Friday, November 8
Omaha, Neb.
6:00 PM
Creighton University
vs
Butler
Photo by: Creighton Athletics
#5 Volleyball Hosts Butler, Visits Marquette in Key Weekend
11/5/2024 9:50:00 AM | Volleyball
Bluejays look to extend 14-match win streak
Match #24: Butler at #5 Creighton • Omaha, Neb. • Friday, Nov. 8 • 6 p.m. | LIVE VIDEO ($) | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES |
Match #25: #5 Creighton at Marquette • Milwaukee, Wis. • Sunday, Nov. 10 • 2 p.m. | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES |
This Week
No. 5 Creighton Volleyball (21-2, 12-0 BIG EAST) continues its quest for an 11th straight BIG EAST regular-season title with a pair of challenges this weekend.
   On Friday at 6 p.m., the Bluejays will host Butler (6-18, 4-8 BIG EAST before Wednesday's home match vs. Marquette) at D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha, Neb.
   On Sunday at 2 p.m., CU takes on rival Marquette (17-6, 11-1 BIG EAST before Wednesday's match at Butler) inside the Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee, Wis.
Promotional Schedule
Friday's promotion features a Family 4 Pack deal, where four reserved seats can be purchased for $40 or four general admission tickets can be bought for $36.
   Additionally, there's a limited number of Creighton Yo-Yo's for kids under 12 that will be distributed upon entering.
Broadcast Information
Friday's match will air on KOZN (1620 AM) and http://GoCreighton/listen1180. Jake Ryan and Jaela (Zimmerman) Conner will call the match, which can also be seen with a subscription on Flo Sports.
   Sunday's showdown at Marquette will be nationally-televised by FS1, with Noah Reed and Anna Connelly on the call.
   Links will also be on the GoCreighton.com volleyball schedule page.
Live Stats Information
Both of this weekend's matches will have free live stats, with links to each contest available on the GoCreighton.com volleyball schedule page.
Scouting #6 Creighton
Creighton has won 14 straight matches to improve to 21-2 this season, its best start in program history through 23 contests. Both losses have come in five sets on the road to top-five teams Nebraska (Sept. 10) and Louisville (Sept. 15).
   The Bluejays moved up a spot to a program-best No. 5 in this week's AVCA rankings, thanks in large part to back-to-back Top 10 wins over then-No. 6 Purdue (3-1) and then-No. 10 Kansas (3-0) in late September. In league play, Creighton is 12-0 and has just dropped one set.
   Three women on the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List lead the Bluejays. Setter Kendra Wait (11.12 aps., 3.01 dps., 0.92 kps., 0.86 bps., .365%) has been named BIG EAST Setter of the Week six times in the first 10 weeks of the fall, while outside hitters Norah Sis (3.77 kps., .300%, 0.43 saps.) and Ava Martin (3.53 kps., .302%) give CU one of the best attacking duo's in the country.
   Kiara Reinhardt (1.47 bps.) leads the league in blocks per set, and transfers Maddy Bilinovic (4.03 dps.) and Elise Goetzinger (2.50 kps., 1.17 bps., .367%) have made an immediate impact and rank among the best in the league at their respective positions.
   CU was a unanimous pick to win the BIG EAST by league coaches in 2024 after returning 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 leads the BIG EAST with 14.47 kills and 2.76 blocks per set as well as a .315 hitting percentage. CU's 14.91 digs per set ranks just fifth in the league, but is more a result of some short rallies and strong block, as the Bluejays have been out-dug just once all season.
Scouting Butler
Butler is 6-18 on the season and 4-8 in league play after last Saturday's 3-0 loss at UConn.
   Abby Maesch (3.38 kps.), Elise Ward (2.43 kps.) and Alaleh Tolliver (2.29 kps., 2.47 dps.) lead the Bulldogs in kills and libero Lauren Evans tops BU with 25 aces.
   Setter Cora Taylor (8.91 aps.) directs the offense and Evans (2.69 dps.) leads the defense.
   As a team, Butler averages 11.18 kills, 13.57 digs, 2.03 blocks and 1.52 aces per set while hitting .152.
Series History vs. Butler
Creighton is 21-1 all-time against Butler. The Bulldogs ruined Creighton's BIG EAST debut on Oct. 4, 2013 in Indianapolis, handing the Bluejays a four-set loss, but Creighton has won all 21 meetings since then.
   CU has also won the last 13 sets played in the series, including a sweep at Hinkle Fieldhouse on October 4th.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 21-1 vs. Butler and 3-0 when facing Butler head coach Kyle Shondell.
