitt, Van Eekeren)
2020   27th   (Bolton, Maser, Reinhardt, Skovsende)
2021   5th   (Magill, Milner, Sis, Wait)
2022   24th   (Colangelo, Martin, McCune, Remmes)
Set 1 Result A Strong Indicator
Creighton is 371-33 (.918) overall under Kirsten Bernthal Booth when it wins set one. In that same time span, CU is just 68-150 (.312) under Booth when it drops the first set.
   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 135-4 in its last 139 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 and on Sept. 3, 2022 to No. 16 Kentucky.
   Creighton has gone 103-3 in its last 106 matches at all sites when winning the first set, compared to an 11-16 record in that same span when dropping the opener.
   Creighton has gone 144-2 in its last 146 matches against unranked foes when winning the opening set.
Eleventh Heaven
Kirsten Bernthal Booth is in some select company, as she has directed her team to 11 NCAA Tournaments.
   That puts her in the company of some of the greatest coaches in CU Athletics history, as she's tied former men's soccer coach Bob Warming atop that list.
Name   Sport   NCAA's @CU
Bob Warming   Men's Soccer   11
Kirsten Bernthal Booth   Volleyball   11
Dana Altman   Men's Basketball   7
Greg McDermott   Men's Basketball   7
Brent Vigness   Softball   7
Elmar Bolowich   Men's Soccer   6
Against NCAA Tournament Qualifiers
Last season Creighton played four matches against 2020 NCAA Tournament qualifiers, going 3-1 against such teams.
   This year's team owns eight matches (Iowa State, Kentucky, Nebraska, Florida State, Kansas State, Rice and Marquette) scheduled against teams that made the 2021 NCAA Tournament, and CU is 4-4 against those foes to date.
   After going 3-35 against teams coming off NCAA Tournament bids prior to Kirsten Bernthal Booth's arrival, the Jays are 93-105 since.
Year   W-L vs. Previous Season NCAA Teams
1994Â Â Â 0-4
1995Â Â Â 0-2
1996Â Â Â 0-2
1997Â Â Â 0-3
1998Â Â Â 0-5
1999Â Â Â 2-4
2000Â Â Â 0-4
2001Â Â Â 1-6
2002Â Â Â 0-5
2003Â Â Â 0-3
2004Â Â Â 2-2
2005Â Â Â 0-6
2006Â Â Â 4-6
2007Â Â Â 4-9
2008Â Â Â 6-8
2009Â Â Â 1-11
2010Â Â Â 4-7
2011Â Â Â 2-6
2012Â Â Â 8-3
2013Â Â Â 6-6
2014Â Â Â 4-5
2015Â Â Â 11-5
2016Â Â Â 10-7
2017Â Â Â 8-6
2018Â Â Â 8-5
2019Â Â Â 5-4
2020Â Â Â 3-1
2021Â Â Â 3-1
2022Â Â Â 4-4 so far
TOTALÂ Â Â 96-140
TOTAL Under Booth   93-105
Marian Pipeline
This is the 20th straight season that Creighton Volleyball had at least one product of Omaha Marian High School on the roster, as senior Emily Bressman keeps the streak alive.
   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.
2022: Emily Bressman
2021: Emily Bressman
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
Survival of the Fittest
Creighton has won nine matches under Kirsten Bernthal Booth after surviving an opponent's match point, including season-opening wins over No. 5 Kentucky in 2018 and vs. UTSA in 2011. Three of those other comeback wins have come against Wichita State.
   On the other hand, Creighton is 439-3 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
08/26/11Â Â Â vs. UTSAÂ Â Â 12-14, 13-14Â Â Â 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
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 owns 439 victories on the Bluejay sideline to rank fifth in school history across all sports.
Coach, Sport   Victories (thru 11/21)
Brent Vigness, Softball   819
Ed Servais, Baseball   618*
Mary Higgins, Softball   564
Tom Lilly, Men's & Women's Tennis   498*
Kirsten Bernthal Booth, Volleyball   439*
Jim Flanery, Women's Basketball   391*
Ed Hubbs, Men's & Women's Tennis   347
Dana Altman, Men's Basketball   327
*still active coaching at Creighton
League Opener Histories
Including its Sept. 23 sweep of Georgetown, Creighton owns a 21-8 record all-time in conference openers, including an 18-2 record under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. That includes a 9-1 mark in BIG EAST lid-lifters, and nine straight wins.
   Including 2022, each of the last 10 times that Creighton won its league opener (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022), the Bluejays went on to win the regular-season title, going a combined 161-11 in regular-season league action. Creighton also won eight of the previous nine conference tournament titles (entering 2022) during those years, going 16-1 in those seasons.
   In the 20 seasons that Creighton has won its conference opener, it has never finished worse than .500 in league play and it owns a combined .775 (290-84) winning percentage (including 2022) in league matches.
   In the eight years in which Creighton lost its league opener, the Bluejays have had a losing record on five occasions and owns a combined .363 (53-93) winning percentage during league contests.
   In conference home openers, Creighton is 24-5 overall and 18-2 under Booth, with 12 straight wins.
   In league road openers, Creighton is 20-9 overall and 17-3 under Booth, with nine straight wins.
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 8-12 against ranked non-conference foes over the last five seasons after going 2-43 all-time vs. ranked teams in regular-season non-conference matches.
   Creighton owned 12 non-conference wins last season to set a program record for a regular-season. It's actually also the first season with 10 wins prior to league play.
Non-Conference Records, By Year, Under Booth
Year   Non-Con W-L   vs. Ranked Non-Con   Final W-L
2003Â Â Â 3-8Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 12-18
2004Â Â Â 8-2Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 18-11
2005Â Â Â 6-5Â Â Â 0-3Â Â Â 16-14
2006Â Â Â 8-3Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 21-10
2007Â Â Â 6-5Â Â Â 0-3Â Â Â 21-10
2008Â Â Â 3-5Â Â Â 0-3Â Â Â 18-9
2009Â Â Â 3-8Â Â Â 0-3Â Â Â 14-17
2010Â Â Â 5-5Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 21-12
2011Â Â Â 5-7Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 17-14
2012Â Â Â 9-2Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 29-4
2013Â Â Â 9-3Â Â Â 1-2Â Â Â 23-9
2014Â Â Â 7-6Â Â Â 0-5Â Â Â 25-9
2015Â Â Â 6-7Â Â Â 1-4Â Â Â 27-9
2016Â Â Â 6-6Â Â Â 0-4Â Â Â 29-7
2017Â Â Â 7-4Â Â Â 3-3Â Â Â 26-7
2018Â Â Â 8-4Â Â Â 1-3Â Â Â 29-5
2019Â Â Â 7-3Â Â Â 2-3Â Â Â 25-6
2020Â Â Â 3-2Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 12-4
2021Â Â Â 12-1Â Â Â 1-1Â Â Â 31-4
2022Â Â Â 8-3Â Â Â 1-2Â Â Â TBD
Production Returns
Creighton returns 11-of-16 letterwinners to the court from last season, including four starters
   From last year's team, only Abby Bottomley, Naomi Hickman, Eve Magill, Ally Van Eekeren, Annika Welty are not back.
   All told, of the seven categories listed below, Creighton returns 511.8 of a possible 700% back (73.1 percent).
   Below is a breakdown of the production that is back:
Stat   Returners   Departures
Assists   1,331 (87.4%)   192 (12.6%)
Kills   1,307 (80.2%)   323 (19.8%)
Points   1,627.0 (75.6%)   526.0 (24.4%)
Matches Started   154 (73.3%)   56 (26.7%)
Digs   1,460 (70.6%)   607 (29.4%)
Aces   128 (66.7%)   64 (33.3%)
Blocks   192 (58.0%)   139.0 (42.0%)
Match #30: Xavier or Butler at #15 Creighton • Friday, Nov. 25 • 7:00 p.m. • Omaha, Neb.
| LIVE VIDEO ($) | FLOSPORTS INFO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES (PDF) |
This Week
The postseason beckons for No. 15 Creighton (25-4, 17-1 BIG EAST) as the nine-time defending BIG EAST regular-season champion Bluejays host the BIG EAST Championship, presented by JEEP, this weekend.
   Newly expanded to six teams, the tournament gets underway on Wednesday at 1 p.m. when fourth-seeded St. John's (19-12, 10-8 BIG EAST) takes on fifth-seeded Connecticut (16-13, 10-8 BIG EAST).
   The second quarterfinal will take place at 4 p.m. when third-seeded Xavier (18-10, 11-7 BIG EAST) squares off with sixth-seeded Butler (16-14, 10-8 BIG EAST).
   After taking a day off for Thanksgiving, play resumes on Friday at 4 p.m. when top-seeded and No. 14 Marquette (26-2, 17-1 BIG EAST) faces the winner of Wednesday's 1 p.m. quarterfinal between St. John's and Connecticut.
   Second-seeded Creighton hits the floor on Friday at 7 p.m. when it takes on the victor of Wednesday's 4 p.m. quarterfinal between Xavier and Butler.
   D.J. Sokol Arena (2,500) in Omaha, Neb., will host the action.
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How To Watch
The BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinals and semifinals will air on FloSports. Jon Schriner and Shannon Smolinski will be on the call on Wednesday, while Bob Brainerd and Jill Dorsey Hall take over for Saturday's semifinals.
   More information about discounted subscriptions to FloSports programming can be found at http://GoCreighton.com/FloSports.
   Saturday's championship match will be televised on FS2 and be broadcasted by Bob Brainerd and Jill Dorsey Hall. That match ill be streamed on http://FoxSports.com/live.
How To Listen
Creighton's semifinal match webcast will air on KZOT (1180 The Zone), with Jon Schriner and Shannon Smolinski. Schriner and Smolinski would also call Saturday's match on KZOT (1180 The Zone) should Creighton advance to the final.
   Audio from CU's match(es) will be streamed at http://GoCreighton.com/listen1180.
Live Stats Information
All matches of the BIG EAST Tournament will have free live stats. The link to each is also on the GoCreighton.com volleyball schedule page.
Scouting #15 Creighton
Ranked 15th nationally, Creighton is 25-4 this season after going 17-1 to clinch a share of a ninth straight BIG EAST regular-season title. The lone losses have come to then-No. 16 Kentucky (3-1 on Sept. 3), to then-No. 2 Nebraska (3-2 on Sept. 7), at current No. 22 Rice (3-2 on Sept. 18) and to No. 16 Marquette (3-0 on Nov. 19).
   The Bluejays lost just nine sets in league play all season and had a program-record stretch of 29 straight set wins snapped last Saturday at Marquette.
   Creighton owns wins over a boatload of NCAA Tournament regulars, including No. 16 Marquette, No. 25 USC, Iowa State, Kansas State, Florida State, Northern Iowa and Wichita State.
   Sophomore OH Norah Sis (4.19 kps., 2.48 dps.) was named BIG EAST Player of the Year after a standout season that saw her top the BIG EAST in kills per set and points per set this year.
   Senior MB Kiana Schmitt owns 2.29 kills per set on .323 hitting and was named All-BIG EAST. She led all players with 74 blocks in BIG EAST action this fall.
