#6 Volleyball Faces Road Tests at Villanova & St. John's

Match #16: #6 Creighton at Villanova • Villanova, Pa. • Friday, Oct. 11 • 5 p.m. CST | VIDEO ($) | STATS | CU NOTES | VU NOTES |
Match #17: #6 Creighton at St. John's • Queens, N.Y. • Saturday, Oct. 12 • 4 p.m. CST | VIDEO ($) | STATS | CU NOTES | SJU NOTES |

This Week
No. 6 Creighton Volleyball's (13-2, 4-0 BIG EAST) returns to the road for a pair of matches this weekend as it looks to stay unbeaten in conference play.
    On Friday at 5 p.m. Central, the Bluejays square off against Villanova (11-4, 4-0 BIG EAST) inside Jake Nevin Field House in Villanova, Pa. The winner of the contest will be alone in first place as the only unbeaten team in league play.
    The following afternoon at 4 p.m. Central, the Bluejays take on St. John's (13-5, 2-2 BIG EAST) in a rematch of the 2023 BIG EAST Tournament final. That contest will take place inside Carnesecca Arena in Queens, N.Y.

Broadcast Information
Friday's match at Villanova will be streamed on Flo Sports, which requires a subscription.
    Saturday's match at St. John's will be broadcast on ESPN+. To sign up for a subscription, visit http://watchespn.com.
    The Creighton Volleyball schedule page at GoCreighton.com has direct links to each broadcast.

Live Stats Information
Both of this weekend's matches will have free live stats, with links to each contest available at http://Creighton.StatBroadcast.com.
    Links will also be on the GoCreighton.com volleyball schedule page.

Scouting #6 Creighton
Creighton is off to a 13-2 start this season, with both losses coming in five sets on the road to top-five teams Nebraska (Sept. 10) and Louisville (Sept. 15). The Bluejays are a program-best No. 6 in this week's AVCA rankings, thanks in large part to back-to-back Top 10 wins over No. 6 Purdue (3-1) and No. 10 Kansas (3-0) in late September.
    Creighton won three of the four non-conference tournaments it played in, winning the Bluejay Invitational, Creighton Classic and Jayhawk Classic this fall.
    Creighton has continued that dominance into league play, starting 4-0 while dropping just one set.
    The 2023 BIG EAST Player of the Year Kendra Wait (11.12 aps., 3.00 dps., 0.85 kps., 0.85 bps., .330%) opened her senior campaign by collecting MVP honors at the Bluejay Invitational, while 2022 BIG EAST Player of the Year Norah Sis (3.88 kps., .296%) was named MVP of the Creighton Classic.
    Junior Ava Martin (3.31 kps.) was named Preseason All-BIG EAST, Kiara Reinhardt (1.37 bps.) leads the league in blocks per set, and transfers Maddy Bilinovic (4.13 dps.) and Elise Goetzinger (2.48 kps., 1.21 bps., .323%) have made an immediate impact.
    CU returns four starters from last season's 29-5 squad that reached a 12th straight NCAA Tournament and saw the Bluejays win a 10th straight BIG EAST regular-season title and its ninth BIG EAST Tournament crown in the past decade. CU was a unanimous pick to win the BIG EAST by league coaches in 2024.
     CU averages 14.29 kills, 1.44 aces, 15.25 digs and 2.75 blocks per set and has hit .293.

Scouting Villanova
Villanova has won eight straight matches and is off to a 4-0 start in BIG EAST play this fall. The Wildcats are 11-4 overall and 6-1 inside Jake Nevin Field House.
    The reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, Abby Harrell (3.28 kps.) leads the team in kills, with Campbell McKinnon (2.44 kps.) adding firepower and hitting at a .392 clip.
    Alyssa Nelson (5.57 aps.) and Taylor Jakubowski (4.24 aps.) run Nova's 6-2 offense, and five players own between 104-127 digs.
    The Wildcats average 13.00 kills, 13.65 digs, 2.09 blocks and 1.57 aces per set on .225 hitting.

Series History vs. Villanova
Creighton is 20-3 all-time vs. Villanova, including a 7-3 road record. CU has swept each of the last six meetings since a Wildcats victory on Nov. 8, 2019.
    Villanova has won three times over CU inside Jake Nevin Fieldhouse, beating CU 3-2 in 2015 and sweeping the Bluejays in 2017 and 2019.
    CU is 12-0 in Omaha against the Wildcats, and won the last 20 sets played vs. VU at D.J. Sokol Arena.
    Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 20-3 all-time against Villanova and coach Josh Steinbach.

Scouting St. John's
St. John's is 13-5 on the season and 2-2 in the BIG EAST after being swept in losses last weekend at both Xavier and DePaul. The Red Storm have been a different team at home though, where they are 9-0.
    Erin Jones had a triple-double last weekend at Xavier and does a little bit of everything for the Johnnies, averaging 3.81 kills, 2.84 digs, 1.59 assists and 0.53 blocks per set.
    Giorgia Walther (3.64 kps.) and Lucrezia Lodi (2.46 kps.) also carry a large offensive load.
    Wiktoria Kowalczyk (9.85 aps.) is the primary setter, and Rashanny Soloano Smith (3.96 dps.) is the libero.
    SJU averages 13.03 kills, 13.44 digs, 2.11 blocks and 1.54 aces per set while hitting .208 as a team.

Series History vs. St. John's
Creighton is 19-3 all-time against St. John's, dropping just one set total over the past six meetings. CU is 9-1 all-time in Queens against the Red Storm.
    The teams played three times last season, including Creighton's 3-0 sweep over the Red Storm in the BIG EAST Tournament title match.
    Creighton head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 19-3 against Joanne Persico and 19-3 vs. St. John's.

Creighton Coaches
Creighton is coached by Kirsten Bernthal Booth (Truman State, 1997), who owns a 483-191 record in her 22nd season with the Bluejays.
    She's led Creighton to 10 straight BIG EAST regular-season titles (2014-23), and 11 league crowns in the previous 12 years. Booth guided the Bluejays to their first three Sweet 16's (2015, 2016, 2023) 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 fourth time in 2023.
    The winningest coach in school history, Booth has taken Creighton to its only 13 NCAA Tournament bids in the program's modern history. She's also coached CU into the top-25 each of the last 13 seasons (including 2024), another program first.
    She is currently serving as President of the AVCA.
    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 Adam Kessenich.

With A Win On Friday...
- Creighton would move into sole possession of first place in the BIG EAST and be the league's lone remaining team unbeaten in BIG EAST play.
- Creighton would win its 27th straight match against an unranked team.
- Creighton would win its 20th straight match against a BIG EAST team.
- Creighton would win its 18th straight regular-season BIG EAST match.
- Creighton would win its ninth straight BIG EAST road match.
- Creighton would win a season-high seventh straight match.
- Creighton would improve to 175-16 all-time in regular-season BIG EAST matches.