Scouting Marquette
Marquette started the season 6-6, but has won 11 matches in a row since losing at Creighton on October 1st.
   Four Golden Eagles were named Preseason All-BIG EAST, a list headed by 2022 BIG EAST Setter of the Year Yadhira Anchante (10.19 aps., 3.31 dps.).
   Aubrey Hamilton (3.44 kps., 2.33 dps.) leads the team in kills, with Natalie Ring (2.64 kps., .288%) Carsen Murray (1.88 kps., .386%) and Ella Foti (2.09 kps.) not far behind.
   Samantha Naber (2.88 dps.) has taken over the libero role.
   Marquette averages 13.80 kills, 1.64 aces, 16.33 digs and 1.99 blocks per set while hitting .262 as a team.
Series History vs. Marquette
Creighton is 27-7 all-time against Marquette, and are 23-4 against MU since the start of the 2014 season. That includes a nationally-televised 3-1 win in Omaha last month.
   The Bluejays are 6-1 against the Golden Eagles in BIG EAST Tournament action, and 5-1 in the final, including title match victories in the spring of 2021, the fall of 2021 and the fall of 2022.
   Teams to win the first set are 27-7 in the history of the series, and Creighton has won all seven match-ups to go five sets.
   Creighton is 27-1 all-time against the Golden Eagles when winning at least one set, including the last 23 such matches since a setback in the 2013 BIG EAST Tournament final.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 27-7 against Marquette and 23-4 against Ryan Theis. Her 27 victories against the Golden Eagles are the most of any of the 100 teams she's beaten as a CU coach.
Creighton Coaches
Creighton is coached by Kirsten Bernthal Booth (Truman State, 1997), who owns a 491-191 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 remain in sole possession of first place in the BIG EAST as the league's lone remaining team unbeaten in BIG EAST play.
- Creighton would beat Butler for the 22nd straight time, improving to 22-1 all-time against the Bulldogs.
- Creighton would improve to 22-2, its best start ever after 24 matches.
- Creighton would win its 42nd consecutive home match against a BIG EAST opponent, and 38th such in a row at home in the regular-season.
- Creighton would win its 40th straight November home match.
- Creighton would win its 35th straight match against an unranked team.
- Creighton would win its 28th straight match against a BIG EAST team.
- Creighton would win its 26th straight regular-season BIG EAST match.
- Creighton would extend a school record with its 26th consecutive home victory, moving to 13-0 at home this fall.
- Creighton would extend its season-high win streak to 15.
- Creighton would start 13-0 in BIG EAST play for the fourth time in the last nine years.
- Creighton would improve to 183-16 all-time in regular-season BIG EAST matches, and 99-3 in BIG EAST home contests.
- Creighton would improve to 202-18 against BIG EAST opponents since joining the league in 2013.
Milestone Watch
Creighton's student-athletes are approaching all sorts of milestones.
   Norah Sis owns 992 career digs and is eight shy of 1,000. Sis also owns 93 career aces, putting her just seven away from 100.
   Kendra Wait owns record 1,958 career assists inside D.J. Sokol Arena, and is just 42 shy of 2,000.
   Kiara Reinhardt owns 480 career kills and is 20 short of 500. Her 362 career total blocks put her 10 rejections shy of a spot in Creighton's Top 10.
   Destiny Ndam-Simpson owns 191 career kills and is nine shy of 200.
   Maddy Bilinovic owns 1,096 career digs and is four shy of 1,100.
   Ava Martin owns 949 career kills and is 51 shy of 1,000.
   As a team, Creighton's 28 straight set wins entering Friday are two shy of a program record.
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Best Rankings Ever
Creighton is ranked fifth in this week's AVCA poll, its best mark ever. This is the program's 30th Top 10 ranking ever.
