Volleyball Returns to NCAA Tournament; Will Host Colgate
11/26/2023 5:23:00 PM | Volleyball
Minnesota and Utah State also Omaha-bound
OMAHA, Neb. -- The 10-time defending BIG EAST champion Creighton Volleyball team will appear in the NCAA Tournament for the 12th straight season, and 13th time overall, when it takes on Colgate (22-7) at 6:30 p.m. Central on Friday, Dec. 1. The field of 64 was announced on Sunday evening on ESPN.
The No. 3 seed in the Pittsburgh Region, Creighton (27-4) will host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in program history. Minnesota (16-12) and No. 6 seed Utah State (24-6) will also square off on Friday in a 4 p.m. match at D.J. Sokol Arena inside the Wayne and Eileen Ryan Athletic Center. The winner of the Creighton/Colgate match-up will meet the winner of the Minnesota/Utah State contest in the Second Round on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 6:30 p.m. Central, also at D.J. Sokol Arena.
Creighton clinched an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a 3-0 win vs. St. John's on Saturday in Milwaukee in the title match of the 2023 BIG EAST Championship, Presented by JEEP. This year marks the 10th straight season that Creighton had the BIG EAST's best regular-season record in conference play, and ninth time in that span it has won the league championship.
The Bluejays are led by three-time National Coach of the Year Kirsten Bernthal Booth, who owns a 468-188 mark in her 21st year at Creighton. Creighton had four women earn All-BIG EAST honors, including 2023 BIG EAST Player of the Year Kendra Wait (10.27 aps., 3.37 dps., 1.12 kps., 0.79 bps.), 2023 BIG EAST Tournament MVP Kiana Schmitt (2.68 kps., .387%, 1.08 bps.), 2022 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Ava Martin (3.62 kps., .279%) and 2022 BIG EAST Player of the Year Norah Sis (3.82 kps., 0.36 saps.).
Creighton and Colgate have never met.
Creighton was one of two teams in the BIG EAST to earn a spot in the field of 64, as Marquette earned an at-large bid and will make its 12th trip to the NCAAs in the last 13 seasons. The Golden Eagles, who shared the league's regular-season title with Creighton, will face Eastern Illinois in a pod that begins on Thursday in West Lafayette, Ind.
Creighton is 7-2 against teams that are in the 2023 NCAA Tournament field, going 1-0 vs. Northern Iowa, High Point, Iowa State, Omaha, Purdue and Minnesota 1-1 vs. Marquette and 0-1 against Nebraska.
Creighton volleyball season ticket holders will be e-mailed pre-sale ticket purchase information on Sunday night, with remaining tickets being made available to the general public on Monday morning at 10 a.m. at http://GoCreighton.com/buy.
Information regarding broadcasts will be announced in the days to come.
Notes About Creighton Volleyball's Postseason History
- Creighton's Volleyball program will make its 13th trip (2010, 2012-23) to the NCAA Tournament, and 12th consecutive appearance.
- Creighton is one of seven teams nationally to have appeared in each of the last 12 NCAA Volleyball Tournaments (2012-23). That group features BYU, Creighton, Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, Penn State and Texas
- Creighton is 12-12 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including a 9-3 record in the First Round. The Bluejays made the Sweet 16 in 2015 and reached the Elite Eight in 2016.
- Creighton is hosting for the fifth time (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023).
- Creighton is one of eight schools selected to host in 2021, 2022 and 2023, a group that consists of Creighton, Florida, Kentucky, Louisville, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Texas and Wisconsin.
- This is the sixth time that Creighton has earned a Top 16 national seed, having been a No. 16 seed in 2015 a No. 9 seed in both 2017 and 2018, the No. 14 seed in 2021 and the No. 13 seed last fall.
- Creighton is a Top 16 national seed for the sixth time in the last nine seasons, something only 11 schools nationally can say (BYU, Creighton, Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin).
- The volleyball program is the only team in school history to reach 12 consecutive NCAA Tournaments in any women's sport.