BIG EAST Tournament Finals Rematch
Saturday's meeting against St. John's in Queens will be a remach of the 2023 BIG EAST Tournament final held in Milwaukee, which saw Creighton post a convincing 25-13, 25-9, 25-23 victory.
    Creighton's Kiana Schmitt was named Most Valuable Player after collecting 12 kills on .526 hitting. The Bluejays hit .355, limited the Johnnies to .021 hitting, and outblocked the Red Storm 13-3.
    Six of the eight women who played for Creighton in that match are back. The Red Storm bring back 10 of 12 participants from the match, including all six starters and their libero.

Pink Out Jersey Auction Is Underway
The Creighton Volleyball team will host its 17th Annual Pink Out match on Sunday, October 20th and use the competition as an opportunity to benefit the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge Nebraska.
    Similar to how the Creighton Basketball programs have hosted a Pink Out jersey auction to raise more than $640,000 over the past 14 years, the Creighton Volleyball program will join in the fun in 2024.
    The Bluejay Volleyball team will wear white warm-up shirts with a pink lettering accent. The team is expected to wear its new white Nike jerseys that debuted earlier this season (with pink passing sleeves), but will be auctioning off its white and pink game-worn jerseys from last year's Pink Out match from now until 6:30 p.m. Central on October 13th.
    The winning bidders will have the opportunity to honor a friend or family member who has battled cancer or is currently battling cancer by purchasing the apparel via an online auction at http://gocreighton.com/pinkoutauction. The warm-up shirt to be worn can be personalized by the winning bidder.
    Shortly after the match, the family members of the winning bidders will have the opportunity to meet the student-athletes of the jersey they bid on.
    To make a donation, click here. The American Cancer Society Hope Lodge Nebraska provides a free home away from home for cancer patients and their caregivers who must travel to Omaha to receive their lifesaving treatment.

Among The Best Overall Starts
Creighton's 13-2 record is the program's second-best mark ever after 15 matches. Its 2021 team opened 14-1 and 17-2.
Creighton's Most Wins, 2 Losses Or Less
    Wins    Year    3rd Loss
    17    2021    10/16 at UConn
    13    2024    TBD
    12    2012    9/28 at Southern Illinois
    11    2006    9/24 vs. #1 Nebraska
    10    2023    9/23 at Xavier

Best League Starts
Creighton has started 4-0 in conference play for the eighth time in 12 seasons in the BIG EAST.
    The Bluejays have started 11-0 or better in league action five times in the previous nine years and went 18-0 in both 2016 and 2018.
Most Wins Before First League Loss
    Wins    Year (League)    First League Loss
    18-0    2018 (BIG EAST)    None
    18-0    2016 (BIG EAST)    None
    17    2022 (BIG EAST)    11/19 at #16 Marquette
    12    2019 (BIG EAST)    11/8 at Villanova
    11    2015 (BIG EAST)    10/30 at Villanova
    7    2007 (MVC)    10/12 vs. Wichita State
    5    2014 (BIG EAST)    10/10 at Seton Hall
    5    2011 (MVC)    10/7 at Missouri State
    5    2006 (MVC)    10/6 vs. Northern Iowa
    4    2017 (BIG EAST)    10/5 at Marquette
    4    2024 (BIG EAST)    TBD

All They Do Is Win
Creighton won its final 13 regular-season BIG EAST matches last season and is 4-0 this fall. That's the program's fourth-longest streak of league wins in team history, but just past halfway to the record.
Creighton's Most 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
    17    Oct. 7, 2023 - Present    ? ? ?    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

Putting The 0 In October And November
Creighton is 75-6 in the 10th month of the year since Oct. 1, 2016.
    Creighton's been awfully good in the month of November too. Since Nov. 1, 2014, CU is 61-4 in the 11th month of the year.
    Creighton has won 41 straight October home matches (since 10/15/11) and 37 consecutive home matches in November (since 11/23/14). Incredibly, Creighton is 111-10 in sets in those home November contests.

October Excellence
Creighton has won 41 straight home matches played in the month of October, last losing in the month at home on Oct. 15, 2011 vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa.
    How long has it been? Creighton freshmen Alivia Hausmann and Emersen Strain were each five years old at the time.

Milestone Watch
Creighton's student-athletes are approaching all sorts of milestones.
    Sydney Breissinger owns 393 career digs, putting her seven shy of 400. She's also four aces shy of 50.
    Elise Goetzinger is six blocks shy of 300 in her career. That includes 231 blocks with Kentucky.
    Jaya Johnson is six kills away from 100.
    Norah Sis owns 1,424 career kills. She's three shy of Olympian Taryn Kloth (1,427) for fourth place in CU history.
    Kendra Wait owns 1,812 career assists inside D.J. Sokol Arena, just 62 shy of Megan Bober's facility record of 1,874.
    Wait's 4,265 career assists (in all venues) is 94 short of Bober's 4,359 for second place in CU history.

Jak Of All Trades
Villanova setter Taylor Jakubowski is the younger sister of former Creighton women's soccer standout Taryn Jakubowski, who played two years professionally in Finland.

Defense Wins Championships
Creighton ranks sixth nationally with 14.29 kills per set, 11th with a .293 hitting percentage and is ninth with 13.33 assists per set.
    But where it has dominated has been on the defensive side of the net, where it ranks 16th in blocks per set (2.75) and fourth in opponents hitting percentage (.135).
    CU ranked third last year in opponent's hitting percentage (.144) and led the country in 2021 (.124) in that category.
    Last season was the fifth straight non-COVID year that Creighton's led the BIG EAST in opponent's hitting percentage.