Date   Rank
November 4, 2024Â Â Â 5th
September 23, 2024Â Â Â 6th
September 30, 2024Â Â Â 6th
October 7, 2024Â Â Â 6th
October 14, 2024Â Â Â 6th
October 21, 2024Â Â Â 6th
October 28, 2024Â Â Â 6th
August 28, 2017Â Â Â 7th
September 11, 2017Â Â Â 8th
December 19, 2016 (Year-End)Â Â Â 9th
August 9, 2017 (Preseason)Â Â Â 9th
September 4, 2017Â Â Â 9th
October 29, 2018Â Â Â 9th
November 5, 2018Â Â Â 9th
November 12, 2018Â Â Â 9th
November 19, 2018Â Â Â 9th
November 26, 2018Â Â Â 9th
October 28, 2019Â Â Â 9th
November 4, 2019Â Â Â 9th
September 9, 2024Â Â Â 9th
September 16, 2024Â Â Â 9th
September 10, 2018Â Â Â 10th
September 17, 2018Â Â Â 10th
September 24, 2018Â Â Â 10th
October 1, 2018Â Â Â 10th
October 8, 2018Â Â Â 10th
October 15, 2018Â Â Â 10th
October 22, 2018Â Â Â 10th
October 21, 2019Â Â Â 10th
November 25, 2019Â Â Â 10th
134 Weeks As A Ranked Team
Creighton is ranked fifth in this week's AVCA poll, the 134th time in program history it's been ranked. That's 39th-most of all programs in NCAA history.
   This week is Creighton's ninth straight week this fall and 30th week all-time as a Top 10 team.
   The No. 5 ranking is the best ranking in program history -- matching the last six weeks -- and surpassing the previous best of No. 6 in the six previous weeks from Sept. 23-Oct. 28, 2024.
   All 134 rankings have been 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 56 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.   129*   Florida
       129*   Kentucky
       129*   Texas
   4.   120   Nebraska
       120   Penn State
       120   BYU
       120   Purdue
       120   Wisconsin
   9.   119*   Baylor
   10.   114   Creighton
   11.   113*   Pittsburgh
   12.   112   Stanford
       112   Minnesota
   14.   105   Oregon
   15.   94   Washington
   16.   93*   Louisville
* includes 9 weeks in Fall of 2020 when most schools didn't play
Report Card
Creighton is 182-16 all-time in regular-season BIG EAST matches, and will play its 200th contest in the league on Sunday at Marquette.
   Here's a report card of how CU has done in 50 match segments in the BIG EAST.
   Matches   W-L  Â
   1-50   43-7
   51-100   48-2
   101-150   46-4
   151-200   45-3 so far
Head to Head
Creighton and Marquette have shared the BIG EAST regular-season title in each of the previous three years, but CU has won the league tournament each of those years.
   Including league tournament action, Creighton is 65-5 against conference teams since the fall of 2021 began, losing once each to Xavier, St. John's and UConn and twice to Marquette.
   Meanwhile, Marquette is 58-9, with seven losses coming against the Bluejays compared to a 53-2 mark against everyone else, with the other two losses coming at St. John's.
Thorn In Their Side
Marquette is 274-90 since the start of the 2014 season, but just 4-23 in that time against Creighton.
   In other words, the Golden Eagles own a .148 winning percentage against Creighton (4-23) compared to a .801 mark (270-67) against everyone else since 2013.
   No other team has beaten Marquette more times than Creighton since 2013, with in-state rival Wisconsin (7) next-closest. Among BIG EAST teams not named Creighton, St. John's (5) and Xavier (4) own the most wins vs. MU.
   Since the start of the 2018 season, Marquette is 3-14 against Creighton (.176) and 154-30 (.837) against everyone else.
BIG EAST Behemoths
Creighton and Marquette ought to be quite familiar with each other by this point.
   Sunday will mark the 13th meeting between the schools since February 4, 2021, and that doesn't include two other matches that were cancelled due to COVID protocols. Creighton has won nine of those 12 recent contests.
   Sunday will also be the 21st meeting since Oct. 17, 2017 between the BIG EAST behemoths. CU is 16-4 in the last 20 encounters.
Tale of The Tape
No matter how you slice it, Creighton and Marquette have dominated BIG EAST Volleyball since 2013. Here's how they compare, heading into Nov. 6th.
Stat   CU   MU   Everyone Else
BIG EAST Reg-Season W-LÂ Â Â 182-16Â Â Â 164-31Â Â Â 732-1031
BIG EAST Play Win Percentage   .919   .841   .415
BIG EAST Reg.-Season Titles#Â Â Â 10Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 0
BIG EAST Tourney Titles   9   1   1
BIG EAST Player of the Year   4   5   3
BIG EAST Libero of the Year   2   0   9
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year   4   3   5
BIG EAST Coach of the Year   4   2   6
AVCA All-Americans*Â Â Â 7Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 0
AVCA H.M. All-Americans   17   8   14
AVCA Region Freshman of Year   3   1   2
AVCA Region Coach of Year   4   0   3
CSC Academic All-Americans   8   3   0
# includes ties
*First/Second/Third Teams only
Been A Long Time
Though Marquette fell to St. John's in the semifinals of the 2023 BIG EAST Tournament, it's been a while since the Golden Eagles dropped a regular-season home match in league play.
