Creighton Volleyball won its eighth straight BIG EAST title last season
Photo by: Creighton Athletics
Sis Leads All-Conference Trio For Favored Jays As BIG EAST Announces Preseason Volleyball Awards
8/16/2022 1:00:00 PM | Volleyball
Norah Sis is named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year
OMAHA, Neb. -- The eight-time defending champion Creighton Volleyball team is a near-unanimous pick to win the BIG EAST Conference in a preseason poll of league coaches. The Bluejays own eight BIG EAST regular-season titles, seven conference tournament titles and a 139-10 overall record against league foes since the start of the 2014 campaign.
Sophomore Norah Sis was named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year and is joined on the 12-woman Preseason All-BIG EAST Team by Bluejay teammates Kendra Wait and Jaela Zimmerman. Sis is Creighton's first Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year since Lydia Dimke in 2017. This year marks the 10th straight campaign that multiple Creighton players were recognized on the Preseason All-Conference team, and seventh time in the last eight years with three or more selections. This is the third straight season that Zimmerman has been a preseason All-BIG EAST choice, and the first time for both Sis and Wait.
Sis, a sophomore outside hitter, was voted BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and All-BIG EAST last fall after finishing second in conference play with 4.34 points and 3.75 kills per set. Through 116 sets overall, Sis ranked third among BIG EAST players with 4.25 points per set, while holding onto the No. 2 spot with 3.75 kills. In addition to her BIG EAST accolades, Sis was named an AVCA Third Team All-American, the AVCA East Region Freshman of the Year, VolleyballMag.com's National Freshman of the Year and was an AVCA All-East Region selection.
Sis was one of five unanimous picks to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, along with reigning co-BIG EAST Player of the Year Rachele Rastelli of St. John's, Caylee Parker of UConn, Jill Pressly of DePaul and Riley Homer of Villanova. Also voted to the preseason squad were Butler's Jaymeson Kinley, UConn's Kennadie Jake-Turner, Creighton's Wait and Zimmerman, Marquette's Carsen Murray, Providence's Shaliyah Rhoden and Xavier's Carrigan O'Reilly.Â
Both Wait and Zimmerman were named All-BIG EAST last fall. Zimmerman was the only player in the BIG EAST to average at least 3.00 kills and 3.00 digs per set, which helped her earn AVCA Honorable Mention All-American laurels for the second straight year. She ranked second in the BIG EAST in points per set, third in kills per set, 13th in digs per set and 17th in aces per set. Zimmerman was named Tournament MVP of three events last season.
Last season Wait became the first freshman to lead the BIG EAST in assists per set since 2011. The Honorable Mention All-American choice was a five-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honoree and topped CU with 15 double-doubles
Creighton earned 9-of-11 first place votes, though coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team, to earn the preseason nod as favorite for the eighth time in 10 years in the BIG EAST. Creighton's 99 points were nine more than Marquette, who received 90 points and the remaining two first place votes. DePaul was third with 72 points, just ahead of UConn's 71 points that were good for fourth place. St. John's was fifth with 66 points, with Villanova's 54 points putting the Wildcats sixth. Rounding out the bottom-half of the league were Butler (47), Xavier (42), Georgetown (25), Providence (25) and Seton Hall (14).
The Bluejays return four starters and 11 letterwinners from a team that finished last year 31-4, won an unprecedented eighth straight regular-season BIG EAST title, and finished the season ranked 22nd in the country. This year's club was ranked 18th nationally in the Preseason AVCA Coaches Poll that was announced on Monday.
Creighton's preseason prognosis of first place marks the 19th straight season of a top-five prediction in its league, after nine such accolades from the Missouri Valley Conference from 2004-12 before joining the BIG EAST in 2013. In the previous 28 seasons (19 in the MVC, nine in the BIG EAST), Creighton has improved its preseason ranking 12 times, been ranked correctly 11 times, and dropped from preseason expectations just five times. Notably, 17 of Creighton's 19 previous teams under head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth have met or exceeded preseason poll predictions, and the two that didn't dropped just a single slot.
 After closing the exhibition season on Sunday with a 2 p.m. home match vs. South Dakota, Creighton opens its regular-season on Friday, Aug. 26 with matches in Laramie, Wyo., against Iowa State (11 a.m.) and Wichita State (6 p.m.) as part of the season-opening Rumble in the Rockies.
BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year
Norah Sis, Creighton, So., OH
Â
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
Jaymeson Kinley, Butler, Jr., L
Kennadie Jake-Turner, Connecticut, Grad, MB
Caylee Parker, Connecticut, Grad, OH*
Norah Sis, Creighton, So., OH*
Kendra Wait, Creighton, So., S
Jaela Zimmerman, Creighton, Sr., OH
Jill Pressly, DePaul, Jr., OH*
Carsen Murray, Marquette, Jr., MB
Shaliyah Rhoden, Providence, So., OH
Rachele Rastelli, St. John's, Grad., RS*
Riley Homer, Villanova, Jr., OH*
Carrigan O'Reilly, Xavier, Sr., S
*unanimous selection
Â
BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll
(first-place votes)
1.       Creighton                 99 (9)
2.       Marquette               90 (2)
3.       DePaul                      72
4.       Connecticut             71
5.       St. John's                  66
6.       Villanova                  54
7.       Butler                        47
8.       Xavier                        42
9.       Georgetown            25
          Providence               25
11.     Seton Hall                14
Â
Creighton in the Preseason Conference Poll
Year   Preseason Pick   Finish   Move
1994   11th   9th   up 2
1995   9th   7th   up 2
1996   9th   6th   up 3
1997   8th   3rd   up 5
1998   6th   8th   down 2
1999   T-7th   5th   up 2
2000   4th   T-4th   - -
2001   2nd   4th   down 2
2002   7th   9th   down 2
2003   9th   T-5th   up 4
2004   5th   5th   - -
2005   5th   5th   - -
2006   4th   4th   - -
2007   3rd   T-2nd   up 1
2008   3rd   2nd   up 1
2009   4th   T-4th   --
2010   4th   3rd   up 1
2011   3rd   4th   down 1
2012   4th   1st   up 3
2013   1st   2nd   down 1
2014   1st   1st   --
2015   1st   1st   --
2016   1st   1st   --
2017   1st   1st   --
2018   2nd   1st   up 1
2019   2nd   1st   up 1
2020Â Â Â 1st (Midwest)Â Â Â 1st (Midwest)Â Â Â --
2021   1st   T-1st   --
2022   1st   TBD
Sophomore Norah Sis was named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year and is joined on the 12-woman Preseason All-BIG EAST Team by Bluejay teammates Kendra Wait and Jaela Zimmerman. Sis is Creighton's first Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year since Lydia Dimke in 2017. This year marks the 10th straight campaign that multiple Creighton players were recognized on the Preseason All-Conference team, and seventh time in the last eight years with three or more selections. This is the third straight season that Zimmerman has been a preseason All-BIG EAST choice, and the first time for both Sis and Wait.
Sis, a sophomore outside hitter, was voted BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and All-BIG EAST last fall after finishing second in conference play with 4.34 points and 3.75 kills per set. Through 116 sets overall, Sis ranked third among BIG EAST players with 4.25 points per set, while holding onto the No. 2 spot with 3.75 kills. In addition to her BIG EAST accolades, Sis was named an AVCA Third Team All-American, the AVCA East Region Freshman of the Year, VolleyballMag.com's National Freshman of the Year and was an AVCA All-East Region selection.
Sis was one of five unanimous picks to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, along with reigning co-BIG EAST Player of the Year Rachele Rastelli of St. John's, Caylee Parker of UConn, Jill Pressly of DePaul and Riley Homer of Villanova. Also voted to the preseason squad were Butler's Jaymeson Kinley, UConn's Kennadie Jake-Turner, Creighton's Wait and Zimmerman, Marquette's Carsen Murray, Providence's Shaliyah Rhoden and Xavier's Carrigan O'Reilly.Â
Both Wait and Zimmerman were named All-BIG EAST last fall. Zimmerman was the only player in the BIG EAST to average at least 3.00 kills and 3.00 digs per set, which helped her earn AVCA Honorable Mention All-American laurels for the second straight year. She ranked second in the BIG EAST in points per set, third in kills per set, 13th in digs per set and 17th in aces per set. Zimmerman was named Tournament MVP of three events last season.