Trio Earns BIG EAST Awards
Maddy Bilinovic, Norah Sis and Kendra Wait were honored by the BIG EAST Conference on Monday after helping the Bluejays to a third consecutive 2-0 weekend. Bilinovic was named Defensive Player of the Week, Sis tabbed BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week and Wait recognized as Setter of the Week.
    Bilinovic averaged a team-leading 4.71 digs and 0.43 aces per set as Creighton won 6-of-7 sets in BIG EAST Play last week. She also anchored a defense that held foes to league-lows of .128 hitting and 9.86 kills per set. Bilinovic opened her week with 20 digs and a season-high three aces in Creighton's 3-1 win vs. Marquette. The senior then had 13 digs in a 3-0 sweep at Butler as she eclipsed the 1,000 career dig mark. This is the Independence, Ohio, native's second BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week award of the fall, as she won it on Sept. 16, as well.
    Sis averaged 4.93 points, 4.29 kills, 2.86 digs, 0.57 blocks and 0.29 aces per set while hitting .315 in Bluejay wins over Marquette and Butler last week. The Papillion, Neb., product opened her week with 14 kills, a season-high 13 digs, three blocks and an ace in a 3-1 win vs. Marquette, a team CU had shared the BIG EAST regular-season title with the past three seasons. The three-time Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year then had a match-best 16 kills to go with seven digs and an ace while hitting .382 in CU's 3-0 win at Butler. The performance saw the three-time All-BIG EAST selection move into the top-five in program history with 1,424 career kills. Sis' 4.93 points per set led the conference, while her 4.29 kills per set shared league-best honors last week. This is the senior's ninth career BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week award, and third this season (also Sept. 9 and Sept. 23).
    Wait had a pair of double-doubles as she averaged a league-leading 11.86 assists to go with 3.14 digs, 1.00 blocks and 0.71 kills per set. The Gardner, Kan., native began with 47 assists, 10 digs, five blocks and a pair of kills in a win over Marquette. She then had 36 assists, 12 digs, three kills and two blocks in a sweep at Butler that saw the Bluejays hit .389. For the week, Creighton averaged 15.00 kills per set and hit .321 as a team, both league-bests. This is Wait's fifth BIG EAST Setter of the Week award in the six-week season (also Sept. 2, Sept. 9, Sept. 23, Sept. 30).

Sis Is Killing It
Norah Sis enters Friday ranked fifth in Creighton history with 1,424 career kills. She has a chance to move into the top four on Friday.

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.    Norah Sis    357    1,424    2021-Pr.
    6.    Kelly Goc    394    1,414    2004-07
    7.    Jessica Houts    451    1,385    2005-09
    8.    JoDe Cieloha    398    1,375    1994-97
    9.    Leah McNary    458    1,257    2011-14
    10.    Marysa Wilkinson    499    1,183    2014-17

4,000 And Counting
Kendra Wait surpassed the 4,000 assist mark in the Sept. 15 match at No. 4 Louisville and starts this weekend with 4,265 in her career.
    That puts her 94 assists out of second place.
Career Assists
        Name    Sets    No.    Years
    1.    Korie Lebeda    428    5,281    2005-08
    2.    Megan Bober    480    4,359    2009-12
    3.    Kendra Wait    398    4,265    2021-Pr.
    4.    Kailey Reyes    368    4,207    1998-01

Doubling Up
Kendra Wait has had a double-double in 10 matches this season, and finished one dig shy in three other contests.
    Wait's 63 double-doubles (in 115 matches played) rank third-most in program history with at least 14 matches still on the schedule.
    Wait has owned a double-double in each of her last eight matches against a Top 25 foe and 16-of-18 overall contests against the Top 25 in her career.
Career Matches With a Double-Double, Career
    D-D    Name    Years
    65    Melissa Weisensee    1994-97
    64    Kailey Reyes    1998-01
    63    Kendra Wait    2021-Present
    60    Melissa Walsh    1998-01

Senior Class Heroes
Creighton's senior class already ranks as one of the winningest groups in program history. The current group that arrived in the fall of 2021 is a combined 100-16.
    Kendra Wait has played in all 100 victories is the 11th student-athlete to appear in 100 or more victories. Of those 11 women, Wait's .870 win percentage in matches appeared in ranks second to only Kiana Schmitt's .873 (110-16).
Most Wins, Four-Year Span
    W-L    Years
    111-28    2015-18
    109-25    2016-19
    107-32    2014-17
    104-31    2012-15
    104-34    2013-16
    100-16    2021-Pres.
    99-18    2020-23

Most Wins, Appeared In As A Player
    W-L    Pct.    Name    Years
    116-26    .817    Naomi Hickman    2017-21
    111-28    .799    Jaali Winters    2015-18
    110-16    .873    Kiana Schmitt    2019-23
    109-24    .820    Taryn Kloth    2015-18
    109-25    .813    Brittany Witt    2016-19
    107-25    .811    Megan Ballenger    2016-19
    106-32    .768    Marysa Wilkinson    2014-17
    104-34    .754    Lauren Smith    2013-16
    102-31    .767    Melanie Jereb    2012-15
    101-31    .765    Ashley Jansen    2012-15
    100-15    .870    Kendra Wait    2021-Pres.

130 Weeks As A Ranked Team
Creighton is ranked sixth in this week's AVCA poll, the 130th time in program history it's been ranked. That's 40th-most of all programs in NCAA history.
    This week is Creighton's fifth straight week this fall and 26th week all-time as a Top 10 team.
    The No. 6 ranking is the best ranking in program history -- matching the last two weeks -- and surpassing the previous best of No. 7 on Aug. 28, 2017.
    All 130 rankings have occurred since 2012 and under the direction of Kirsten Bernthal Booth.
    The Bluejays are one of 15 schools (along with Baylor, BYU, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, Stanford, Texas and Wisconsin) to have been ranked each of the last 53 polls.
    Since the start of the 2017 season, here's which teams have been ranked the most weeks:
Most Weeks Ranked Since 2017
    Rk.    Weeks    Team
    1.    125*    Florida
        125*    Kentucky
        125*    Texas
    4.    116    Nebraska
        116    Penn State
        116    BYU
        116    Purdue
        116    Wisconsin
    9.    114*    Baylor
    10.    110    Creighton
    11.    109*    Pittsburgh
    12.    108    Stanford
        108    Minnesota
    14.    101    Oregon
    15.    93    Washington
    16.    89*    Louisville
* includes 9 weeks in Fall of 2020 when most schools didn't play

BIG EAST'S Best
Since the reconfigufration 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.
    Creighton owns 10 regular-season titles (3 shared) in that time, while Marquette owns four regular-season (3 shared) crowns.
    As it relates to BIG EAST Tournament titles, Creighton has won nine, Marquette one and St. John's one since 2013.
    Below is a look at the record of each BIG EAST team since league realignment in 2013:
BIG EAST VB Standings, 2013 - October 8, 2024
             BIG EAST only    All     matches
Team (NCAA Bids)    W    L    W    L
Creighton (11)    174    16    296    72
Marquette (10)    156    31    266    90
Xavier    110    78    173    162
Butler    98    92    173    167
St. John's (1)    96    94    211    153
Villanova (1)    95    95    182    153
Seton Hall (1)    81    108    162    177
DePaul    58    132    139    192
Georgetown    41    141    108    210
Connecticut#    32    34    67    56
Providence*    29    145    111    196
*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.