   Marquette has won 28 regular-season home league matches in a row since an Oct. 29, 2021 loss to Creighton.
   Similarly, Creighton has won 37 straight regular-season home matches since a Feb. 16, 2021 loss to Marquette.
Doubling Up
Kendra Wait has had a double-double in 14 matches this season, and finished one dig shy in four other contests.
   Wait's 67 double-doubles (in 123 matches played) are the most in program history, passing Melissa Weisensee's 65 from 1994-97.
   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.
   What makes Wait's accomplishment even more impressive is that she's needed so little time to do it. Since Wait enrolled, Creighton has played in just 37 matches that weren't sweeps (and she missed one of those). Here's a look at how long the matches have been for CU's four players with 60 or more career double-doubles:
Career Matches With a Double-Double, Career
   D-D   Name   Years
   67   Kendra Wait   2021-Present
   65   Melissa Weisensee   1994-97
   64   Kailey Reyes   1998-01
   60   Melissa Walsh   1998-01
Name   D-D in 3-Set Matches   4-Set   5-Set
Kendra Wait   36 of 87   15 of 19   16 of 18
Melissa Weisensee   20 of 50   28 of 38   17 of 20
Kailey Reyes   16 of 54   31 of 35   17 of 19
Melissa Walsh   17 of 54   27 of 35   16 of 19
*based on team matches played
Chasing All-Conference History
It seems likely that Kendra Wait and Norah Sis will be named All-BIG EAST at the end of the month.
   If that happens, they'd join rare air in Creighton Athletics history.
   The only other student-athletes in school history in any sport to be named First Team All-Conference four times have been Tara Oltman (Softball), Doug McDermott (Men's Basketball) and Jaali Winters (Volleyball). Of those, only Winters got each honor in the BIG EAST.
Sis Chasing Milestones
Norah Sis enters this weekend with 1,509 kills, 992 digs and 93 aces in her career.
   In program history, only two Bluejays have had at least 1,500 kills and 1,000 digs. Of that duo, only Jaali Winters had 100+ aces, as well.
Creighton Players With 1,000+ Kills
Name   KILLS   DIGS   ACES
Jaali Winters   1,843   1,386   101
Leah Ratzlaff   1,622   721   77
Melissa Walsh   1,596   1,240   71
Norah Sis   1,509   992   93
Taryn Kloth   1,427   426   64
Kelly Goc   1,414   275   59
Jessica Houts   1,385   468   54
JoDe Cieloha   1,375   821   113
Leah McNary   1,257   225   0
Marysa Wilkinson   1,183   165   5
Lauren Smith   1,160   209   12
Allie Oelke   1,126   1,382   86
Kelli Browning   1,104   165   44
Amanda Cvejdlik   1,029   208   46
Shelly Kapler   1,000   922   104
Jaela Zimmerman   1,000   796   77
Tourney Field Begins To Fill Up
Last Sunday's win vs. Villanova made Creighton the first team to clinch a spot in the six-team BIG EAST Tournament, which will be contested at the end of the month in Omaha.
   Marquette can clinch a spot with at least one more win, as well.
   The top two teams in the league standings will earn a bye to the semifinals.
Weekly Awards Haul
Two more sweeps helped a pair of Creighton Volleyball student-athletes earn weekly BIG EAST honors on Nov. 4 as Kiara Reinhardt was named the league's Defensive Player of the Week and Ava Martin recognized as the Offensive Player of the Week.
   Martin averaged 4.75 points, 4.33 kills, 0.50 blocks and 0.17 aces per set on .426 hitting. She had 13 kills, five digs and a block on .387 hitting in a victory vs. St. John's on Friday. The two-time All-BIG EAST choice followed that up with 13 kills, two digs, two blocks and an ace on .478 hitting in Sunday's sweep vs. Villanova. This is Martin's first BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week award this season, and third of her career after being recognized on Aug. 28 and Sept. 18 last season
   Reinhardt led the BIG EAST with 2.67 blocks per set and added 1.83 kills and 0.33 digs per set. The Cedarburg, Wis., product had a season-high 10 blocks to go with four kills, two digs and two assists on Friday vs. St. John's. She then contributed seven kills, six blocks and a pair of assists in a victory vs. Villanova. Reinhardt's efforts helped Creighton hold foes to .073 hitting on the week.
   Reinhardt was previously honored as BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 23 this fall. She also picked up similar acclaim on both March 9, 2020 as well as Oct. 30, 2023.