Last season Wait became the first freshman to lead the BIG EAST in assists per set since 2011. The Honorable Mention All-American choice was a five-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honoree and topped CU with 15 double-doubles
Creighton earned 9-of-11 first place votes, though coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team, to earn the preseason nod as favorite for the eighth time in 10 years in the BIG EAST. Creighton's 99 points were nine more than Marquette, who received 90 points and the remaining two first place votes. DePaul was third with 72 points, just ahead of UConn's 71 points that were good for fourth place. St. John's was fifth with 66 points, with Villanova's 54 points putting the Wildcats sixth. Rounding out the bottom-half of the league were Butler (47), Xavier (42), Georgetown (25), Providence (25) and Seton Hall (14).
The Bluejays return four starters and 11 letterwinners from a team that finished last year 31-4, won an unprecedented eighth straight regular-season BIG EAST title, and finished the season ranked 22nd in the country. This year's club was ranked 18th nationally in the Preseason AVCA Coaches Poll that was announced on Monday.
Creighton's preseason prognosis of first place marks the 19th straight season of a top-five prediction in its league, after nine such accolades from the Missouri Valley Conference from 2004-12 before joining the BIG EAST in 2013. In the previous 28 seasons (19 in the MVC, nine in the BIG EAST), Creighton has improved its preseason ranking 12 times, been ranked correctly 11 times, and dropped from preseason expectations just five times. Notably, 17 of Creighton's 19 previous teams under head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth have met or exceeded preseason poll predictions, and the two that didn't dropped just a single slot.
 After closing the exhibition season on Sunday with a 2 p.m. home match vs. South Dakota, Creighton opens its regular-season on Friday, Aug. 26 with matches in Laramie, Wyo., against Iowa State (11 a.m.) and Wichita State (6 p.m.) as part of the season-opening Rumble in the Rockies.
BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year
Norah Sis, Creighton, So., OH
Â
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
Jaymeson Kinley, Butler, Jr., L
Kennadie Jake-Turner, Connecticut, Grad, MB
Caylee Parker, Connecticut, Grad, OH*
Norah Sis, Creighton, So., OH*
Kendra Wait, Creighton, So., S
Jaela Zimmerman, Creighton, Sr., OH
Jill Pressly, DePaul, Jr., OH*
Carsen Murray, Marquette, Jr., MB
Shaliyah Rhoden, Providence, So., OH
Rachele Rastelli, St. John's, Grad., RS*
Riley Homer, Villanova, Jr., OH*
Carrigan O'Reilly, Xavier, Sr., S
*unanimous selection
Â
BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll
(first-place votes)
1.       Creighton                 99 (9)
2.       Marquette               90 (2)
3.       DePaul                      72
4.       Connecticut             71
5.       St. John's                  66
6.       Villanova                  54
7.       Butler                        47
8.       Xavier                        42
9.       Georgetown            25
          Providence               25
11.     Seton Hall                14
Â
Creighton in the Preseason Conference Poll
Year   Preseason Pick   Finish   Move
1994   11th   9th   up 2
1995   9th   7th   up 2
1996   9th   6th   up 3
1997   8th   3rd   up 5
1998   6th   8th   down 2
1999   T-7th   5th   up 2
2000   4th   T-4th   - -
2001   2nd   4th   down 2
2002   7th   9th   down 2
2003   9th   T-5th   up 4
2004   5th   5th   - -
2005   5th   5th   - -
2006   4th   4th   - -
2007   3rd   T-2nd   up 1
2008   3rd   2nd   up 1
2009   4th   T-4th   --
2010   4th   3rd   up 1
2011   3rd   4th   down 1
2012   4th   1st   up 3
2013   1st   2nd   down 1
2014   1st   1st   --
2015   1st   1st   --
2016   1st   1st   --
2017   1st   1st   --
2018   2nd   1st   up 1
2019   2nd   1st   up 1
2020Â Â Â 1st (Midwest)Â Â Â 1st (Midwest)Â Â Â --
2021   1st   T-1st   --
2022   1st   TBD
Players Mentioned
Creighton Volleyball Media Availability - 9/17/25
Wednesday, September 17
#18 Creighton Volleyball vs. #1 Nebraska Highlights - 9/16/25
Wednesday, September 17
Creighton Volleyball vs. Nebraska Press Conference - 9/16/25
Monday, September 15
Creighton Volleyball Highlights vs. UNI - 9/14/25
Sunday, September 14