10 Straight BIG EAST Regular-Season Titles
Regular-season champions from 2014-23, Creighton is the first team in BIG EAST volleyball history to win 10 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 10 or more straight league titles, doubling the five in a row by the men's soccer program (1992-96) in the MVC.

Best Rankings Ever
Creighton is ranked sixth in this week's AVCA poll, matching its best mark ever. This is the program's 26th Top 10 ranking ever.
Date    Rank
September 23, 2024    6th
September 30, 2024    6th
October 7, 2024    6th
August 28, 2017    7th
September 11, 2017    8th
December 19, 2016 (Year-End)    9th
August 9, 2017 (Preseason)    9th
September 4, 2017    9th
October 29, 2018    9th
November 5, 2018    9th
November 12, 2018    9th
November 19, 2018    9th
November 26, 2018    9th
October 28, 2019    9th
November 4, 2019    9th
September 9, 2024    9th
September 16, 2024    9th
September 10, 2018    10th
September 17, 2018    10th
September 24, 2018    10th
October 1, 2018    10th
October 8, 2018    10th
October 15, 2018    10th
October 22, 2018    10th
October 21, 2019    10th
November 25, 2019    10th

League Opener Histories
Including this year's sweep vs. Providence, Creighton owns a 23-8 record all-time in conference openers, including a 20-2 record under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. That includes an 11-1 mark in BIG EAST lid-lifters, and 11 straight wins since a 2013 loss at Butler.
    Each of the previous 11 times that Creighton won its league opener (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023), the Bluejays went on to win the regular-season title, going a combined 177-13 in regular-season league action. Creighton also won 10 conference tournament titles during those years, going 20-1 at the league tournament in those seasons.
    In the 22 seasons that Creighton has won its conference opener, it has never finished worse than .500 in league play and it owns a combined .781 (306-86) winning percentage (entering 2024) 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 26-5 overall and 20-2 under Booth, with 14 straight wins (including 2024).
    In league road openers, Creighton is 22-9 overall and 19-3 under Booth, with 11 straight wins (including 2024).
    The last team to win a BIG EAST regular-season or tournament title without winning its regular-season opener in conference play was Cincinnati in the fall of 2008.

Home Sweet Home
Creighton is in its 12th season as a member of the BIG EAST since joining the league in the summer of 2013.
    Since then, the Bluejays are 103-4 in home matches against BIG EAST teams (94-3 in the regular-season, 9-1 in the BIG EAST Tournament).
    Since November of 2014, Creighton is 87-1 inside D.J. Sokol Arena against BIG EAST teams, which includes a 79-1 league mark and a 8-0 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 the fall of 2020, Bluejay seniors Abbey Milner, Kendra Wait and Norah Sis are 31-0 in home matches against BIG EAST teams, and 93-9 in sets.
    Creighton has won 37 straight matches against BIG EAST opposition at home.

Taming The Bulldogs
Last Friday's victory was Creighton's 21st straight win over Butler, its third-longest win streak ever against one program.
Most Consecutive Match Wins Over One Team
    Wins    Opponent    Dates
    24    DePaul    2013-Present
    23    Xavier    2013-22
    21    Butler    2013-Present
    20    Georgetown    2013-Present
    19    Southern Illinois    2003-11
    18    Seton Hall    2014-Present
    17    Providence    2014-Present
    16    Indiana State    2005-Present

BIG EAST Preseason Poll
Creighton Volleyball was the unanimous pick to win the BIG EAST in a preseason poll of league coaches.
    Creighton earned 10 first place votes to earn the maximum 100 points. Marquette earned Creighton's first place vote (coaches can't vote for their own teams) as well as nine other second-place votes to finish second in the poll with 91 points.
    St. John's (80) was picked third, just ahead of DePaul (74) and Butler (58). Rounding out the bottom half of the poll were Xavier (49), Seton Hall (40), Villanova (39), Connecticut (33), Georgetown (27) and Providence (14).
    Creighton also had three women among the 12 members on the BIG EAST's preseason all-conference team in Ava Martin as well as unanimous selections Kendra Wait and Norah Sis. Sis was also tabbed the BIG EAST's Preseason Player of the Year for the third straight fall.
    Creighton has finished in the spot predicted of it or better in the preseason poll in 19 of 21 years under Kirsten Bernthal Booth, including 10 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
2020    1st (MW)    1st (MW)    - -
2021    1st    T-1st    - -
2022    1st    T-1st    - -
2023    2nd    T-1st    #1
2024    1st    ???    ???

The Gauntlet
Creighton played five non-conference matches against Top 25 teams, winning three of those, as part of a non-conference schedule ranked as the nation's fifth-toughest.
    This year was the fifth time in program history that Creighton played five or more Top 25 opponents prior to conference play, also doing so in 2014 (going 0-5), 2015 (1-4), 2017 (3-3) and 2019 (2-3).
    This year's 11-match gauntlet ended with the first time that Creighton has ever played three consecutive matches against Top 10 foes (No. 4 Louisville, No. 6 Purdue, No. 10 Kansas), also part of the first time Creighton played four Top 10 teams in the same month.
    The only other Bluejay teams to play four Top 10 teams in the same season were in 2015 (5, with one of those in the NCAA Tournament), 2016 (4, with two of those in the NCAA Tournament), 2018 (4) and 2019 (4, with one of those in the NCAA Tournament). The challenging schedule paid off in each case, as those previous four teams went a combined 70-2 in league play and 8-0 in league tournament action and 7-4 in NCAA Tournament play.
    The only other time Creighton has previously played five ranked teams in the same month was September of 2017, a stretch that also featured matches on consecutive days against ranked Purdue and Kansas teams in Lawrence.

Strength Of Schedule
Here's how the BIG EAST teams compared in strength of schedule as the league entered conference play, as well as everyone's RPI and record against Top 100 RPI teams.
    SOS*    RPI*    Team    W-L    vs Top 100
    4    36    Marquette    4-5    2-4
    5    4    Creighton    9-2    6-2
    174    110    DePaul    8-4    1-2
    193    127    Villanova    7-4    0-2
    194    231    Georgetown    7-5    0-2
    242    304    Butler    2-10    0-4
    274    211    Seton Hall    6-5    0-3
    276    310    Xavier    2-8    0-1
    277    103    St. John's    11-3    1-2
    288    48    Connecticut    12-0    1-0
    316    234    Providence    7-4    0-1
*SOS based on NCAA report; RPI based on unofficial FigStats

Stepping Up
Creighton has played five ranked teams this season, and its defense is a big reason the Bluejays are 3-2 in those contests.
    Maddy Bilinovic has averaged 4.38 digs per set against Top 25 opponents, compared to 3.97 digs per set versus unranked foes.
    Sydney Breissinger averages 2.43 digs per set against Top 25 competition compared to 1.84 digs per set in the remaining contests.
    Creighton has allowed just 0.62 aces per set against ranked teams (13 aces in 21 sets), compared to 1.00 aces against unranked foes (31 aces in 31 sets).