On A Roll
Kendra Wait has not committed an attack error in any of her last five matches, as she's hitting .640 (16-0-25) in that span. Wait's also contributed 10.47 assists and 3.47 digs per set in that span.
   Another Bluejay in the midst of an extraordinary run is Elise Goetzinger. The fifth-year senior has averaged 2.57 kills and 1.49 blocks per set while hitting .511 in her past seven matches.
Reinhardt Rejects
Kiara Reinhardt is leading the BIG EAST with 1.47 blocks per set, good enough to rank 10th nationally.
   CU has not had a player lead the league in that category for an entire season since Lauren Smith averaged 1.27 blocks per set in 2015. Kelli Browning also paced the BIG EAST with 1.53 blocks per set in 2013. Reinhardt had a season-high 10 blocks last Friday vs. St. John's and had 16 blocks in six sets (2.67 bps.) last weekend.
Feelin' Good In The Neighborhood
Creighton has three players from the Badger State who will be looking to claim bragging rights with a win over Marquette on Sunday.
   Freshman Sophia Wendlick is from Milwaukee.
   Senior Elise Goetzinger hails from Blue Mounds, Wis., from around the Madison area.
   Kiara Reinhardt is from the northern Milwaukee suburb of Cedarburg. One of Reinhardt's teammates at Cedarburg High School was former Villanova middle blocker Maddie Barber, who is the sister of former Marquette All-American and 2019 BIG EAST Player of the Year Allie Barber.
All They Do Is Win
Creighton won its final 13 regular-season BIG EAST matches last season and is 12-0 this fall. That's the program's fourth-longest streak of league wins in team history.
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
   25   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
Streaking In League Play
Creighton has won 27 straight matches against conference teams. Though impressive, there's still six teams with longer active streaks.
   Wins   Team   Current League
   94   Western Kentucky   Conference-USA  Â
   66   High Point   Big South  Â
   35   Northern Iowa   Missouri Valley  Â
   34   Dayton   Atlantic 10  Â
   32   Southeastern Louisiana   Southland  Â
   27   Creighton   BIG EAST
Road Dubs
Creighton has won six consecutive true road matches, a streak that started on Sept. 21 with a 3-0 win over No. 10 Kansas.
   A win on Sunday at Marquette would tie CU's fifth-longest road win streak ever with seven in a row.
Creighton's Longest Road Win Streaks
Wins   Dates   Snapped By
   9   Sept. 30-Dec. 2, 2016   at #5 Texas, 3-0
   8   Sept. 29 - Nov. 30, 2012   at #11 Minnesota, 3-1
   8   Sept. 28 - Nov. 3, 2018   at #2 Nebraska, 3-1
   8   Oct. 2, 2021-Sept. 10, 2022   at Rice, 3-2
   7   Sept. 21-Nov. 9, 2007   at #24 Wichita State, 3-0
   7   Nov. 21, 2009-Oct. 2, 2010   at Drake, 3-1
   7   Sept. 6-Oct. 26, 2018   at Villanova, 3-0
   7   Oct. 7-Nov. 18, 2022   at #16 Marquette, 3-0
   7   Oct. 7 - Nov. 11, 2023   at #5 Nebraska, 3-2
   6   Oct. 14-Nov. 17, 2000   at Missouri State, 3-0
   6   Oct. 31, 2015-Aug. 28, 2016   at Southern California, 3-2
   6   Sept. 21, 2024 - Present   TBD
   5   Nov. 21, 2003-Sept. 14, 2004   at Wichita State, 3-1
   5   Oct. 11-Nov. 15, 2014   at #8 Illinois, 3-0
   5   Oct. 6-Nov. 12, 2017   at Villanova, 3-0
   5   Aug. 28-Sept. 25, 2021   at St. John's, 3-1
Going Streaking
Creighton has won 14 consecutive matches, tied for the nation's sixth-longest active streak through contests of Nov. 3. The 14-match win streak is tied for its eighth-longest win streak in program history.
Nation's Longest Active Win Streaks (11/3)
   Rk.   Streak   Team
   1.   22   South Dakota State
   2.   20   Southeastern Louisiana
   3.   19   Nebraska
   4.   17   Western Kentucky
       17   Dayton
   6.   14   Creighton
       14   Penn State
   8.   13   Northern Iowa
   9.   12   UT Arlington
       12   Howard
   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
       17   Oct. 7-Dec. 2, 2023   vs. #7 Louisville, 3-2
       14   Sept. 19-Nov. 3, 2019   at Villanova, 3-0
       14   Oct. 17-Dec. 2, 2021   Kansas, 3-1
       14   Sept. 20, 2024 - Present   TBD
       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
20 Wins, Again
Creighton picked up its 20th win of the season on Nov. 1 when it swept St. John's to improve to 20-2.