   As if that wasn't enough, OH Ava Martin (2.38 kps.) has taken her game to another level in league play, hitting .309 and averaging 2.91 kills per set against conference competition to earn BIG EAST Freshman of the Week accolades four times in addition to BIG EAST Freshman of the Year acclaim.
   Quarterbacking the Bluejay offense is sophomore S Kendra Wait (11.04 aps., 3.22 dps., .355%), a two-time all-BIG EAST choice.
   Other seniors to keep an eye on include libero Allison Whitten (2,237 career digs), OH Keeley Davis (CU record 148 aces) and RS/S Jazz Schmidt (.454 hitting % in league play). Davis has led the BIG EAST in aces per set each of the past two years.
   Creighton averages 14.37 kills, 1.60 aces, 16.74 digs and 2.06 blocks per set while hitting .267 as a team.
Scouting Xavier
Xavier is 18-10 on the season and finished third in the BIG EAST with an 11-7 mark despite closing with two straight losses. The Musketeers are 8-2 in five-set matches this season.
   Missouri State transfer Brooklyn Cink (3.42 kps., .266%) leads the Musketeer offense, with Delaney Hogan (2.39 kps., .324%) and Anna Taylor (2.08 kps.) also average multiple kills per set.
   All-BIG EAST setter Carrigan O'Reilly (8.98 aps., 2.46 dps., 1.51 kps.) owns four career triple-doubles, and Lucia Corsaro (4.08 dps.) owns the team lead in digs.
   The Musketeers average 13.06 kills, 1.19 aces, 16.13 digs and 1.73 blocks per set on .239 hitting.
This Season vs. Xavier
Creighton swept Xavier (25-9, 25-17, 25-16) on Sept. 28th in Omaha in the only meeting with the Musketeers this fall.
   Ava Martin hit .684 with 14 kills in 19 swings, Norah Sis (13 kills, 10 digs) contributed a double-double and Keeley Davis served a career-high five aces to pace the Bluejays. CU hit a season-best .381 in the win.
   The Musketeers hit just .059 and were paced by seven kills by Brooklyn Cink.
Series History vs. Xavier
Creighton is 22-0 all-time against Xavier, with all the matches having occurred since 2013. Thirteen of the last 15 meetings have been 3-0 CU sweeps, but the two exceptions were 3-2 Creighton wins in Omaha in 2018 and the spring of 2021.
   Thanks in part to a 3-0 record in league tourney action against the Musketeers, Creighton has more wins against Xavier (22) than any other team since joining the BIG EAST.
   Creighton's victory on Oct. 5, 2013 in Cincinnati was the program's first BIG EAST win in history.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 22-0 vs. Xavier, and she is 16-0 against Christy Pfeffenberger.
Scouting Butler
Butler is 16-14 this season and tied for fourth in the BIG EAST with a 10-8 league record. The Bulldogs bring a three-match win streak into the league championships after saving seven match points to win a 24-22 fifth set vs. UConn on Sunday.
   Mariah Grunze (3.32 kps.), Megan Sheridan (2.32 kps.) and Amina Shackelford (2.97 kps., 0.94 bps.) lead the team in kills per set.
   Cora Taylor (9.34 aps.) tops the club in assists and two-time BIG EAST Libero of the Year Jaymeson Kinley (5.42 dps.) leads the BIG EAST in digs per set.
   The Bulldogs average 12.16 kills, 1.12 aces, 15.96 digs and 2.37 blocks per set on .186 hitting.
This Season vs. Butler
Creighton swept Butler (25-15, 25-16, 25-17) on Sept. 30th in Omaha in the lone meeting this season.
   Ava Martin hit .500 and had 14 kills in the win, while Kendra Wait added 38 assists, 11 digs and five blocks.
   Mariah Grunze and Amina Shackelford both had 11 kills for the Bulldogs, and Jaymeson Kinley contributed a match-high 18 digs.
Series History vs. Butler
Creighton is 18-1 all-time against Butler, including five-set victories in three of the past 11 meetings.
   Butler ruined Creighton's BIG EAST debut on Oct. 4, 2013 in Indianapolis, handing the Bluejays a four-set loss, but Creighton has won all 18 meetings since then.
   The teams have never met in the BIG EAST Tournament.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 18-1 vs. Butler and head coach Sharon Clark.
Creighton Coaches
Creighton is coached by Kirsten Bernthal Booth (Truman State, 1997), who owns a 439-183 record in her 20th season with the Bluejays. She's led Creighton to nine straight BIG EAST titles (2014-21), and 10 league crowns in the last 11 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 11 NCAA Tournament bids in the program's modern history. She's also coached CU into the top-25 each of the last 11 seasons (including 2022), 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, Brian Rosen and Elise Fulcher.
BIG EAST Championship History
Creighton is 15-2 all-time in nine previous BIG EAST Championship appearances, including seven titles (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021).
   Creighton is 8-1 in the semifinal round and 7-1 in the finals.
   CU has never faced Butler at the BIG EAST Championship, but is 3-0 against Xavier in tourney action (2013, 2014, 2016).
   Nine of Creighton's last 10 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 7-1 all-time at D.J. Sokol Arena at the BIG EAST Championships, including titles in 2015, 2018 and 2020, but did lose in the final in 2013.
   At 15-2, Creighton is the only team in this weekend's BIG EAST Championship with a winning record in the event all-time. Butler is 0-2, Marquette is 11-12, UConn is 11-40, St. John's is 7-8 and Xavier is 1-4.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 15-2 in BIG EAST Championship action with seven titles. By comparison, the league's 10 other active coaches have a combined mark of 14-30 in the BIG EAST Championship with two titles, and none of the other 10 have a winning record in the event.
With a Win...
With a win on Friday, Creighton would...
- Improve to 26-4 on the season, tied for the sixth-most single-season wins in team history.
-Improve to 16-2 all-time in the BIG EAST Championship, including an 9-1 mark in the semifinal round.
- Kirsten Bernthal Booth would improve to 16-2 at the BIG EAST Championship, while the rest of the league's active coaches would be a combined 17-34 by the day's end.
- Improve to 2-1 all-time in BIG EAST Tournament play as the No. 2 seed, and 2-2 in all conference tournaments as a No. 2 seed.
- Advance to its 10th conference tournament title match in the past 11 seasons, a stretch that started with the 2012 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament final.
Booth's Haul
With seven titles, Kirsten Bernthal Booth is one of two volleyball coaches in league history to win six or more BIG EAST Championship titles.
   The only other coach with six or more was Notre Dame's Debbie Brown (9).
BIG EAST Tournament Champions
Creighton Volleyball is seeking the school's 10th different BIG EAST Tournament title won by the school since joining the BIG EAST in the summer of 2013.
   All but two of those titles have been won by the volleyball program.
   With a title this weekend, Creighton can join Notre Dame (1996), Louisville (2010) and Marquette (2013) as the only programs to win the BIG EAST Tournament in men's soccer and women's volleyball in the same year.
Creighton's BIG EAST Tournament Titles (9)
Baseball (1): 2019
Men's Soccer (1): 2022
Volleyball (7): 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021
All-BIG EAST Quartet
Four members of the Creighton Volleyball program have earned All-BIG EAST honors, with Norah Sis being selected as Player of the Year and Ava Martin recognized as Freshman of the Year.
   Sis joins Lydia Dimke (2016) and Jaali Winters (2018) as Creighton women named BIG EAST Player of the Year. Sis lived up to the hype as Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year as she led the league in kills per set (4.19) and points per set (4.61). The Papillion, Neb., product was a three-time BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week and has single-match highs of 28 kills (vs. Florida State), 19 digs (vs. Florida State and at Rice) and nine blocks (vs. DePaul). Sis was also an All-BIG EAST selection in 2021, when she brought home Freshman of the Year accolades from the BIG EAST.
   Martin becomes Creighton's fourth BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, joining Jaali Winters (2015) as well as current teammates Keeley Davis (2019) and Norah Sis (2021). A four-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week this season, Martin ranked ninth in the BIG EAST in hitting percentage (.309) during league play and the Bluejays are 11-0 when the Overland Park, Kan., native owns eight or more kills.
   One of the league's most improved players, Kiana Schmitt earns her first All-BIG EAST plaudit after a huge season that saw her top the conference in BIG EAST play with 1.23 blocks per set and ranking fourth with a .361 hitting percentage. Creighton is 19-0 all-time when the senior owns four or more blocks and 40-5 when the Waunakee, Wis., middle blocker generates six or more kills. The two-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week this fall had her best match in a 3-2 win vs. DePaul when she finished with career-highs of 16 kills and 13 blocks.
   Kendra Wait was named All-BIG EAST for the second straight season after once again leading the BIG EAST in assists per set. The Gardner, Kan., native is the nation's only player averaging at least 11.00 assists and 3.00 digs per set and had career-highs with 59 assists and 36 digs vs. Florida State on Sept. 9. Wait leads the Bluejays with 17 double-doubles this fall.
   This year marks the 10th time in as many years as a member of the BIG EAST that Creighton has had multiple all-conference selections, and eighth straight season with three or more First Team selections.
Back For More (Awards)
Last season Norah Sis was named Most Outstanding Player of the BIG EAST Championships and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by fellow Bluejay returnees Jaela Zimmerman and Kendra Wait.
   No player has been named Most Outstanding Player of the BIG EAST Championship multiple times since Creighton's Jaali Winters (2016, 2018), and no player has won the award in back-to-back seasons since Notre Dame's Jaimie Lee in 1996 and 1997.
As The Second Seed
Creighton is the No. 2 seed for a conference tournament for just the third time in team history.
   The Bluejays were the No. 2 seed in the 2008 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, where it was upset by No. 3 seed Northern Iowa in five sets in Wichita, Kan.
   Creighton's only BIG EAST Tournament as a No. 2 seed came in its first year in the league in 2013, where it defeated thired-seeded Xavier in four sets before falling to top-seeded Marquette in four sets. Both of those matches took place inside D.J. Sokol Arena.
   The BIG EAST Championship has been won by the top seed eight of the last nine years, and the No. 1 seed has also gone 17-1 in its last 18 games.
X Marks The Spot
Creighton owns 22 straight matches against Xavier, its best streak against any team.
Most Consecutive Match Wins Over One Team
   Wins   Opponent   Dates
   22   Xavier   2013-Present
   21   DePaul   2013-Present
   19   Southern Illinois   2003-11
   19   Georgetown   2013-Present
   18   Butler   2013-Present
   16   Indiana State   2005-Present
Nine In A Row
Creighton clinched a share of its ninth straight BIG EAST regular-season title last weekend with a win at DePaul.
   With its 2022 title, Creighton became the first team in BIG EAST volleyball history to win nine straight regular-season titles. The previous record had been seven by Notre Dame from 1999-2005.
   The Bluejay volleyball team is also the first Creighton program in any sport to win nine or more straight league titles, surpassing the five in a row by the men's soccer program (1992-96).
Champions Among Champions
Since the start of the 2012 season, Creighton, Texas and Western Kentucky are the nation's only schools to have won nine conference regular-season titles (entering 2022). All but one of Creighton's nine crowns (entering 2022) were outright titles, whereas Texas shared one title and WKU shared five.
   Creighton has also won eight conference tournament titles since 2012, tied for the most in the nation with Dayton and Western Kentucky.