Dominance Against The Unranked
Creighton is 30-1 in sets this year against unranked teams and 77-2 in sets dating to Oct. 7, 2023 against unranked opposoition.        Creighton has outscored unranked opponents 773-515 this year, winning an incredible 60.02 percent of all points.
    Creighton has allowed 20 or more points in just eight of the 31 sets against unranked foes.
    The Bluejays are hitting .324 against unranked teams this year, while holding those foes to .095 hitting. CU also owns decisive advantages in kills (459-295), aces (54-31), digs (472-399) and blocks (89-34) in those matches.

The Incredible Third Sets
Creighton is 14-1 in the third set this season, outscoring foes 381-257. In its late-September run of three straight Top 10 foes, the Bluejays outscored those teams by an incredible 75-43 margin in the third.
    Creighton is hitting .330 in the third set this year, its best of any frame. That figure grows to .342 in the third set against ranked teams this fall.

Hidden Stats
Creighton has owned more aces than its opponent in 13-of-15 matches this season, and tied Missouri in another.
    When it comes to blocks, Creighton has outblocked 13-of-15 opponents this year, losing that category only to USC and Louisville.
    Creighton has also outdug every opponent this season except Nebraska.

Any Stat Will Do
Since joining the BIG EAST a dozen years ago, Creighton has been dominant when it wins just about any stat category, as seen below:
Statistic    W    L    Pct.
With Better Hitting Pct.    287    9    .970
When Hitting .250+    204    6    .971
When Hitting .300+    112    0    1.000
When Serving 10+ Aces    17    2    .895
When Owning More Kills    276    21    .929
When Owning More Aces    207    21    .908
When Owning More Digs    239    21    .919
When Owning More Blocks    219    17    .928

Avoiding Losing Streaks
One key to Creighton's extended success over the last dozen years has been its ability to bounce back after a loss.
    The Bluejays have won their last 25 contests immediately following a loss and have not dropped consecutive matches since opening the season 0-2 to begin the 2019 campaign with back-to-back losses to No. 2 Nebraska and No. 20 Baylor in Lincoln, Neb.
    And if that's not enough, EVERY SINGLE OTHER TEAM in the country (all 347 of them) has had a multi-match losing streak since Creighton's last skid and every other team in the BIG EAST has had a multi-match losing streak this season alone.
    Creighton has also won its last 17 matches after a five-set loss, a streak that dates back to early in the 2016 campaign.
    And while not in jeopardy on Friday, it's still worth bragging about that Creighton has also not lost back-to-back matches against conference foes since a three-match losing streak in November of 2011.

No Losers Here
Creighton has been as good as anyone at avoiding losses in recent seasons.
    Creighton, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Texas, Western Kentucky and Wisconsin are the nation's only teams with five losses or less in the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 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, 2022 and 2023 seasons are Creighton, Pittsburgh and Texas.
    Creighton is one of just two schools nationally who have won 25 matches or more in every season between 2014-23 (not counting the 2020 COVID-19 year). That group consists of BYU and Creighton.

Hunting The Top 10
Creighton is 10-36 all-time against top-10 teams, including a 10-29 mark under Kirsten Bernthal Booth, and a 2-2 record this year.
    Nine of the 10 victories came away from home, including four sweeps. All four top-five triumphs were also away from home.
    The highest-ranked teams that Creighton has ever beaten are No. 3 Washington (8/26/2017) and No. 3 Kentucky (9/4/2021), both on the road.
Creighton's All-Time Top 10 Wins
Date    Opponent    Score
09/05/15    vs. #10 Kentucky (Cedar Falls, Iowa)    W 3-0
12/02/16    at #4 Kansas    W 3-2
08/26/17    at #3 Washington    W 3-1
09/09/17    at #7 Kansas    W 3-0
08/24/18    vs. #5 Kentucky (Los Angeles, Calif.)    W 3-2
10/12/19    at #10 Marquette    W 3-2
11/22/19    #9 Marquette    W 3-1
09/04/21    at #3 Kentucky    W 3-0
09/20/24    vs. #6 Purdue (Lawrence, Kan.)    W 3-1
09/21/24    at #10 Kansas    W 3-0

Nationwide Success
With a 180-13 record against BIG EAST teams since 2014, it's safe to say the 10-time defending BIG EAST champion Creighton Volleyball program has proven itself over the last decade in league play.
    This year, it's going national. The Bluejays have beaten at least one team from each of the other "Power Four" conferences, as well as two teams from its former league, the MVC. The Bluejays are...
    1-0 vs. American Athletic Conference teams
    1-1 vs. Atlantic Coast Conference teams
    2-0 vs. Big 12 Conference teams
    4-0 vs. BIG EAST Conference teams
    2-1 vs. Big Ten Conference teams
    2-0 vs. Missouri Valley Conference teams
    1-0 vs. Southeastern Conference teams

A Bunch of Winners
Creighton's 29 victories last season were tied for sixth-most in the nation and its .853 win percentage was tied for ninth-best.
    Additionally, Creighton's 87 victories in the previous three seasons (2020-22) are tied for fourth in the country (behind only Louisville, Pitt and Wisconsin) and its 312 wins in the previous 12 campaigns is sixth-most (behind only WKU, Nebraska, Texas, Penn State and BYU).
    Creighton also ranked tied for first nationally in fewest sets lost (22) last year with Nebraska and Dayton.
    In its last 28 matches dating to last season, Creighton is 25-3 and has won 81-of-94 sets. All three losses came in five sets.
Fewest Sets Lost in 2023
Rk.    Sets Lost    Team
1.    22    Creighton
    22    Nebraska
    22    Dayton
4.    23    Wisconsin
    23    Tennessee
    23    Western Michigan

Fewest Sets Lost in 2024 (through 10/7)
Rk.    Sets Lost    Team
1.    1    Pittsburgh
2.    7    Georgia Southern
3.    8    Kansas
    8    Nebraska
    8    Dayton
    8    San Jose State
7.    9    Creighton
    9    Penn State
    9    North Carolina

Set-tle Down
Since the start of the 2021 season, Creighton is 76-3 in three-set matches, 15-4 in four-set matches and 9-9 in five set contests.