   Creighton has won 20 or more matches in four straight years, 12 of the last 13 years (CU only played 16 times in the spring of 2021, going 12-4), and now has 15 20-win campaigns to its ledger all-time.
   This fall marked the 15th straight time that after Creighton won its 19th match, it won its next match as well to reach the 20-victory milestone.
Year   MP to 20 W   Date of 20th Win
2006Â Â Â 29Â Â Â 11/18
2007Â Â Â 29Â Â Â 11/16
2010Â Â Â 30Â Â Â 11/26
2012Â Â Â 23Â Â Â 10/27
2013Â Â Â 27Â Â Â 11/22
2014Â Â Â 27Â Â Â 11/08
2015Â Â Â 28Â Â Â 11/07
2016Â Â Â 26Â Â Â 11/06
2017Â Â Â 25Â Â Â 11/05
2018Â Â Â 24Â Â Â 10/27
2019Â Â Â 24Â Â Â 11/09
2021Â Â Â 23Â Â Â 10/24
2022Â Â Â 23Â Â Â 10/30
2023Â Â Â 24Â Â Â 11/03
2024Â Â Â 22Â Â Â 11/01
  Â
That's Just Wild
Including last Sunday, Creighton has swept Villanova each of the last eight meetings, and won each of the last 24 sets against the Wildcats.
   The 24 straight set victories over the Wildcats is the fifth-longest streak in program history over one opponent, but still far behind a 53-set win streak the Jays extended over Seton Hall recently.
Most Consecutive Set Wins Over One Team
   Wins   Opponent   Dates
   53   Seton Hall   2015-Present
   32   Providence   2017-Present
   25   Indiana State   2005-09
   25   Georgetown   2019-Present
   24   Xavier   2015-18
   24   Villanova   2021-Present
   23   Indiana State   2009-Present
   19   Providence   2014-17
   19   Butler   2018-21
Clean Sweeps
Creighton has won 28 straight sets, sweeping each of its past nine matches and winning the final set in the prior contest. That's the third-longest set win streak in program history.
   Creighton can break the mark with a 3-0 win vs. Butler on Friday.
   Entering this week, Creighton's 28 straight set wins were the nation's longest active streak.
Consecutive Sets Won
   Set Wins   Dates   Snapped By
   30   Oct.7 - Nov. 10, 2023   at St. John's
   29   Oct. 16-Nov. 18, 2022   at #16 Marquette
   28   Oct.1, 2024 - Present   ? ? ?
   25   Oct. 22-Nov. 20, 2016   Villanova
   25   Oct. 26-Nov. 23, 2018   #16 Marquette
   22   Nov. 7-Dec. 2, 2021   Kansas
   21   Nov. 11 - Dec. 2, 2023   vs. #7 Louisville
   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
How Many Sets In A Row?
In its 28-set win streak, Creighton has allowed as many as 20 points just four times.
- It has outscored foes 700-428 in all sets (an average of 25.0-15.3), 225-126 in the second set (an average of 25.0-14.0) and 225-133 in the third set (an average of 25.0-14.8).
- Creighton owns a 66-14 advantage in aces, even though it has nearly the same number of service errors (CU 54, Opponents 53). In that time, Ava Martin has 17 aces and Norah Sis has 15 aces.
- Creighton is hitting .375 (419-92-872).
- Elise Goetzinger is hitting .500 (55-7-96), Ava Martin is hitting .430 (109-14-221) and Norah Sis is hitting .338 (107-30-228).
- Kiara Reinhardt (44) has more blocks than CU's opponents (28.5), with Kendra Wait (23), Jaya Johnson (26) and Elise Goetzinger (23) not far behind.
The Best Overall Starts
Creighton's 21-2 record is the program's best mark ever after 23 matches. Its 2021 team opened 17-2, but lost its 20th contest of the year.
Creighton's Most Wins, 2 Losses Or Less
   Wins   Year   3rd Loss
   21 so far   2024   TBD
   17   2021   10/16 at UConn
   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 12-0 in conference play for the fifth time in 12 seasons in the BIG EAST.
   The Bluejays went 18-0 in both 2016 and 2018 and finished 17-1 in 2022. The 2019 squad started 12-0 before a Nov. 8th loss.