Most Conference Titles 2012-2021
(Columns Don't Include 2022)
Regular-Season   League Tournament
9 (1 shared) Creighton   8 Creighton
9 (1) Texas   8 Dayton
9 (5) Western Kentucky   8 Western Kentucky
8 BYUÂ Â Â 7 Fairfield
8 (1) Colorado State   6 LIU
8 Fairfield   6 American
The. Best.
No matter how you slice it, Creighton and Marquette have dominated BIG EAST Volleyball since 2013.
Stat   CU   MU   Everyone Else
BIG EAST Reg.-Season Titles   9   3   0
BIG EAST Play Win Percentage   .917   .830   .408
BIG EAST Tourney TItles   7   1   1
BIG EAST Player of the Year   3   5   3
BIG EAST Libero of the Year   2   0   8
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year   4   3   4
BIG EAST Coach of the Year   3   2   5
AVCA All-Americans*Â Â Â 6Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 0
AVCA H.M. All-Americans   14   7   14
AVCA Region Freshman of Year   3   1   2
AVCA Region Coach of Year   3   0   2
CoSIDA Academic All-Americans   5   3   0
*First/Second/Third Teams only
Thorn In Marquette's Side
Marquette is 234-71 since the start of the 2013 season, but just 5-21 in that time against Creighton.
   In other words, the Golden Eagles own a .192 winning percentage against Creighton (5-21) compared to a .821 mark (230-50) against everyone else.
   No other team has beaten Marquette more than five times in the past decade (2013-22), with in-state rival Wisconsin (5) next-closest. Among BIG EAST teams, Xavier owns four wins to top those schools not named Creighton.
   If you wanted to break it down to just the past five seasons, Marquette is 2-11 against Creighton (.154) and 116-13 (.899) against everyone else.
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, 2018 and 2020. 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. In 2021, Creighton and Marquette shared the regular-season title and CU won the tournament title. Both Creighton and Marquette also shared the 2022 regular-season title.
   Below is a look at the record of each BIG EAST team since league realignment in 2013:
BIG EAST VB Standings Since 2013 (thru 11/22)
           BIG EAST only   All   matches
Team (NCAA Bids)Â Â Â WÂ Â Â LÂ Â Â WÂ Â Â L
Creighton (9)Â Â Â 154Â Â Â 14Â Â Â 252Â Â Â 64
Marquette (8)Â Â Â 137Â Â Â 28Â Â Â 235Â Â Â 71
Xavier   97   69   149   137
Butler   90   78   157   137
Villanova (1)Â Â Â 84Â Â Â 84Â Â Â 155Â Â Â 134
St. John's (1)Â Â Â 79Â Â Â 89Â Â Â 171Â Â Â 137
Seton Hall (1)Â Â Â 71Â Â Â 96Â Â Â 143Â Â Â 156
DePaul   45   123   109   173
Georgetown   35   125   86   186
Connecticut#Â Â Â 27Â Â Â 17Â Â Â 44Â Â Â 31
Providence*Â Â Â 27Â Â Â 125Â Â Â 94Â Â Â 165
*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.
The Avengers
During its nine-year run of BIG EAST Tournament titles from 2014-22, Creighton has just 10 regular-season losses. In nearly every case, Creighton would avenge that loss with a league tournament victory over the opponent that beat them previously.
   This year's Creighton team owns one league loss, and could have a chance for revenge against Marquette in the final.
Date   Loss   Tourney Rematch Result
10/10/14   at Seton Hall  Â
11/23/14   Seton Hall   W 3-1
10/30/15   at Villanova   W 3-0
10/05/17   at Marquette   W 3-2
11/17/17   at Villanova   W 3-0
11/08/19   at Villanova   Didn't Meet
02/06/20   Marquette   W 3-1
10/01/21   at St. John's   Didn't Meet
10/16/21   at Connecticut   Didn't Meet
11/19/22   at #16 Marquette   Possibly Saturday?
Sweep Revenge
Creighton doesn't get swept very often...in fact last Saturday's 3-0 loss at Marquette was the first time the Bluejays were swept since Sept. 8, 2021 vs. No. 3 Nebraska.
   Creighton answered that loss with eight straight victories.
   The last time Creighton was swept in a BIG EAST match came Feb. 6, 2021 when No. 25 Marquette handed the Jays a 3-0 loss. CU responded with four straight wins.
   Last Saturday was just the seventh time in 168 BIG EAST regular-season matches that Creighton has been swept.
Break Out The Brooms
Prior to last Saturday's 3-0 loss in Milwaukee, Creighton had won 29 straight sets over the course of 33 days.
   It was the longest streak of sets won in program history, four more than the previous high. Three of CU's longest eight sets won streaks have now been snapped by Marquette.
   Creighton has won 14 straight sets inside D.J. Sokol Arena, where it returns home this weekend.
Consecutive Sets Won
   Set Wins   Dates   Snapped By
   29   Oct. 16, 2022-Present   at #16 Marquette
   25   Oct. 22-Nov. 20, 2016   Villanova
   25   Oct. 26-Nov. 23, 2018   #16 Marquette
   22   Nov. 7-Dec. 2, 2021   Kansas
   19   Oct. 12-Nov. 3, 2019   at Villanova
   15   Oct. 7-21, 2016   at Marquette
   15   Sept. 28-Oct. 13, 2018   at Villanova
   15   Sept. 11-24, 2021   at Butler
Top 25 History
Creighton is 170-39 all-time when playing as a ranked team, and also 17-23 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, 38 of Creighton's 68 losses have come against ranked teams. In that same period, Creighton is 261-30 against unranked teams. Creighton has won all but two of its past 92 home matches over unranked teams and all but nine of its last 119 matches at all sites against unranked teams.
   After a total of three total top-25 wins from 1994-2014, Creighton has earned at least one top-25 win each of the last eight seasons (2015-22). That includes a record-tying four top-25 victories in 2019.
   Creighton is 22-84 all-time against ranked teams and 12 of those top 25 wins all-time have come against either Marquette (7) or Kentucky (5).
   The highest ranked teams that Creighton has ever beaten at any site were No. 3 Washington (8/26/17 in Seattle) and No. 3 Kentucky (9/4/21 in Lexington). CU's highest-ranked opponent it has defeated at home was a 3-1 win over then-No. 9 Marquette on Nov. 22, 2019.
Ranked vs. Ranked (CU is 17-23)
Home: 7-9Â Â Â Away: 5-8 Â Â Â 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   0-3
09/08/21   #3 Nebraska   #19 Creighton   0-3
09/02/22   #17 Creighton   #25 USC   3-1
09/03/22   #16 Kentucky   #17 Creighton   1-3
09/07/22   #2 Nebraska   #17 Creighton   2-3
10/14/22   #21 Creighton   #16 Marquette   3-2
11/19/22   #16 Marquette   #11 Creighton   0-3
Block Record Falls
Creighton set a school-record for total blocks and block assists the last time it met DePaul on Oct. 16.
   Creighton's 22.0 blocks broke the record of 21.0 done twice before (in 2003 and 2012), and were the most by any BIG EAST team since 2018.
   Creighton's 40 block assists were two more than the previous mark set in 2009 and 2012, and eight more than the previous mark for a five-set match done three times.
   Individually, Kiana Schmitt's 13 total blocks were the most by a Bluejay since Kelli Browning in 2012, and tied for fifth-most ever by a Bluejay.
Most Total Blocks, Individual
   17   Ashley Williams (3-14) vs. Wichita State (5s)   10-10-03
   16   Ashley Williams (4-12) vs. Southern Illinois (5s)   9-19-03
   15   Kelli Browning (0-15) vs. Tulsa (4s)   9-8-12
   14   Jessica Houts (0-14) vs. Lipscomb (4s)   9-4-09
   13   Laurel Sanford (1-12) vs. Southern Illinois (5s)   10-21-11
   13   Kiana Schmitt (1-12) vs. DePaul (5s)   10-16-22
Most Total Blocks, Team
   22   vs. DePaul (2-40)   10-16-22
   21   vs. Southern Illinois (8-26) (5s)   9-19-03
   21   vs. Tulsa (2-38) (4s)   9-8-12
   20   vs. Lipscomb (1-38) (4s)   9-4-09
   20   vs. Indiana State (3-34) (3s)   10-24-09
   20   at Kansas (4-32) (5s)   9-19-12
Most Block Assists, Team
   40   vs. DePaul (5s)   10-16-22
   38   vs. Lipscomb (4s)   9-4-09
   38   vs. Tulsa (4s)   9-8-12
   36   vs. Southern Illinois (4s)   10-27-12
   35   at Bradley (4s)   11-19-05
Against The BIG EAST
Since the BIG EAST was restructured in 2013, Creighton owns a record better than .500 against each of the other teams currently in the BIG EAST.
   The Bluejays own 169 wins against BIG EAST competition (including BIG EAST Championship play) since 2013, 27 more wins than Marquette for most in the league.
   CU still has not lost to four league foes (DePaul, Georgetown, Providence, Xavier) since joining the BIG EAST, and Marquette (5), Villanova (3), Seton Hall (3) and St. John's (3) are the only BIG EAST programs to top the Bluejays multiple times since 2013.
Opponent   Reg. Season   BE Tourney   Total
Butler   18-1   -   18-1
Connecticut   2-1   1-0   3-1
DePaul   20-0   1-0   21-0
Georgetown   18-0   -   18-0
Marquette   16-4   5-1   21-5
Providence   15-0   -   15-0
Seton Hall   15-3   2-0   17-3
St. John's   16-2   0-1   16-3
Villanova   15-3   3-0   18-3
Xavier   19-0   3-0   22-0
Total   154-14   15-2   169-16
Five For Fighting
Creighton won back-to-back five set home matches against Marquette and DePaul on Oct. 14 and Oct. 16. Incredibly, it was the first time in 10 years of regular-season BIG EAST play that Creighton had played back-to-back five setters in conference matches at any site.
   The last time it happened was CU's final two league matches as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference in 2012 when it won road matches at Wichita State and Missouri State.
   Ironically, Creighton honored the league champion 2012 Volleyball team that weekend during its victory over Marquette.
   Creighton had not won multiple five-set home matches on the same weekend since October of 2010 when it beat Missouri State and Wichita State on consecutive days.
Depth, Depth and More Depth
Only nine active players throughout the 11-team BIG EAST have at least 800 career kills, 500 career digs and 100 career blocks, and five of those women are Creighton Bluejays.
800 Kills, 500 Digs, 100 Career Blocks, BIG EAST
Name, School   Kills   Digs   Blocks
Rachele Rastelli, SJUÂ Â Â 1,832Â Â Â 607Â Â Â 400
Caylee Parker, UConn   1,682   1,211   208
Bethany Clapp, CUÂ Â Â 1,214Â Â Â 879Â Â Â 165
Brooklyn Cink, XUÂ Â Â 1,085Â Â Â 711Â Â Â 219
Jazz Schmidt, CUÂ Â Â 1,003Â Â Â 728Â Â Â 205
Jaela Zimmerman, CUÂ Â Â 1,000Â Â Â 796Â Â Â 165
Keeley Davis, CUÂ Â Â 961Â Â Â 838Â Â Â 155
Jasmine Davis, UConn   860   810   145
Norah Sis, CUÂ Â Â 854Â Â Â 591Â Â Â 114
Streak Reached 17
Before last Saturday, Creighton had won 17 straight matches, its 10th double-digit winning streak since 2012. The win streak was tied for the third-longest in program history.