- The Volleyball's teams appearance marks the 37th straight academic year that that Creighton Athletics boasts at least one NCAA Tournament team.
- Kirsten Bernthal Booth leads her 13th different Creighton team to the NCAA Tournament, most in school history by any coach in any sport.
The No. 3 seed in the Pittsburgh Region, Creighton (27-4) will host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in program history. Minnesota (16-12) and No. 6 seed Utah State (24-6) will also square off on Friday in a 4 p.m. match at D.J. Sokol Arena inside the Wayne and Eileen Ryan Athletic Center. The winner of the Creighton/Colgate match-up will meet the winner of the Minnesota/Utah State contest in the Second Round on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 6:30 p.m. Central, also at D.J. Sokol Arena.
Creighton clinched an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a 3-0 win vs. St. John's on Saturday in Milwaukee in the title match of the 2023 BIG EAST Championship, Presented by JEEP. This year marks the 10th straight season that Creighton had the BIG EAST's best regular-season record in conference play, and ninth time in that span it has won the league championship.
The Bluejays are led by three-time National Coach of the Year Kirsten Bernthal Booth, who owns a 468-188 mark in her 21st year at Creighton. Creighton had four women earn All-BIG EAST honors, including 2023 BIG EAST Player of the Year Kendra Wait (10.27 aps., 3.37 dps., 1.12 kps., 0.79 bps.), 2023 BIG EAST Tournament MVP Kiana Schmitt (2.68 kps., .387%, 1.08 bps.), 2022 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Ava Martin (3.62 kps., .279%) and 2022 BIG EAST Player of the Year Norah Sis (3.82 kps., 0.36 saps.).
Creighton and Colgate have never met.
Creighton was one of two teams in the BIG EAST to earn a spot in the field of 64, as Marquette earned an at-large bid and will make its 12th trip to the NCAAs in the last 13 seasons. The Golden Eagles, who shared the league's regular-season title with Creighton, will face Eastern Illinois in a pod that begins on Thursday in West Lafayette, Ind.
Creighton is 7-2 against teams that are in the 2023 NCAA Tournament field, going 1-0 vs. Northern Iowa, High Point, Iowa State, Omaha, Purdue and Minnesota 1-1 vs. Marquette and 0-1 against Nebraska.
Creighton volleyball season ticket holders will be e-mailed pre-sale ticket purchase information on Sunday night, with remaining tickets being made available to the general public on Monday morning at 10 a.m. at http://GoCreighton.com/buy.
Information regarding broadcasts will be announced in the days to come.
Notes About Creighton Volleyball's Postseason History
- Creighton's Volleyball program will make its 13th trip (2010, 2012-23) to the NCAA Tournament, and 12th consecutive appearance.
- Creighton is one of seven teams nationally to have appeared in each of the last 12 NCAA Volleyball Tournaments (2012-23). That group features BYU, Creighton, Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, Penn State and Texas
- Creighton is 12-12 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including a 9-3 record in the First Round. The Bluejays made the Sweet 16 in 2015 and reached the Elite Eight in 2016.
- Creighton is hosting for the fifth time (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023).
- Creighton is one of eight schools selected to host in 2021, 2022 and 2023, a group that consists of Creighton, Florida, Kentucky, Louisville, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Texas and Wisconsin.
- This is the sixth time that Creighton has earned a Top 16 national seed, having been a No. 16 seed in 2015 a No. 9 seed in both 2017 and 2018, the No. 14 seed in 2021 and the No. 13 seed last fall.
- Creighton is a Top 16 national seed for the sixth time in the last nine seasons, something only 11 schools nationally can say (BYU, Creighton, Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin).
- The volleyball program is the only team in school history to reach 12 consecutive NCAA Tournaments in any women's sport.
- The Volleyball's teams appearance marks the 37th straight academic year that that Creighton Athletics boasts at least one NCAA Tournament team.
- Kirsten Bernthal Booth leads her 13th different Creighton team to the NCAA Tournament, most in school history by any coach in any sport.
Players Mentioned
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