Most Wins Before First League Loss
   Wins   Year (League)   First League Loss
   18   2018 (BIG EAST)   None
   18   2016 (BIG EAST)   None
   17   2022 (BIG EAST)   11/19 at #16 Marquette
   12   2019 (BIG EAST)   11/8 at Villanova
   12   2024 (BIG EAST)   TBD
   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
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 108-16.
   Kendra Wait has played in all 108 victories is the 11th student-athlete to appear in 100 or more victories. Of those 11 women, Wait's .878 win percentage in matches appeared just ahead of Kiana Schmitt's .873 (110-16) for the top mark.
   Norah Sis is waiting in the wings to join that list. The senior is 98-13 in her career in matches she's played in, as she's missed 13 matches (10 wins) in her career.
Most Wins, Four-Year Span
   W-L   Years
   111-28   2015-18
   109-25   2016-19
   108-16   2021-Pres.
   107-32   2014-17
   104-31   2012-15
   104-34   2013-16
   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
   108-15   .878   Kendra Wait   2021-Pres.
   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
Fun With Numbers
- Creighton has not trailed by more than five points in any of its last 69 sets played against BIG EAST competition dating to a 17-10 deficit in the second set at Providence on Oct. 21, 2023 (Creighton won that set, 25-21).
- Creighton has not trailed in 18-of-37 sets played against BIG EAST foes this fall, and 18 of the 22 BIG EAST sets when scoring the first point of a set.
- During Creighton's 27-match win streak over BIG EAST foes, the Bluejays have owned a hitting percentage advantage over its opponent of .098 or more in each match.
- Through matches of Sunday, Nov. 3, Creighton's 11 non-conference opponents were a combined 106-22 (.828) in league play. Three of the 11 teams (Nebraska, Northern Iowa and Kansas) are still unbeaten in league play, and all 11 have a winning record in conference action.
NCAA Reveal Had Creighton Sixth
The NCAA DI women's volleyball committee announced its in-season top-16 rankings during on Oct. 20th, and had Creighton tabbed sixth.
   The reveal is based on the criteria used to select and seed the 64 teams for the volleyball championship. It includes strength of schedule, Rating Percentage Index, head-to-head competition, results versus common opponents, significant wins and losses and locations of contests. Input is also provided by the regional advisory committees for consideration by the Division I women's volleyball committee.
1. Nebraska   9. Wisconsin
2. Pitt   10. Oregon
3. Penn State   11. Kansas
4. Louisville   12. Purdue
5. Stanford   13. Utah
6. Creighton   14. TCU
7. SMUÂ Â Â 15. USC
8. Texas   16. Minnesota
Decade of Dominance
Eleven 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 2024 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
2014#Â Â Â 16-2Â Â Â 14.89Â Â Â .242Â Â Â 1.30Â Â Â 17.09Â Â Â 2.86
2015#Â Â Â 17-1Â Â Â 15.02Â Â Â .271Â Â Â 1.33Â Â Â 16.97Â Â Â 2.47
2016#Â Â Â 18-0Â Â Â 15.37Â Â Â .317Â Â Â 1.69Â Â Â 16.08Â Â Â 2.41
2017#Â Â Â 16-2Â Â Â 14.81Â Â Â .302Â Â Â 1.31Â Â Â 16.62Â Â Â 2.05
2018#Â Â Â 18-0Â Â Â 14.45Â Â Â .294Â Â Â 2.13Â Â Â 15.67Â Â Â 2.38
2019#Â Â Â 17-1Â Â Â 14.61Â Â Â .269Â Â Â 2.07Â Â Â 15.80Â Â Â 2.25
2020#Â Â Â 7-1Â Â Â 12.93Â Â Â .249Â Â Â 1.30Â Â Â 14.17Â Â Â 2.75
2021#Â Â Â 16-2Â Â Â 13.95Â Â Â .242Â Â Â 1.82Â Â Â 18.02Â Â Â 2.86
2022#Â Â Â 17-1Â Â Â 14.80Â Â Â .299Â Â Â 1.85Â Â Â 16.10Â Â Â 2.33
2023#Â Â Â 16-2Â Â Â 14.40Â Â Â .313Â Â Â 1.89Â Â Â 15.91Â Â Â 2.30
2024Â Â Â 12-0Â Â Â 14.92Â Â Â .366Â Â Â 2.24Â Â Â 14.32Â Â Â 2.77
#won league's regular-season title
Halfway Home
Creighton was 9-0 in league play at the midway point of the BIG EAST season, making the Bluejays unbeaten at the halfway mark of league play for the sixth time (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024).