   When Kirsten Bernthal Booth was hired, the Jays had never had a win streak longer than five. Each of the 17 longest win streaks in program history have come under Booth's guidance.
Most Consecutive Wins, Creighton History
   Wins   Dates   Snapped By
   23   Sept. 23-Dec. 9, 2016   at #5 Texas, 3-0
   21   Sept. 21 - Nov. 30, 2018   #22 Washington, 3-0
   17   Sept. 29-Nov. 30, 2012   at #11 Minnesota, 3-1
   17   Sept. 23 - Nov. 18, 2022   at #16 Marquette, 3-0
   14   Sept. 19-Nov. 3, 2019   at Villanova, 3-0
   14   Oct. 17-Dec. 2, 2021   Kansas, 3-1
   12   Sept. 20-Oct. 25, 2015   at Villanova, 3-2
   11   Oct. 11-Nov. 21, 2014   Seton Hall, 3-0
   11   Oct. 6-Nov. 12, 2017   at Villanova, 3-0
   10   Oct. 31-Dec. 5, 2015   vs. #2 USC, 3-1
Spectacular Sis
Norah Sis owns 10 or more kills in each of Cu's last 12 matches. That ranks tied for eighth in program history. With 10 kills on both Friday and Saturday, she could tie Kelly Goc for fifth place.
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
   13   JoDe Cieloha, Sept. 7-Oct. 18, 1996
   13   Jaali Winters, Nov. 12, 2016-Sept. 1, 2017
   12   Amanda Cvejdlik, Aug. 25-Sept. 19, 2006
   12   Norah Sis, Oct. 7, 2022-Present
Ava Again?
Creighton's Ava Martin was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week for the fourth time this fall on Nov. 14th.
   Martin had 11 kills, six digs and an ace in Creighton's 3-0 victory against St. John's, finishing the week with averages of 3.67 kills, 2.00 digs and 0.33 aces per set.
   This is the fourth time in the past eight weeks that Martin has been honored, having previously been recognized on Sept. 26, Oct. 3 and Oct. 17.
   Martin's senior teammates Jazz Schmidt and Keeley Davis also landed a spot on the BIG EAST's Weekly Honor Roll.
Seniors Leading The Way
Creighton recognized seniors Emily Bressman, Bethany Clapp, Keeley Davis, Jazz Schmidt, Allison Whitten and Jaela Zimmerman following its Nov. 13th win vs. Seton Hall.
   Clapp (Incarnate Word), Schmidt (Palm Beach Atlantic) and Whitten (Morehead State) are all graduate transfers in their first year in the Bluejay program.
   Bressman has missed all of this season due to injury but owns 38 kills, 138 digs and four aces in her career as a defensive specialist and outside hitter.
   Davis is a two-time All-Region and All-BIG EAST selection who burst onto the scene in 2019 as the league's Freshman of the Year. She owns 961 kills, 838 digs and ranks first in CU history with 148 aces.
   Zimmerman is a three-time All-BIG EAST choice, two-time AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and a four-time event MVP. She enters this weekend with 1,000 kills, 796 digs and 77 aces.
   All told, the group has combined for 5,616 digs, 4,234 kills, 2,000 assists, 690 blocks and 554 service aces at the collegiate level.
Attendance Update
Creighton enters the week ranked 10th nationally in total home attendance (35,814) and 15th in fans per home match (2,558).
   Creighton has led the BIG EAST in average home attendance in every non-COVID year since joining the league.
   Creighton's 35,814 home fans this fall are already second-most in program history. The 2,558 fans per home match are also second-most ever.
Most Home Fans, Season
   Rk.   Fans   Dates   Year
   1.   47,632   17   2018
   2.   35,814   14   2022
   3.   30,211   14   2021
   4.   29,905   18   2015
   5.   25,615   13   2019
Highest Home Attendance Average, Season
   Average Rk.   Fans   Dates   Year
   1.   2,802   47,632   17   2018
   2.   2,558   35,814   14   2022
   3.   2,158   30,211   14   2021
   4.   1,970   25,615   13   2019
   5.   1,873   24,346   13   2017
Decade of Dominance
Ten years in the BIG EAST gives Creighton a pretty good set of data to compare its yearly performance in league matches. Here's how the 2022 campaign compares to previous seasons:
Creighton's Year-By-Year BIG EAST Stats
Year   W-L   KPS   HIT%   SAPS   DPS   BPS
2013Â Â Â 12-4Â Â Â 13.75Â Â Â .213Â Â Â 1.00Â Â Â 16.20Â Â Â 3.13
2014Â Â Â 16-2Â Â Â 14.89Â Â Â .242Â Â Â 1.30Â Â Â 17.09Â Â Â 2.86
2015Â Â Â 17-1Â Â Â 15.02Â Â Â .271Â Â Â 1.33Â Â Â 16.97Â Â Â 2.47
2016Â Â Â 18-0Â Â Â 15.37Â Â Â .317Â Â Â 1.69Â Â Â 16.08Â Â Â 2.41
2017Â Â Â 16-2Â Â Â 14.81Â Â Â .302Â Â Â 1.31Â Â Â 16.62Â Â Â 2.05
2018Â Â Â 18-0Â Â Â 14.45Â Â Â .294Â Â Â 2.13Â Â Â 15.67Â Â Â 2.38
2019Â Â Â 17-1Â Â Â 14.61Â Â Â .269Â Â Â 2.07Â Â Â 15.80Â Â Â 2.25
2020Â Â Â 7-1Â Â Â 12.93Â Â Â .249Â Â Â 1.30Â Â Â 14.17Â Â Â 2.75
2021Â Â Â 16-2Â Â Â 13.95Â Â Â .242Â Â Â 1.82Â Â Â 18.02Â Â Â 2.86
2022Â Â Â 17-1Â Â Â 14.80Â Â Â .299Â Â Â 1.85Â Â Â 16.10Â Â Â 2.33
Sis Is Rolling
Sophomore Norah Sis owns 419 kills this season and 854 in her career.
   The 854 kills is second-most ever by a Bluejay in their first two seasons, trailing only Jaali Winters' 994.
   The 419 kills this season ranks fourth-most ever by a Bluejay sophomore. That record of 516 is held by Leah Ratzlaff.
Most Kills, After 2 Seasons at Creighton
   Kills   Yr1   Yr2   Name   Year
   994   546   448   Jaali Winters   2015 & 2016
   854   435   419   Norah Sis   2021 & 2022
   769   341   428   Melissa Walsh   1998 & 1999
   733   270   463   Alicia Runge   2009 & 2010 (Jr. & Sr.)
   696   180   516   Leah Ratzlaff   2002 & 2003
   653   267   386   Jessica Houts   2005 & 2006
   640   225   415   Amanda Cvejdlik   2005 & 2006
Most Kills, Creighton Sophomores
   Kills   Name   Year
   516   Leah Ratzlaff   2003
   448   Jaali Winters   2016
   428   Melissa Walsh   1999
   419   Norah Sis   2022
   415   Amanda Cvejdlik   2006
   390   Taryn Kloth   2016
   386   Jessica Houts   2006
   376   Leah McNary   2012
   350   Kelli Browning   2012
No Losers Here
Currently 25-4, Creighton has been nearly as good as anyone at avoiding losses in recent seasons.
   BYU, Creighton, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Texas, Towson, Western Kentucky and Wisconsin are the nation's only teams with five losses or less in the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons.
   If you go back two years more, the nation's only teams to lose six times or less in the 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons are BYU, Creighton, Pittsburgh and Texas.
President Elect Booth
Creighton coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth has been voted the President-Elect of the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
   Booth will begin her service on January 1, 2023 then become AVCA President in 2024. She will join the 17-member AVCA Board of Directors, which includes elected representatives, appointed voting members for Diversity Development and Legislation, and non-voting members for Education and Awards.
   Booth will serve as President-Elect in 2023, be President in 2024 and 2025, and then finish out her term as Past President in 2026.
   Booth is in her 20th season as the head women's volleyball coach at Creighton.
Putting The 0 In October And November
Creighton finished the month of October with a perfect 8-0 record, which included five sweeps and three 3-2 victories.
   It's the fourth time in the past six fall seasons that Creighton has been unbeaten in October.
   All told since October of 2014 Creighton is 65-5 in the 10th month of the year.
   Creighton's been awfully good in the month of November too. Since the start of 2014, CU is 59-5 in the 11th month of the year.
   Creighton has won 37 straight October home matches (since 10/15/11) and 31 consecutive home matches in November (since 11/23/14).
20/20 Vision
Creighton earned its 10th season of 20 or more wins in the past 11 seasons with a 3-0 win at St. John's on Oct. 30th. The only exception in that span was the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season (when CU only played 16 matches).
   All 13 of Creighton's 20-win seasons since its 1994 reinstatement have come under the leadership of Kirsten Bernthal Booth. Before her arrival, CU had never won more than 16 matches in a single season.
Most Matches Won, Creighton Season
      Year   MP   W   L   Pct.   Coach
   1.   2021   35   31   4   .886   Booth
   2.   2012   33   29   4   .879   Booth
      2018   34   29   5   .853   Booth
      2016   36   29   7   .806   Booth
   5.   2015   36   27   9   .750   Booth
   6.   2017   33   26   7   .788   Booth
   7.   2022   29   25   4   .862   Booth
      2019   31   25   6   .806   Booth
      2014   34   25   9   .735   Booth
   10.   2013   32   23   9   .719   Booth
   11.   2006   31   21   10   .677   Booth
      2007   31   21   10   .667   Booth
      2010   31   21   12   .636   Booth
   14.   2004   29   18   11   .621   Booth
      2008   27   18   9   .667   Booth
League Streak Reached 28
Before its Nov. 19 loss at No. 16 Marquette, Creighton had won 28 consecutive regular-season BIG EAST matches. That tied the program's second-longest win streak ever in league play.
   During CU's 28-match league win streak, the Bluejays have dropped just eight sets, winning 84-of-92 sets.
Consecutive Regular-Season League Wins
   Wins   Dates   Snapped By   League
   31   Nov. 18, 2017 - Nov. 3, 2019    at Villanova, 3-0   BIG EAST
   28   Oct. 31, 2015 - Sept. 30, 2017   at Marquette, 3-0   BIG EAST
   28   Oct. 17, 2021- Nov. 18, 2022   at #16 Marquette, 3-0   BIG EAST
   14   Sept. 29, 2012 - End of 2012   Never (left MVC)   MVC
   12   Sept. 20-Oct. 25, 2015   at Villanova, 3-2   BIG EAST
   11   Oct. 11-Nov. 21, 2014   Seton Hall, 3-0   BIG EAST
   11   Oct. 6-Nov. 12, 2017   at Villanova, 3-0   BIG EAST
   9   Nov. 4, 2005-Sept. 30, 2006   Northern Iowa, 3-2   MVC
Dealing Up Aces
Keeley Davis had nine aces in the final regular-season home weekend of her career (Nov. 11-13), helping her break a 21-year old school record for career aces that had been held by Molly Moran.