The Streak At Home
Creighton had its first unbeaten home season in program history last year, going a perfect 13-0 in matches and 39-3 in sets.
    With eight more wins this season, the Bluejays have extended the program record to 21 straight home wins, surpassing a 15-match home win streak from Sept. 7-Nov. 30, 2018 that had been the standard.
    Creighton's 21-match home win streak is the fifth-longest active streak in the country.
    Creighton has won 56 of its last 58 sets played at D.J. Sokol Arena overall and did not lose a single set to a BIG EAST opponent last fall.
Creighton's Longest Home Win Streaks
Wins    Dates    Snapped By
    21    Sept. 1, 2023 - Present    TBD
    15    Sept. 7 - Nov. 30, 2018    #22 Washington, 3-0
    13    Sept. 1, 2012 - Sept. 7, 2013    California, 3-0
    13    Sept. 9, 2016-Sept. 1, 2017    #18 USC, 3-0

Nation's Longest Active Home Win Streaks (10/7)
Wins    Team    Next Home Match
    34    Stephen F. Austin    10/17 vs. New Orleans
    34    Nebraska    10/11 vs. #10 Purdue
    27    Yale    10/11 vs. Cornell
    22    Wisconsin    10/11 vs. Maryland
    21    Creighton    10/18 vs. Xavier
    21    Pittsburgh    10/9 vs. #15 SMU
    17    Florida State    10/11 vs. #4 Louisville

Top 25 History
Creighton is 214-47 all-time when playing as a ranked team, and also 24-27 all-time against ranked teams when ranked itself. That mark is 4-3 when both Creighton and its opponent are ranked in the top 10.
    Since the start of the 2012 season, 42 of Creighton's 76 losses have come against ranked teams. In that same period, Creighton is 298-34 against unranked teams. Creighton has won all but three of its past 113 home matches over unranked teams and all but 13 of its last 159 matches at all sites against unranked teams.
Ranked vs. Ranked (CU is 24-27)
Home: 10-9    Away: 8-11     Neutral: 6-7
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
11/26/22    #15 Creighton    #14 Marquette    3-2
08/26/23    #18 Creighton    #16 Purdue    3-0
09/06/23    #4 Nebraska    #16 Creighton    1-3
09/16/23    #14 Creighton    #9 Minnesota    3-2
11/05/23    #17 Creighton    #25 Marquette    3-0
12/07/23    #7 Louisville    #17 Creighton    2-3
09/05/24    #11 Creighton    #20 USC    3-1
09/10/24    #5 Nebraska    #9 Creighton    2-3
09/15/24    #4 Louisville    #9 Creighton    2-3
09/20/24    #9 Creighton    #6 Purdue    3-1
09/21/24    #9 Creighton    #10 Kansas    3-0

They Hit What?
Creighton hit .426 in its Sept. 21 sweep over No. 10 Kansas. That's the best mark Creighton has ever hit against a Top 25 team, and tied for the 17th-best mark in program history against any opponent.
    Creighton hit over .425 on five occasions last year, hitting .493 at Villanova (Oct. 27), .488 vs. Georgetown (Oct. 13), .465 at Seton Hall (Nov. 10), .442 vs. High Point (Sept. 15) and .430 at Providence (Oct. 21).
    The Bluejays have hit .400 or better twice this year so fa/r, including a season-best .471 on Sept. 29 vs. UConn.
    Creighton is 304-9 under Kirsten Bernthal Booth when hitting .250 or better and as a program has won 173 straight matches when hitting .300 or better, a streak that dates to October of 1996.

Birds Of A Feather
Creighton has showcased a pair of new jerseys this season, as Nike designed some custom-made uniforms.
    Both the white and navy ("Midnight Jays") jerseys are sleeveless in a drastic change from past years.
    The uniforms also feature several different colors of "Hyper-Elite" arm sleeves, which the players wear on their arms and can be mix & matched for a number of uniform combinations.
    If you look closely, the arms sleeves also have a feather design pattern, a nod to Creighton's Bluejay nickname.
    Creighton unveiled some throwback royal blue jerseys on Sept. 27 vs. Providence with its old Jays script logo as part of Alumni Night. Those are also the first Bluejay jerseys in decades (and maybe ever) to feature last names on the back.

Her Kind Of City
Kentucky transfer Elise Goetzinger is a perfect 16-0 in matches played in Omaha in her career.
    Goetzinger started all five of UK's matches en route to the 2020 national title (in the spring of 2021), which were played in CHI Health Center Omaha's convention center and arena. The Wildcats beat UNLV, No. 18 Western Kentucky, No. 9 Purdue, No. 7 Washington and No. 5 Texas en route to the championship.
    In 2022 Goetzinger was named to the All-Tournament Team while helping the Wildcats to the Bluejay Invitational title with wins over UNI, No. 17 Creighton and No. 25 USC.
    During those 16 wins, Goetzinger owns 111 kills and 59 blocks while hitting .387 in 53 sets played.

Jays Earn Tourney Titles
Creighton's Bluejay Invitational title on the opening weekend of the fall season marked the 13th straight season that Creighton has won at least one tournament, a streak that dates to 2012. Creighton won three of its four non-conference tournaments this year.
     During that span, the Bluejays have won 34 tournament titles, not to mention 10 regular-season league crowns.
    Creighton has also now won at least one home tournament each of the last eight seasons.
    Creighton won five different tournaments last season, tying a program record, and outside of the NCAA Tournament has now won seven of the eight tournaments it has played in.
Creighton's Tournament Titles Since 2012
Year    Titles Won    Tourney Hosts
2012    3    USF, UNC, MVC
2013    1    BGSU
2014    1    CU, BIG EAST
2015    1    BIG EAST
2016    1    BIG EAST
2017    4    WASH, CU, KU, BIG EAST
2018    3    SMU, CU, BIG EAST
2019    2    UNI, CU
2020    1    BIG EAST
2021    5    MIZZ, UK, CU, WSU, BIG EAST
2022    3    WYO, UNO, BIG EAST
2023    5    Purdue, CU, UNO, MINN, BIG EAST
2024    3    CU, CU, KU