   Davis reached 100 career aces in her 82nd career contest on Aug. 26 vs. Wichita State, which ranks third-fastest in Bluejay history.
   Davis is the first player in Creighton history with multiple seasons of 50 or more service aces.
   It's also worth noting that three of Davis' teammates entered the year having owned more than 100 career aces, though they've done so at other schools. Bethany Clapp owned 103 aces in 97 matches at Incarnate Word, Jazz Schmidt had 103 aces in 96 matches at Division II Palm Beach Atlantic and Allison Whitten had 103 aces in 115 contests at Morehead State.
Service Aces, Career
      Name   Sets   No.   Years
   1.   Keeley Davis   378   148   2019-Pr.
   2.   Molly Moran   341   145   1998-01
   3.   Melissa Weisensee   411   125   1994-97
   4.   Brittany Witt   471   122   2016-19
   5.   JoDe Cieloha   398   113   1994-97
   6.   Kate Elman   464   105   2012-15
   7.   Shelly Kapler   388   104   1996-99
   8.   Jaali Winters   494   101   2015-18
   9.   Madelyn Cole   225   93   2018-19
   10.   Carolyn Decker   300   89   2004-08
Creighton's Quickest Players To 100 Aces (Career)
Name   MP   Date   Opponent
Molly Moran   73   08/31/01   vs. DePaul
Melissa Weisensee   77   11/01/96   Southern Illinois
Keeley Davis   82   08/26/22   vs. Wichita St.
JoDe Cieloha   85   09/06/97   at UNLV
Shelly Kapler   95   10/15/99   Bradley
Brittany Witt   107   10/05/19   Seton Hall
Kate Elman   120   11/15/15   Butler
Jaali Winters   135   11/17/18   Providence
Schmitt A Ki Player
Kiana Schmitt entered the 2022 season with three career matches (of 60 played) with 10 or more kills, but the senior already has 11 matches in double-figures this fall.
   Schmitt owns a career-high with 16 kills vs. DePaul on Oct. 16.
   Creighton is 40-5 all-time when Schmitt has six or more kills. CU is also 19-0 all-time when she owns four or more blocks.
Poll Road Ahead
Creighton has been ranked in each of the last 28 AVCA Top 25 polls. With little movement from week-to-week, however, CU is one of 19 teams to be ranked each of those polls, a group that includes Baylor, BYU, Creighton, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, Stanford, Texas, Washington, Western Kentucky and Wisconsin.
   Creighton has been ranked in all but six of the past 97 weeks the AVCA has put out a Top 25 poll.
Whitten Passes 500 Sets
Allison Whitten enters this weekend having appeared in 523 career sets, though the first 417 of those came at Morehead State from 2018-21.
   By comparison, the only Bluejay in history to play in 500 or more sets was Lauren Smith, who appeared in a program-record 511 sets with the Jays from 2013-16. Last year Abby Bottomley completed her career with 517 sets played, including 403 at High Point.
Taking The Fifth
Creighton is 67-35 in five-set matches under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. 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 18 of its last 25 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, at South Dakota in the 2020 campaign and at Omaha and UConn in 2022.
   It's also worth noting that Creighton is 17-4 all-time in five-set home matches at D.J. Sokol Arena.
   Creighton's five victories in five-set matches this season ties a program record also done in 2003, 2011 and 2015.
   Below is a list of Creighton's record in five-set matches on a yearly basis:
Year   Set 5 W-L   Total W-L
1994Â Â Â 0-2Â Â Â 5-20
1995Â Â Â 0-2Â Â Â 11-19
1996Â Â Â 2-6Â Â Â 9-19
1997Â Â Â 3-5Â Â Â 15-13
1998Â Â Â 2-3Â Â Â 7-18
1999Â Â Â 3-3Â Â Â 13-15
2000Â Â Â 3-3Â Â Â 16-12
2001Â Â Â 1-1Â Â Â 14-13
2002Â Â Â 1-3Â Â Â 3-23
2003Â Â Â 5-1Â Â Â 12-18
2004Â Â Â 4-0Â Â Â 18-11
2005Â Â Â 3-1Â Â Â 16-14
2006Â Â Â 4-2Â Â Â 21-10
2007Â Â Â 2-0Â Â Â 21-10
2008Â Â Â 2-3Â Â Â 18-9
2009Â Â Â 1-4Â Â Â 14-17
2010Â Â Â 3-3Â Â Â 21-12
2011Â Â Â 5-2Â Â Â 17-14
2012Â Â Â 4-1Â Â Â 29-4
2013Â Â Â 3-2Â Â Â 23-9
2014Â Â Â 3-2Â Â Â 25-9
2015Â Â Â 5-2Â Â Â 27-9
2016Â Â Â 4-3Â Â Â 29-7
2017Â Â Â 4-1Â Â Â 26-7
2018Â Â Â 3-2Â Â Â 29-5
2019Â Â Â 2-1Â Â Â 25-6
2020Â Â Â 4-2Â Â Â 12-4
2021Â Â Â 1-1Â Â Â 31-4
2022Â Â Â 5-2Â Â Â 25-4
Total   82-63   532-335
Bouncing Back
The Creighton staff is quick to credit athletic performance coach Brad Schmidt for helping the team get stronger during the off-season and maintain that strength during the season.
   Need evidence of that? Creighton has played seven five-set matches so far this season. Not only is Creighton 5-2 in five-setters this fall, but the Jays are also 7-0 this year in the contest after a five-setter.
   Dating to last season, Creighton has won 12 straight matches following a five-set match and are 17-1 in the match following a five-setter since Aug. 25, 2018.
2-0 Better Than 0-2
Creighton is 364-11 (.971) all-time when leading a match 2-0, including a 307-5 mark (.984) under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. CU is 231-3 when up 2-0 dating to September of 2009, and 119-1 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 17-204 (.077) all-time when trailing a match 0-2, and 15-105 (.125) under Booth.
   One of those comebacks came on Oct. 7, 2022 at UConn, which was CU's first comeback win on the road in league play after trailing 0-2 since 2015. CU then overcame an 0-2 home deficit on Oct. 14, vs. No. 16 Marquette, the first such comeback against a ranked foe. Combined, the UConn and Marquette comebacks mark the first time in program history the team has posted multiple reverse sweeps in the same month.
   Those 17 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
10/07/22   at UConn   25-15, 25-12, 15-13   Booth
10/14/22   #16 Marquette   25-19, 25-16, 15-8   Booth
Didn't Have To Wait Long
Creighton sophomore Kendra Wait became the ninth player in program history to reach 2,000 career sets when she did so on Oct. 16 vs. DePaul.
   Wait needed 54 matches to reach the milestone, sixth-fastest in program history. The five women ahead of her combined to win First Team All-Conference honors nine times.
   Wait reached 1,000 assists this season on Nov. 4 in CU's 24th match of the fall.
Creighton's Quickest Players To 2,000 Assists (Career)
Name   MP   Date   Opponent
Korie Lebeda   43   09/22/06   Drake
Brittany Coleman   45   10/02/04   Southern Illinois
Kailey Reyes   49   09/01/00   at Iowa State
Lydia Dimke   52   10/13/17   Butler
Madelyn Cole   53   10/25/19   at Providence
Kendra Wait   54   10/16/22   DePaul
Megan Bober   55   11/05/10   at Wichita State
Melissa Weisensee   66   09/15/96   at UMKC
Michelle Sicner   109   11/23/14   Seton Hall
Single-Season Matches to 1,000 Assists
   Name   MP   Opponent   Year
Korie Lebeda   21   at Drake   2006
Brittany Coleman   22   at Southern Illinois   2004
Korie Lebeda   23   Missouri State   2005
Brittany Coleman   23   Northern Iowa   2003
Kailey Reyes   23   at Southern Illinois   1999
Melissa Weisensee   23   at Evansville   1996
Kailey Reyes   24   at Wichita State   2000
Melissa Weisensee   24   at Evansville   1997
Kendra Wait   24   Providence   2022
Kailey Reyes   25   Wichita State   2001
Korie Lebeda   25   Southern Illinois   2007
Korie Lebeda   26   Bradley   2008
Lydia Dimke   26   Xavier   2016
Madelyn Cole   26   at Seton Hall   2018
Megan Bober   27   Evansville   2010
Lydia Dimke   27   Georgetown   2017
Madelyn Cole   27   #9 Marquette   2019
Megan Bober   28   at Northern Iowa   2009
Megan Bober   28   at Wichita State   2012
Michelle Sicner   28   Xavier   2013
Kendra Wait   29   at Villanova   2021
Maggie Baumert   32   vs. Seton Hall   2014
105 Weeks As A Ranked Team
Creighton is ranked this week for the 105th time in program history. That's 43rd-most of all programs in NCAA history.
   All 105 rankings have occurred since 2012 and under the direction of Kirsten Bernthal Booth.
Not Much Middle Ground
Of Creighton's last 23 matches, there's been seven five-set matches and 15 sweeps. Only one of those contests has been exactly four sets.
   Creighton is 5-2 this year in five-set matches, 4-1 in four-setters and 15-1 in sweeps.
   Creighton is averaging 18.63 digs per set and 14.17 assists per set in contests to go five sets this season. Kiara Reinhardt hits .349 in those matches, while Norah Sis averages 4.14 kills per set.
   Creighton is 45-2 in its last 47 matches to last exactly three sets.
Welcome Back Jaela
Jaela Zimmerman made her 2022 debut on Sept. 30 when she checked in to serve set point in Creighton's 25-15 set one victory over Butler.
   She made her second appearance on Oct. 8 on match point at Providence, and promptly dialed up her first ace of the season.
   The pressure level upped a notch on Oct. 16 when she was inserted into the fifth set with the score tied at 7-all. She earned her first dig of the season immediately and served a 3-0 run as the Jays took the lead for good in the 15-11 win.
   Zimmerman saw her first front row action of the season on Oct. 22 at Georgetown and earned her first kill of 2022 on Oct. 28 at Seton Hall, the 998th of her career.
   A two-time AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and three-time All-BIG EAST selection, Zimmerman tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in Creighton's NCAA Tournament win vs. Ole Miss on Dec. 2, 2021 and underwent surgery five weeks later.
Jae-Z Plays The Hits
Jaela Zimmerman owns 1,000 kills, good for a tie for 14th in Creighton history. She reached the milestone in her 111th career match on Nov. 13 on her Senior Day vs. Seton Hall.
Career Kills
      Name   Sets   No.   Years
   1.   Jaali Winters   494   1,843   2015-18
   2.   Leah Ratzlaff   409   1,622   2002-05
   3.   Melissa Walsh   394   1,596   1998-01
   4.   Taryn Kloth   462   1,427   2015-18
   5.   Kelly Goc   394   1,414   2004-07
   6.   Jessica Houts   451   1,385   2005-09
   7.   JoDe Cieloha   398   1,375   1994-97
   8.   Leah McNary   458   1,257   2011-14
   9.   Marysa Wilkinson   499   1,183   2014-17
   10.   Lauren Smith   511   1,160   2013-16
   11.   Allie Oelke   445   1,126   2007-10
   12.   Kelli Browning   424   1,104   2011-14
   13.   Amanda Cvejdlik   343   1,029   2005-08
   14.   Shelly Kapler   388   1,000   1996-99
      Jaela Zimmerman   355   1,000   2018-Pr.
Creighton's Quickest Players To 1,000 Career Kills
Name   MP   Date   Opponent
Melissa Walsh   70   10/15/00   Eastern Illinois
Jaali Winters   73   08/25/17   vs. Saint Mary's
Leah Ratzlaff   76   10/22/04   Missouri State
JoDe Cieloha   83   09/13/97   at Drake
Kelly Goc   87   11/24/06   vs Northern Iowa
Jessica Houts   90   11/08/08   Illinois State
Leah McNary   96   09/12/14   Pepperdine
Amanda Cvejdlik   99   11/15/08   at Evansville
Shelly Kapler   103   11/18/99   vs. Missouri St.
Taryn Kloth   103   08/31/18   vs. NC State
Allie Oelke   107   10/09/10   Wichita State
Kelli Browning   110   10/26/14   DePaul
Jaela Zimmerman   111   11/13/22   Seton Hall
Lauren Smith   119   10/07/16   at Villanova
Marysa Wilkinson   120   09/30/17   at St. John's
Home Sweet Home
Creighton is in its 10th season as a member of the BIG EAST since joining the league in the summer of 2013.
   Since then, the Bluejays are 90-4 in home matches against BIG EAST teams (83-3 in the regular-season, 7-1 in the BIG EAST Tournament).
   Since November of 2014, Creighton is 74-1 inside D.J. Sokol Arena against BIG EAST teams, which includes a 68-1 league mark and a 6-0 mark in the conference tournament. The only setback (on Feb. 6, 2021 vs. Marquette) was played as a non-conference match, only to be flipped to a league contest 19 days later.
   Put another way, since enrolling at Creighton in 2018, Bluejay fifth-year senior Jaela Zimmerman is 45-1 in home matches against BIG EAST teams, and 135-22 in sets.
Hall Call
Megan (Bober) Varasteh entered the Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 15th, at a banquet at Hilton Omaha.
   Varasteh was part of the 54th class of inductees (along with Renae Sinkler-O'Gorman and Carol Ketcham) and gives the Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame 94 inductees, plus the 1991 Creighton Baseball Team. The Athletics Hall of Fame started in 1968 with the induction of Bluejay great Bob Gibson.
   Varasteh starred as a member of the Creighton Volleyball program from 2008-12, becoming the program's first player in earn AVCA All-America honors multiple times. She became the volleyball program's first woman named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year as well as MVC Tournament MVP, helping the Bluejays to their first regular-season and conference tournament titles and a then-record 29 victories. She closed her career with a school-record 15 triple-doubles (second in MVC history) and as the only player in league history with at least 4,000 assists, 1,000 digs, 800 kills and 400 blocks.
   She joined Melissa Walsh (2009), Korie Lebeda (2014) and Kelli Browning (2021) as the only Creighton Volleyball players to be inducted.
   In addition to being named Creighton's Female Athlete of the Year, she was also recognized as the Carl M. Reinert, S.J., Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, repeated her spot on the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team and was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American Second Team selection as a senior.
    The last win of Bober's career was a 3-0 sweep over Marquette in the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
Defense Delivers
Creighton has had its way in the BIG EAST thanks to dominant defense in recent times.
   Twenty of CU's last 27 BIG EAST opponents have hit lower than .120.
   The only team to hit better than .177 in that time was Marquette's .207 on Oct. 14 and its .274 on Nov. 19.
   Over the past 27 matches versus league opposition, Creighton opponents are hitting .106 (862-536-3067 in 88 sets) and averaging just 9.80 kills per set.
Date   Opponent (CU Result)   K-E-TA   Pct.
10/30/21Â Â Â at DePaul (W 3-0)Â Â Â 35-25-127Â Â Â .079
11/05/21Â Â Â Xavier (W 3-0)Â Â Â 35-14-119Â Â Â .176
11/07/21Â Â Â Butler (W 3-1)Â Â Â 45-30-177Â Â Â .085
11/12/21Â Â Â at Georgetown (W 3-0)Â Â Â 24-22-116Â Â Â .017
11/13/21Â Â Â at Villanova (W 3-0)Â Â Â 24-13-94Â Â Â .117
11/19/21Â Â Â Seton Hall (W 3-0)Â Â Â 16-20-87Â Â Â -.046
11/21/21Â Â Â St. John's (W 3-0)Â Â Â 25-22-105Â Â Â .029
11/26/21Â Â Â vs. DePaul (W 3-0)Â Â Â 33-24-102Â Â Â .088
11/27/21Â Â Â at Marquette (W 3-0)Â Â Â 34-24-121Â Â Â .083
09/23/22Â Â Â Georgetown (W 3-0)Â Â Â 18-12-98Â Â Â .061
09/25/22Â Â Â Villanova (W 3-0)Â Â Â 29-21-89Â Â Â .090
09/28/22Â Â Â Xavier (W 3-0)Â Â Â 24-18-101Â Â Â .059
09/30/22Â Â Â Butler (W 3-0)Â Â Â 32-19-120Â Â Â .108
10/07/22Â Â Â at UConn (W 3-2)Â Â Â 52-29-160Â Â Â .144
10/08/22Â Â Â at Providence (W 3-0)Â Â Â 25-14-99Â Â Â .111
10/14/22Â Â Â #16 Marquette (W 3-2)Â Â Â 59-21-184Â Â Â .207
10/16/22Â Â Â DePaul (W 3-2)Â Â Â 53-33-176Â Â Â .114
10/21/22Â Â Â at Villanova (W 3-0)Â Â Â 26-16-110Â Â Â .091
10/22/22Â Â Â at Georgetown (W 3-0)Â Â Â 25-18-85Â Â Â .082
10/28/22Â Â Â at Seton Hall (W 3-0)Â Â Â 22-14-99Â Â Â .081
10/30/22Â Â Â at St. John's (W 3-0)Â Â Â 42-23-109Â Â Â .174
11/04/22Â Â Â Providence (W 3-0)Â Â Â 20-13-83Â Â Â .084
11/06/22Â Â Â Connecticut (W 3-0)Â Â Â 36-20-114Â Â Â .140
11/11/22Â Â Â St. John's (W 3-0)Â Â Â 28-14-91Â Â Â .154
11/13/22Â Â Â Seton Hall (W 3-0)Â Â Â 20-15-89Â Â Â .056
11/18/22Â Â Â at DePaul (W 3-0)Â Â Â 36-29-119Â Â Â .059
11/19/22Â Â Â at #16 Marquette (L 0-3)Â Â Â 44-13-113Â Â Â .274
Down For The Count
Creighton has outscored teams 1,443-1,031 in league play this season and has allowed a BIG EAST opponent score more than 18 points in just 20 of the 60 sets played.
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20 At A Time For Sis
Norah Sis had 27 kills in a 3-2 win at UConn on Oct. 7, one shy of her career-high done in September in a 3-2 win vs. Florida State.
   On Oct. 14 and 16 Sis had 21 kills vs. Marquette, then provided 22 more two days later vs. DePaul. More recently, she had 20 kills at St. John's on Oct. 30 in just three sets.
   Sis is one of six players in program history with multiple matches of 25 or more kills. Her 11 career matches of 20 or more kills ranks fifth-most.
Most Matches With 25+ Kills, Creighton Career
   25+K   Name   Years
   8   Melissa Walsh   1998-01
   6   Leah Ratzlaff   2002-05
   6   Jaali Winters   2015-18
   3   Taryn Kloth   2015-18
   2   Jessica Houts   2005-09
   2   Norah Sis   2021-Present
   1   Michelle Prorock   1994-96
   1   JoDe Cieloha   1994-97
   1   Shelly Kapler   1996-99
   1   Melanie Keolanui   1997-00
   1   Kelly Goc   2004-07
   1   Alicia Runge   2009-10
   1   Keeley Davis   2019-Present
Matches With 20+ Kills, Career
   20+K   Name   Years
   23   Melissa Walsh   1998-01
   20   Leah Ratzlaff   2002-05
   18   Jaali Winters   2015-18
   13   Kelly Goc   2004-07
   11   Norah Sis   2021-Present
   10   JoDe Cieloha   1994-97
   7   Taryn Kloth   2015-18
   5   Jessica Houts   2005-09
   5   Leah McNary   2011-14
Matches With 20+ Kills, Season
   20+K   Name   Year
   11   Leah Ratzlaff   2003
   9   Leah Ratzlaff   2004
   9   Jaali Winters   2015
   8   Melissa Walsh   2000
   7   Melissa Walsh   1999
   7   Norah Sis   2022
   6   Kelly Goc   2006
   6   Jaali Winters   2016
   5   Kelly Goc   2007
   5   Taryn Kloth   2018
Wait, How Is That Possible?
Only 16 players in the nation average 11.00 assists per set. Of those 16, only Creighton's Kendra Wait averages more than 3.00 digs per set.
   Wait is averaging 11.04 assists and 3.22 digs per set this fall.
Let's Get It Started
Creighton has won its first 16 league matches in 2022 and has now started 11-0 (or better) in league play in five of the past eight seasons.
    During four of the previous seven seasons, Creighton started BIG EAST play 11-0 or better.
Year   League Wins Before First Loss   Lost To
2013Â Â Â 0Â Â Â at Butler
2014Â Â Â 5Â Â Â at Seton Hall
2015Â Â Â 11Â Â Â at Villanova
2016Â Â Â 18Â Â Â --
2017Â Â Â 4Â Â Â at Marquette
2018Â Â Â 18Â Â Â --
2019Â Â Â 12Â Â Â at Villanova
2020Â Â Â 1Â Â Â #25 Marquette
2021Â Â Â 2Â Â Â at St. John's
2022Â Â Â 17Â Â Â at #16 Marquette
Set Streaks
How often had Creighton previously won each of its first 12 sets of a BIG EAST season before this year? How about never?
   Only once previously had Creighton even won its first six sets in league play, and that came during the 2018 season where CU went 18-0 and dropped just 6-of-60 sets in league play all season.    The most league sets won in a row to start a season had come in 2011, when Creighton won its first eight sets played. That team finished 12-6 in Missouri Valley Conference action.
Year   Set Wins Before First Set Loss   Set Lost To
2013Â Â Â 1Â Â Â at Butler
2014Â Â Â 5Â Â Â Butler
2015Â Â Â 1Â Â Â Seton Hall
2016Â Â Â 4Â Â Â DePaul
2017Â Â Â 2Â Â Â Georgetown
2018Â Â Â 7Â Â Â at Butler
2019Â Â Â 5Â Â Â Georgetown
2020Â Â Â 1Â Â Â #25 Marquette
2021Â Â Â 2Â Â Â at Butler
2022Â Â Â 12Â Â Â --
BIG EAST Preseason Poll
Creighton Volleyball was picked to win the BIG EAST in a preseason poll of league coaches.
   Creighton earned 9-of-11 first place votes and 99 of a possible 100 points. That was just ahead of Marquette's 90 points and the other two votes for first place.