Packed House
Creighton announced in July that it had sold out of season tickets, and fans have shown up in a big way this fall.
    The Bluejays are averaging 2,346 fans per home match (25th-best nationally), including a crowd of 2,569 on Aug. 30 vs. NC State that was the third-largest volleyball crowd ever inside D.J. Sokol Arena.
Creighton Volleyball's Largest Home Crowds
    Att.    Opponent    Date    CU Result    Facility
    15,797    #2 Nebraska    09/07/22    L 2-3    CHI Health Ctr.
    14,022    #7 Nebraska    09/06/18    L 2-3    CHI Health Ctr.
    13,081    #18 Cal Poly    09/02/07    L 0-3    CHI Health Ctr.
    12,112    #1 Nebraska    09/24/06    L 1-3    CHI Health Ctr.
    11,279    #3 Nebraska    09/08/21    L 0-3    CHI Health Ctr.
    10,131    #4 Nebraska    09/15/15    L 0-3    CHI Health Ctr.
    8,037    #2 Nebraska    10/05/08    L 0-3    CHI Health Ctr.
    2,653    Auburn    12/02/22    L 2-3    D.J. Sokol Arena
    2,578    #13 Kentucky    09/01/17    W 3-0    D.J. Sokol Arena
    2,569    NC State    08/30/24    W 3-0    D.J. Sokol Arena
    2,568    Minnesota    12/02/23    W 3-0    D.J. Sokol Arena
    2,563    Colgate    12/01/23    W 3-0    D.J. Sokol Arena
    2,552    South Dakota    11/30/18    W 3-0    D.J. Sokol Arena
    2,517    Coastal Carolina    12/01/17    W 3-1    D.J. Sokol Arena
    2,514    #7 Nebraska    08/31/10    L 0-3    D.J. Sokol Arena
    2,509    #22 Washington    12/01/18    L 0-3    D.J. Sokol Arena
    2,504    #9 Marquette    11/22/19    W 3-1    D.J. Sokol Arena

Olympians Made Here
Taryn Kloth made history earlier this summer when the 2018 graduate became the first female Creighton student-athlete to compete in the Olympics.
    The South Dakota native paired with Kristen Nuss to tie for ninth place in Beach Volleyball, winning their first three matches before losing to a team from Canada that went on to win the silver medal.
    Head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth and associate head coach Angie Oxley Behrens both made the trip to Paris to watch three of Kloth's matches.
    Kloth was a First Team All-BIG EAST choice in 2016 and 2018 and named BIG EAST Tournament MVP in 2017. She ranks fourth in CU history with 1,427 career kills and won four BIG EAST regular-season and tournament titles.

61*
Creighton Volleyball traditionally owns one of the nation's top non-conference schedules, but head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth might have outdone herself this year.
    All 11 of Creighton's non-conference matches were against teams with a Top 61 RPI last year.
    Each of the top four teams that Creighton played from that list were met outside of Omaha.
2023 RPI    School    2024 CU Result
1    at Nebraska    L 2-3
6    at Louisville    L 2-3
13    vs. Purdue    W 3-1
15    at Kansas    W 3-0
30    USC    W 3-1
34    Missouri    W 3-0
35    vs. Northern Iowa    W 3-0
43    NC State    W 3-0
52    Drake    W 3-0
60    vs. Rice    W 3-0
61    Kansas State    W 3-0

12 Straight NCAA's
Creighton Volleyball has made the NCAA Tournament in each of the previous 12 seasons. They are the first women's team in any sport at Creighton to make 12 straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
    The only other sport in Creighton history to make 12 straight NCAA Tournament appearances is the men's soccer program, which qualified in 17 straight seasons from 1992-2008.
     Creighton is one of seven teams nationally to have appeared in each of the last 12 NCAA Tournaments (2012-23). That group features BYU, Creighton, Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, Penn State and Texas.
    There are also 13 schools that have appeared in 13 of the last 14 NCAA Tournaments, a group that includes Creighton, Florida State, Hawai'i, Minnesota, Purdue, San Diego, Stanford and Washington. Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, Penn State, and Texas have appeared in every NCAA Tournament since at least 2010.

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 11-15 against ranked non-conference foes over the last eight seasons after going 2-43 all-time vs. ranked teams in regular-season non-conference matches.
Non-Conference Records, By Year, Under Booth
Year    Non-Con W-L    vs. Ranked Non-Con    Final W-L
2003    3-8    0-0    12-18
2004    8-2    0-1    18-11
2005    6-5    0-3    16-14
2006    8-3    0-1    21-10
2007    6-5    0-3    21-10
2008    3-5    0-3    18-9
2009    3-8    0-3    14-17
2010    5-5    0-1    21-12
2011    5-7    0-1    17-14
2012    9-2    0-1    29-4
2013    9-3    1-2    23-9
2014    7-6    0-5    25-9
2015    6-7    1-4    27-9
2016    6-6    0-4    29-7
2017    7-4    3-3    26-7
2018    8-4    1-3    29-5
2019    7-3    2-3    25-6
2020    3-2    0-0    12-4
2021    12-1    1-1    31-4
2022    8-3    1-2    27-5
2023    9-2    2-1    29-5
2024    9-2    3-2    TBD

Preseason Ranking
Creighton was ranked 12th in the AVCA preseason poll on Aug. 19th. It's the 10th time in the past 12 years that the Jays have been ranked in the preseason, and third year in a row.
    The No. 12 slotting was the second-best preseason ranking in program history.
    Over the last 16 seasons, 295-of-400 teams (73.8 percent) of teams have been in both the preseason and final polls, and since 2008 362-of-400 teams (90.5 percent) in the preseason top-25 polls would go on to reach the NCAA Tournament, as all but preseason No. 13 San Diego, No. 14 Ohio State and No. 23 Rice reached the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
    This year marks the 13th 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    27-5    21st
    2023    18th    29-5    15th
    2024    12th    TBD    TBD

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 483-3 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
08/26/11    vs. UTSA    12-14, 13-14    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

Taking The Fifth
Creighton is 70-41 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 19 of its last 29 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, at Omaha and UConn in 2022 and at No. 9 Minnesota in 2023.
    It's also worth noting that Creighton is 19-5 all-time in five-set home matches at D.J. Sokol Arena.
    Creighton's six victories in five-set matches in 2022 broke the program record of five previously done in 2003, 2011 and 2015. The nine five-set matches in 2022 was also a record.
    Below is a list of Creighton's record in five-set matches on a yearly basis:
Year    Set 5 W-L    Total W-L
1994    0-2    5-20
1995    0-2    11-19
1996    2-6    9-19
1997    3-5    15-13
1998    2-3    7-18
1999    3-3    13-15
2000    3-3    16-12
2001    1-1    14-13
2002    1-3    3-23
2003    5-1    12-18
2004    4-0    18-11
2005    3-1    16-14
2006    4-2    21-10
2007    2-0    21-10
2008    2-3    18-9
2009    1-4    14-17
2010    3-3    21-12
2011    5-2    17-14
2012    4-1    29-4
2013    3-2    23-9
2014    3-2    25-9
2015    5-2    27-9
2016    4-3    29-7
2017    4-1    26-7
2018    3-2    29-5
2019    2-1    25-6
2020    4-2    12-4
2021    1-1    31-4
2022    6-3    27-5
2023    2-3    29-5
2024    0-2    13-2 so far
Total    85-69    576-343

Champions Among Champions
Since the start of the 2012 season, Creighton, Texas and Western Kentucky are the nation's only schools to have won 11 conference regular-season titles. All but three of Creighton's 11 crowns were outright titles, whereas Texas shared one title and WKU shared five.
    Creighton has also won 10 conference tournament titles since 2012, the most in the nation.
Most Conference Titles 2012-2023
Regular-Season    League Tournament
11 (3 shared) Creighton    10 Creighton
11 (1) Texas    9 Dayton
11 (5) Western Kentucky    9 Western Kentucky
10 (1) Fairfield    8 Fairfield
8 (8) Florida A&M    7 LIU
8 (4) Yale
8 (2) BYU
8 (1) Colorado State

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 maintaining that strength during the season.
    Need evidence of that? Since Aug. 25, 2018, Creighton is 23-2 in the match after a five-setter.