   DePaul (72) was picked third, just ahead of UConn (71) and St. John's (66). Rounding out the bottom half of the poll were Villanova (54), Butler (47), Xavier (42), Georgetown (25), Providence (25) and Seton Hall (14).
   Creighton also had three women among the 12 members on the BIG EAST's preseason all-conference team in Jaela Zimmerman and Kendra Wait as well as unanimous selection Norah Sis. Sis was also tabbed the BIG EAST's Preseason Player of the Year.
   Creighton has finished in the spot predicted of it or better in the preseason poll in 17 of 19 years under Kirsten Bernthal Booth, including nine 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
2020Â Â Â 1st (MW)Â Â Â 1st (MW)Â Â Â - -
2021   1st   1st   - -
2022   1st   T-1st   - -
Wait Making History
Just nine days after she had 59 assists and 36 digs against Florida State, Kendra Wait had 56 assists and 24 digs on Sept. 18 at Rice.
   Wait is the first Bluejay with a match of at least 50 assists and 20 digs in a match since Korie Lebeda in 2006, and first Bluejay since Kailey Reyes (in 1999) to post multiple matches of at least 50 assists and 20 digs in the same season.
   No Creighton player has ever done it three times in the same season.
50 Assists, 20 Digs In A Match
A   D   Name   Opp.   Date
51   21   Melissa Weisensee   at Wichita State (5s)   9/14/96
53   24   Melissa Weisensee   at Indiana State (5s)   10/18/96
65   22   Melissa Weisensee   at Evansville (5s)   11/8/97
55   28   Kailey Reyes   Evansville (5s)   9/11/99
65   24   Kailey Reyes   Illinois State (4s)   9/24/99
64   23   Kailey Reyes   at Evansville (5s)   11/4/00
54   22   Brittany Coleman   at Illinois State (4s)   10/18/03
62   21   Brittany Coleman   at So. Illinois (4s)   10/29/04
71   20   Korie Lebeda   at Evansville (5s)   11/18/06
59   36   Kendra Wait   vs. Florida State (5s)   9/9/22
56   24   Kendra Wait   at Rice (5s)   9/18/22
All That Jazz
Jazz Schmidt had just 25 kills in Creighton's first 10 matches of the season before she erupted for a season-high 17 kills on Sept. 18 at Rice.
   Schmidt's 17 kills were the most by a left-handed Bluejay since Megan Bober owned 19 kills at Southern Illinois on Oct. 21, 2011.
Sis Swings Away
Norah Sis obliterated Creighton's school-record of 77 attack attempts in a match (held by Jaali Winters) when she had 93 swings in CU's 3-2 win vs. Florida State on Sept. 9.
   Sis' 93 attacks are the second-most in the nation by a player this season.
More From Sept. 9
Creighton's 129 digs vs. Florida State were two shy of its school record and second-most in the nation this year for a single match. CU's only match with more was 131 vs. Illinois State on Oct. 13, 2000.
   Creighton's 254 attack attempts rank as its second-most in program history. The only match with more came Oct. 14, 2000 vs. Indiana State (296).
   Norah Sis' 28 kills vs. Florida State are tied for fourth-most in program history, and four away from Michelle Prorock's school record set in 1996.
Whitten Surpasses 2,000 Digs
Creighton libero Allison Whitten surpassed 2,000 career digs on Sept. 18 at Rice, as she had 24 digs on the afternoon.
   The grad transfer had 1,823 digs in four seasons at Morehead State and leads CU with 413 digs this season, giving her 2,237 in her career.
   By comparison, the top two women in digs at Creighton (only) are Brittany Witt (2,079 from 2016-19) and Kate Elman (2,054 from 2012-15).
   Last year's Bluejay libero, Abby Bottomley, finished her career seventh in NCAA history with 2,711 career digs, though the first 2,158 digs came while at High Point from 2017-20.
   Whitten has seven or more digs in all 29 contests this fall.
My Favorite Martin
Ava Martin opened her BIG EAST career with 10 kills (Sept. 23 vs. Georgetown), 11 kills (Sept. 25 vs. Villanova), 14 kills (Sept. 28 vs. Xavier) and 14 kills (Sept. 30 vs. Butler), helping her earn back-to-back BIG EAST Freshman of the Week accolades.
   She was the first Bluejay freshman to open her BIG EAST career with four straight matches of 10 or more kills, and just the third in program history to do so in any conference.
   Martin had her first career double-double vs. No. 16 Marquette when she had 18 kills and 12 digs on Oct. 14.
   Allie Oelke did it in four straight matches in 2007 and JoDe Cieloha set the record that still stands with five straight matches in 1994. Both of those came in the Missouri Valley Conference.
CU Freshmen With 10+ Kills to Start League Play
   Streak   Name   Year
   5   JoDe Cieloha   1994
   4   Allie Oelke   2007
   4   Ava Martin   2022
   3   Rachelle Von   1997
   3   Melissa Walsh   1998
   3   Jaali Winters   2015
   2   Michelle Prorock   1994
   2   Carolyn Decker   2004
   2   Jessica Houts   2005
   2   Melanie Jereb   2012
15,797 Fans!
No. 17 Creighton hosted 15,797 fans on Sept. 7 against No. 2 Nebraska, setting a record for the largest regular-season volleyball-only crowd in NCAA history. The mark stood for all of nine days before Wisconsin hosted 16,833 fans for a match vs. Florida.
   Here's a look at the top volleyball-only regular-season crowds in NCAA history. Of note, 13 of the top 14 figures of 11,000 or more have been in the state of Nebraska.
Largest Regular-Season Volleyball-Only Crowds in NCAA History
   Att.   Opponent, Result   Date   Site
   16,833   Florida def. Wisconsin   9/16/22   Madison, WI
   15,797   Nebraska def. Creighton, 3-2   9/7/22   Omaha, NE
   14,022   Nebraska def. Creighton, 3-2   9/6/18   Omaha, NE
   13,870   UCLA def. Nebraska, 3-2   9/13/09   Lincoln, NE
   13,412   Nebraska def. LSU, 3-0   9/12/08   Lincoln, NE
   13,396   Nebraska def. Hawai'i, 3-0   10/21/07   Lincoln, NE
   13,081   Cal Poly def. Creighton, 3-0   9/2/07   Omaha, NE
      Nebraska def. Penn State, 3-0  Â
   12,504   Nebraska def. Colorado, 3-0   11/4/00   Lincoln, NE
   12,112   Nebraska def. Creighton, 3-1   9/24/06   Omaha, NE
   11,892   Dayton def. W. Michigan, 3-0   9/11/10   Lincoln, NE
      Nebraska def. Illinois, 3-2  Â
   11,529   Nebraska def. Colorado, 3-0   10/22/95   Lincoln, NE
   11,279   Nebraska def. Creighton, 3-0   09/08/21   Omaha, NE
   11,076   Nebraska def. UCLA, 3-1   8/25/07   Omaha, NE
      Tennessee def. Utah, 3-2  Â
   11,032   UCLA def. Nebraska, 3-1   9/14/91   Lincoln, NE
   10,927   Minnesota def. Illinois, 3-1   10/16/04   Minneapolis, MN
   10,645   Purdue def. W. Michigan, 3-1   10/29/85   W. Lafayette, IN
   10,576   Penn St. def. Hawai'i, 3-0   8/27/05   Omaha, NE
      Nebraska def. Stanford, 3-0
   10,570   Purdue def. Wisconsin, 3-2   10/17/08   W. Lafayette, IN
Sis Races Past 500, 600 & 700 Kills
Sophomore Norah Sis is one of the fastest players in CU history to 500, 600, 700 and 800 career kills.
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
Norah Sis   40   09/03/22   #16 Kentucky
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
Creighton's Quickest Players To 600 Kills (Career)
Name   MP   Date   Opponent
Jaali Winters   41   09/03/16   at USC
Melissa Walsh   42   10/09/99   at Wichita State
Norah Sis   45   09/17/22   vs. Kansas State
Leah Ratzlaff   52   11/14/03   Illinois State
JoDe Cieloha   53   08/30/96   Murray State
Amanda Cvejdlik   53   11/17/06   at Southern Illinois
Creighton's Quickest Players To 700 Kills (Career)
Name   MP   Date   Opponent
Melissa Walsh   49   11/06/99   Missouri State
Jaali Winters   50   09/25/16   DePaul
Norah Sis   53   10/14/22   #16 Marquette
Leah Ratzlaff   57   09/03/04   vs. Montana
JoDe Cieloha   61   09/14/96   at Wichita State
Alicia Runge   62   11/27/10   at Northern Iowa
Creighton's Quickest Players To 800 Kills (Career)
Name   MP   Date   Opponent
Melissa Walsh   56   09/02/00   vs. UNCG
Jaali Winters   59   10/28/16   at Seton Hall
Norah Sis   59   11/04/22   Providence
Leah Ratzlaff   64   09/14/04   at Iowa
JoDe Cieloha   68   10/11/96   Bradley
10 Straight NCAA's
Creighton Volleyball has made the NCAA Tournament in each of the last 10 seasons. They are the first women's team in any sport at Creighton to make 10 straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
   The only other sport in Creighton history to make 10 straight NCAA Tournament appearances is the men's soccer program, which qualified in 17 straight seasons from 1992-2008.
   Creighton is one of nine teams nationally to have appeared in each of the last 10 NCAA Tournaments (2012-21). That group features BYU, Creighton, Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, Penn State, San Diego, Texas and Washington.
   There are also 13 schools that have appeared in 11 of the last 12 NCAA Tournaments, a group that includes Creighton, Florida State, Hawai'i, Minnesota, Purdue and Stanford.
   Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, Penn State, San Diego, Texas and Washington have appeared in every NCAA Tournament since at least 2010.
Preseason Ranking
Creighton was ranked 18th in the AVCA preseason poll. It's the eighth time in the past 10 years that the Jays have been ranked in the preseason.
   The No. 18 slotting was tied for the fourth-best preseason ranking in program history.
   Over the previous 14 seasons, 255-of-350 teams (72.9 percent) of teams have been in both the preseason and final polls, and since 2008 318-of-350 teams (90.9 percent) in the preseason top-25 polls would go on to reach the NCAA Tournament.
   This year marks the 11th straight season that CU has been ranked at least one week, extending a program record.
   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   16th   12-4   NR
   2022   18th   TBD   TBD
Some Fab Freshmen
Including Sky McCune on Aug. 26 vs. Iowa State, Creighton has started 15 different true freshmen in its season opener since 2009, and 19 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), Kiara Reinhardt (2020), Kendra Wait (2021), Norah Sis (2021) and Sky McCune (2022), with Coleman, Lebeda and Wait the only freshmen to start at setter in the season-opener.
   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.
   Ten of those women (Sis, Wait, Reinhardt, Coleman, Decker, Lebeda, Oelke, Mandolfo, Sicner and Jereb) went on to land a spot on the MVC or BIG EAST's All-Freshman Team (though the BIG EAST had no such team from 2013-19). Winters was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in 2015, Dimke was named BIG EAST Player of the Year in 2016, Davis was BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in 2019 and Sis recognized as BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in 2022.
   Last year marked the first time that Creighton started multiple true freshmen in a season-opener since 2012, when Ashley Jansen and Melanie Jereb both earning a starting nod. The 2012 and 2021 teams are the two winningest single-season teams in program history.
Believe The Hype
Creighton's recruiting class of freshmen Morgan Colangelo, Ava Martin, Sky McCune and Ann Marie Remmes was recognized as the nation's No. 24 class by PrepVolleyball.
   Martin was listed as the nation's No. 47 recruit, while McCune was tabbed 52nd-best. Creighton now owns eight players on its 2022 roster who were Top 100 recruits.
Top-100 PrepVolleyball.com Senior Aces
(list started in 2004)
Rank   Year   Player
68Â Â Â 2004Â Â Â Carolyn Decker
55Â Â Â 2008Â Â Â Laurel Sanford
60Â Â Â 2011Â Â Â Michelle Sicner
73Â Â Â 2013Â Â Â Jess Bird
50Â Â Â 2014Â Â Â Lydia Dimke*
18Â Â Â 2015Â Â Â Taryn Kloth
41Â Â Â 2015Â Â Â Jaali Winters
77Â Â Â 2016Â Â Â Erica Kostelac#
98Â Â Â 2017Â Â Â Naomi Hickman
99Â Â Â 2017Â Â Â Steph Gaston
49Â Â Â 2018Â Â Â Jaela Zimmerman
42Â Â Â 2018Â Â Â Keeley Davis
46Â Â Â 2020Â Â Â Kiara Reinhardt
97Â Â Â 2020Â Â Â Ellie Bolton
7Â Â Â 2021Â Â Â Kendra Wait
28Â Â Â 2021Â Â Â Norah Sis
31Â Â Â 2021Â Â Â Eve Magill
47Â Â Â 2022Â Â Â Ava Martin
52Â Â Â 2022Â Â Â Sky McCune
* signed with Purdue and later transferred to Creighton
# signed with Cincinnati and later transferred to Creighton
PrepVolleyball.com Recruiting Rankings
(list started in 2004)
Year   Rank   Freshman Recruits
2004   Best of the Rest   (Baumann, Decker, Goc, Lahm, Mehal)
2005   Honorable-Mention   (Cvejdlik, Houts, Lebeda)
2006   None   (Bloemke, Schulze, Workman)
2007   None   (Feldman, Oelke, Vrbicky)
2008   Highest Honorable-Mention   (Almgren, Bober, Sanford)
2009Â Â Â Highest HMÂ Â Â Boggs, Greisch, Moon, Templeton, Thorson)
2010Â Â Â High HMÂ Â Â (Fliss, Hackbarth, Malm, Mandolfo, S. Smith)
2011Â Â Â Highest HMÂ Â Â (Browning, McNary, Neisler, Sicner, Stivers)
2012   High Honorable-Mention   (Elman, Jansen, Jereb, L. Smith)
2013   None   (Bird, Crawford, Foje)
2014   Highest Honorable-Mention   (Lawrence, Tupper, Wilkinson)
2015   11th   (Ballenger, Bohnet, Kloth, O'Connell, Winters)
2016   High Honorable-Mention   (Conlon, Taylor, Witt)
2017   25th   (Gaston, Hickman, Roumeliotis)
2018   10th   (Davis, Welty, Zimmerman, Zumach)
2019Â Â Â Highest HMÂ Â Â (Bressman, Krause, Schmitt, Van Eekeren)
2020   27th   (Bolton, Maser, Reinhardt, Skovsende)
2021   5th   (Magill, Milner, Sis, Wait)
2022   24th   (Colangelo, Martin, McCune, Remmes)
Set 1 Result A Strong Indicator
Creighton is 371-33 (.918) overall under Kirsten Bernthal Booth when it wins set one. In that same time span, CU is just 68-150 (.312) under Booth when it drops the first set.
   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 135-4 in its last 139 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 and on Sept. 3, 2022 to No. 16 Kentucky.
   Creighton has gone 103-3 in its last 106 matches at all sites when winning the first set, compared to an 11-16 record in that same span when dropping the opener.
   Creighton has gone 144-2 in its last 146 matches against unranked foes when winning the opening set.
Eleventh Heaven
Kirsten Bernthal Booth is in some select company, as she has directed her team to 11 NCAA Tournaments.
   That puts her in the company of some of the greatest coaches in CU Athletics history, as she's tied former men's soccer coach Bob Warming atop that list.
Name   Sport   NCAA's @CU
Bob Warming   Men's Soccer   11
Kirsten Bernthal Booth   Volleyball   11
Dana Altman   Men's Basketball   7
Greg McDermott   Men's Basketball   7
Brent Vigness   Softball   7
Elmar Bolowich   Men's Soccer   6
Against NCAA Tournament Qualifiers
Last season Creighton played four matches against 2020 NCAA Tournament qualifiers, going 3-1 against such teams.
   This year's team owns eight matches (Iowa State, Kentucky, Nebraska, Florida State, Kansas State, Rice and Marquette) scheduled against teams that made the 2021 NCAA Tournament, and CU is 4-4 against those foes to date.
   After going 3-35 against teams coming off NCAA Tournament bids prior to Kirsten Bernthal Booth's arrival, the Jays are 93-105 since.
Year   W-L vs. Previous Season NCAA Teams
1994Â Â Â 0-4
1995Â Â Â 0-2
1996Â Â Â 0-2
1997Â Â Â 0-3
1998Â Â Â 0-5
1999Â Â Â 2-4
2000Â Â Â 0-4
2001Â Â Â 1-6
2002Â Â Â 0-5
2003Â Â Â 0-3
2004Â Â Â 2-2
2005Â Â Â 0-6
2006Â Â Â 4-6
2007Â Â Â 4-9
2008Â Â Â 6-8
2009Â Â Â 1-11
2010Â Â Â 4-7
2011Â Â Â 2-6
2012Â Â Â 8-3
2013Â Â Â 6-6
2014Â Â Â 4-5
2015Â Â Â 11-5
2016Â Â Â 10-7
2017Â Â Â 8-6
2018Â Â Â 8-5
2019Â Â Â 5-4
2020Â Â Â 3-1
2021Â Â Â 3-1
2022Â Â Â 4-4 so far
TOTALÂ Â Â 96-140
TOTAL Under Booth   93-105
Marian Pipeline
This is the 20th straight season that Creighton Volleyball had at least one product of Omaha Marian High School on the roster, as senior Emily Bressman keeps the streak alive.
   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.
2022: Emily Bressman
2021: Emily Bressman
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
Survival of the Fittest
Creighton has won nine matches under Kirsten Bernthal Booth after surviving an opponent's match point, including season-opening wins over No. 5 Kentucky in 2018 and vs. UTSA in 2011. Three of those other comeback wins have come against Wichita State.
   On the other hand, Creighton is 439-3 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
08/26/11Â Â Â vs. UTSAÂ Â Â 12-14, 13-14Â Â Â 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
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 owns 439 victories on the Bluejay sideline to rank fifth in school history across all sports.
Coach, Sport   Victories (thru 11/21)
Brent Vigness, Softball   819
Ed Servais, Baseball   618*
Mary Higgins, Softball   564
Tom Lilly, Men's & Women's Tennis   498*
Kirsten Bernthal Booth, Volleyball   439*
Jim Flanery, Women's Basketball   391*
Ed Hubbs, Men's & Women's Tennis   347
Dana Altman, Men's Basketball   327
*still active coaching at Creighton
League Opener Histories
Including its Sept. 23 sweep of Georgetown, Creighton owns a 21-8 record all-time in conference openers, including an 18-2 record under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. That includes a 9-1 mark in BIG EAST lid-lifters, and nine straight wins.
   Including 2022, each of the last 10 times that Creighton won its league opener (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022), the Bluejays went on to win the regular-season title, going a combined 161-11 in regular-season league action. Creighton also won eight of the previous nine conference tournament titles (entering 2022) during those years, going 16-1 in those seasons.
   In the 20 seasons that Creighton has won its conference opener, it has never finished worse than .500 in league play and it owns a combined .775 (290-84) winning percentage (including 2022) in league matches.
   In the eight years in which Creighton lost its league opener, the Bluejays have had a losing record on five occasions and owns a combined .363 (53-93) winning percentage during league contests.
   In conference home openers, Creighton is 24-5 overall and 18-2 under Booth, with 12 straight wins.
   In league road openers, Creighton is 20-9 overall and 17-3 under Booth, with nine straight wins.
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 8-12 against ranked non-conference foes over the last five seasons after going 2-43 all-time vs. ranked teams in regular-season non-conference matches.
   Creighton owned 12 non-conference wins last season to set a program record for a regular-season. It's actually also the first season with 10 wins prior to league play.
Non-Conference Records, By Year, Under Booth
Year   Non-Con W-L   vs. Ranked Non-Con   Final W-L
2003Â Â Â 3-8Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 12-18
2004Â Â Â 8-2Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 18-11
2005Â Â Â 6-5Â Â Â 0-3Â Â Â 16-14
2006Â Â Â 8-3Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 21-10
2007Â Â Â 6-5Â Â Â 0-3Â Â Â 21-10
2008Â Â Â 3-5Â Â Â 0-3Â Â Â 18-9
2009Â Â Â 3-8Â Â Â 0-3Â Â Â 14-17
2010Â Â Â 5-5Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 21-12
2011Â Â Â 5-7Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 17-14
2012Â Â Â 9-2Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 29-4
2013Â Â Â 9-3Â Â Â 1-2Â Â Â 23-9
2014Â Â Â 7-6Â Â Â 0-5Â Â Â 25-9
2015Â Â Â 6-7Â Â Â 1-4Â Â Â 27-9
2016Â Â Â 6-6Â Â Â 0-4Â Â Â 29-7
2017Â Â Â 7-4Â Â Â 3-3Â Â Â 26-7
2018Â Â Â 8-4Â Â Â 1-3Â Â Â 29-5
2019Â Â Â 7-3Â Â Â 2-3Â Â Â 25-6
2020Â Â Â 3-2Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 12-4
2021Â Â Â 12-1Â Â Â 1-1Â Â Â 31-4
2022Â Â Â 8-3Â Â Â 1-2Â Â Â TBD
Production Returns
Creighton returns 11-of-16 letterwinners to the court from last season, including four starters
   From last year's team, only Abby Bottomley, Naomi Hickman, Eve Magill, Ally Van Eekeren, Annika Welty are not back.
   All told, of the seven categories listed below, Creighton returns 511.8 of a possible 700% back (73.1 percent).
   Below is a breakdown of the production that is back:
Stat   Returners   Departures
Assists   1,331 (87.4%)   192 (12.6%)
Kills   1,307 (80.2%)   323 (19.8%)
Points   1,627.0 (75.6%)   526.0 (24.4%)
Matches Started   154 (73.3%)   56 (26.7%)
Digs   1,460 (70.6%)   607 (29.4%)
Aces   128 (66.7%)   64 (33.3%)
Blocks   192 (58.0%)   139.0 (42.0%)
Players Mentioned
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/ Volleyball#18 Creighton Volleyball Highlights vs. #4 Louisville - 9/12/25
Saturday, September 13
Creighton Volleyball Press Conference vs. Louisville
Saturday, September 13
Creighton Volleyball Unveils New Taraflex Court - 9/10/25
Wednesday, September 10
Creighton Volleyball Media Availability September 9
Tuesday, September 09