2-0 Better Than 0-2
Creighton is 402-11 (.973) all-time when leading a match 2-0, including a 345-5 mark (.986) under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. CU is 268-3 (.989) when up 2-0 dating to September of 2009, and 138-1 (.993) 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 94.9 percent of their matches from 2014-23.
    Conversely, the Jays are 17-208 (.076) all-time when trailing a match 0-2, and 15-109 (.121) under Booth. 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

Set 1 Result A Strong Indicator
Creighton is 412-36 (.920) overall under Kirsten Bernthal Booth when it wins set one. In that same time span, CU is just 71-155 (.314) under Booth when it drops the first set.
    Per RichKern.com, Division I teams that lost the first set won just 20.3 percent of their matches from 2014-23.
    Since Aug. 29, 2010, Creighton has gone 156-5 in its last 161 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, on Sept. 3, 2022 to No. 16 Kentucky and on Dec. 2, 2022 to Auburn.
    Creighton has gone 144-6 in its last 150 matches at all sites when winning the first set, compared to a 14-21 record in that same span when dropping the opener.
    Creighton has gone 181-4 in its last 185 matches against unranked foes when winning the opening set.

Against NCAA Tournament Qualifiers
This year's team has nine matches scheduled against teams that made the 2023 NCAA Tournament with contests scheduled against Marquette (2x), Nebraska, Kansas, Purdue, Louisville, Northern Iowa, USC and Missouri.
    After going 3-35 against teams coming off NCAA Tournament bids prior to Kirsten Bernthal Booth's arrival, the Jays are 110-109 since, including a 6-2 record this year.
Year    W-L vs. Previous Season NCAA Teams
1994    0-4
1995    0-2
1996    0-2
1997    0-3
1998    0-5
1999    2-4
2000    0-4
2001    1-6
2002    0-5
2003    0-3
2004    2-2
2005    0-6
2006    4-6
2007    4-9
2008    6-8
2009    1-11
2010    4-7
2011    2-6
2012    8-3
2013    6-6
2014    4-5
2015    11-5
2016    10-7
2017    8-6
2018    8-5
2019    5-4
2020    3-1
2021    3-1
2022    5-4
2023    11-3
2024    6-2 so far
TOTAL    112-144
TOTAL Under Booth    110-109

Lucky 13
Kirsten Bernthal Booth is in some select company, as she has directed her team to 13 NCAA Tournaments. That's more than any other coach in Creighton history.
Name    Sport    NCAA's @CU
Kirsten Bernthal Booth    Volleyball    13
Bob Warming    Men's Soccer    11
Greg McDermott    Men's Basketball    9
Dana Altman    Men's Basketball    7
Brent Vigness    Softball    7
Jim Flanery    Women's Basketball    7
Elmar Bolowich    Men's Soccer    6

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 483 victories on the Bluejay sideline to rank fifth in school history across all sports.
Coach, Sport    Victories
Brent Vigness, Softball    819
Ed Servais, Baseball    678*
Mary Higgins, Softball    564
Tom Lilly, Men's & Women's Tennis    542*#
Kirsten Bernthal Booth, Volleyball    483*
Jim Flanery, Women's Basketball    427*
Ed Hubbs, Men's & Women's Tennis    347
Dana Altman, Men's Basketball    327
*still active coaching at Creighton
#currently just the women's tennis coach

Against The BIG EAST
Since the BIG EAST was restructured in 2013, Creighton owns a winning percentage better than .750 against each of the other teams currently in the BIG EAST.
    The Bluejays own 193 wins against BIG EAST competition (including BIG EAST Championship play) since 2013, 31 more wins than Marquette for most in the league.
    CU still has not lost to three league foes (DePaul, Georgetown, Providence) since joining the BIG EAST, and Marquette (6), 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    21-1    -    21-1
Connecticut    4-1    1-0    5-1
DePaul    22-0    2-0    24-0
Georgetown    20-0    -    20-0
Marquette    18-5    6-1    24-6
Providence    17-0    -    17-0
Seton Hall    17-3    2-0    19-3
St. John's    18-2    1-1    19-3
Villanova    17-3    3-0    20-3
Xavier    20-1    4-0    24-1
Total    174-16    19-2    193-18

Production Returns
Creighton returns 13-of-18 letterwinners to the court from last season, including four starters.
    From last year's team, only Kiana Schmitt, Ellie Bichelmeyer, Ann Marie Remmes, Ellie Bolton and Morgan Colangelo are not back.
    All told, of the seven categories listed below, Creighton returns 516.2 of a possible 700% back (73.7 percent).
    Below is a breakdown of the production that is back:
Stat    Returners    Departures
Assists    1,457 (93.3%)    105 (6.7%)
Aces    155 (87.1%)    23 (12.9%)
Digs    1486 (79.4%)    385 (20.6%)
Points    1434.0 (67.5%)    691.5 (32.5%)
Kills    1,134 (67.3%)    552 (32.7%)
Matches Started    135 (66.2%)    69 (33.8%)
Blocks    145.0 (55.4%)    116.5 (44.6%)

President Booth
Creighton coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth is the current President of the American Volleyball Coaches Association, having started her service on January 1, 2024.
    She is also part of 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.
     She will finish out her term as Past President in 2026.

#6 Volleyball Faces Road Tests at Villanova & St. John's

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Players Mentioned

Ellie Bichelmeyer

Maddy Bilinovic

Ellie Bolton

Sydney Breissinger

Morgan Colangelo

Elise Goetzinger

Alivia Hausmann

Jaya Johnson

Ava Martin

Abbey Milner

Kiara Reinhardt

Ann Marie Remmes

Kiana Schmitt

Norah Sis

Emersen Strain

Kendra Wait