   The Bluejays have suffered one league loss or fewer in the second half of conference play during each of the previous 10 seasons.
League Record by Year
Year   1st Half   2nd Half   Place
1994Â Â Â 2-8Â Â Â 1-9Â Â Â T-9th MVC
1995Â Â Â 3-7Â Â Â 3-7Â Â Â T-7th MVC
1996Â Â Â 2-7Â Â Â 3-6Â Â Â T-6th MVC
1997Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â T-3rd MVC
1998Â Â Â 2-7Â Â Â 3-6Â Â Â 8th MVC
1999Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â 5th MVC
2000Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â T-4th MVC
2001Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 4th MVC
2002Â Â Â 1-8Â Â Â 1-8Â Â Â T-9th MVC
2003Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â T-5th MVC
2004Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5th MVC
2005Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 5th MVC
2006Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 4th MVC
2007Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â T-2nd MVC
2008Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 2nd MVC
2009Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â T-4th MVC
2010Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 3rd MVC
2011Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 4th MVC
2012Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 1st MVC
2013Â Â Â 6-2Â Â Â 6-2Â Â Â T-2nd BIG EAST
2014Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 1st BIG EAST
2015Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 1st BIG EAST
2016Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 1st BIG EAST
2017Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 1st BIG EAST
2018Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 1st BIG EAST
2019Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 1st BIG EAST
2020Â Â Â 3-1Â Â Â 4-0Â Â Â 1st BIG EAST (Midwest)
2021Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â T-1st BIG EAST
2022Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â T-1st BIG EAST
2023Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â Â T-1st BIG EAST
2024   9-0   3-0 so far   TBD
Total   186-89   180-89   --
So Clean
Creighton Volleyball is hitting an absurd .366 in BIG EAST play.
   How good is that?
   Across the BIG EAST, among players with three attempts per set, only two non-Creighton players are hitting better than .366.
   Creighton has hit .357 or better in at least one set during each of its last 20 matches against league foes.
   Creighton has averaged just 10.13 attack errors in its last 24 matches against BIG EAST Conference matches, finishing with 10 or less total attack errors in 13 of those.
   Looking at just the 37 BIG EAST sets played this season, Creighton has never had more than seven attack errors in any set, and its worst attack percentage in a set was .186. On the other hand, its opponents own 7+ attack errors in 15-of-37 sets and have managed only eight sets of better than .170.
   Creighton has owned a better hitting percentage than the opposition in 36-of-37 league sets this season...all but set one at Villanova on Oct. 11th.
Aced That Test
Creighton has had more service aces than service errors in six of its last seven matches, a good trend since CU has won 23 contests in a row when owning more aces than errors. In those five matches (21 sets), CU has accumulated 51 aces against just 37 serving miscues.
   Norah Sis, who had three aces on Sunday vs. Villanova during a 14-0 serving spree, has already established a personal-best with 32 service aces this fall compared to just 20 errors.
   Per Evollve.net, Creighton is second nationally (trailing only Pitt) by winning 51.6 percent of the points when it serves. The median team (#173 of 346) wins just 43.2 percent of the points when it serves.
   Creighton's team reception percentage is .953. All four primary passers receive at .940 or better, as Creighton has been aced just 57 times in 23 matches this fall. Creighton has won 67.2 percent of the points when in serve receive this year, which ranks fourth-best in the country per Evollve.net, compared to the median team at 57.1 percent.
Putting The 0 In October And November
Creighton is 81-6 in the 10th month of the year since Oct. 1, 2016, including 15 straight wins, and victories in 29 of its past 30 such matches.
   Creighton's been awfully good in the month of November too. Since Nov. 1, 2014, CU is 63-4 in the 11th month of the year.
   Creighton has won 43 straight October home matches (since 10/15/11) and 39 consecutive home matches in November (since 11/23/14). Incredibly, Creighton is 117-10 in sets in those home November contests.
Defense Wins Championships
Creighton ranks fifth nationally with 14.47 kills per set, second with a .315 hitting percentage and is also sixth with 13.39 assists per set.
   But where it has dominated has been on the defensive side of the net, where it ranks 14th in blocks per set (2.76) and third in opponents hitting percentage (.130).
   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.
   In league play this year, Creighton is hitting .366 and holding foes to .106 hitting.
Sis Is Killing It
Norah Sis ranks fourth in Creighton history with 1,509 career kills after passing Olympian Taryn Kloth in October during a win at Villanova.
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.   Norah Sis   381   1,509   2021-Pr.
   5.   Taryn Kloth   462   1,427   2015-18
4,500 And Counting
Kendra Wait surpassed the 4,000 assist mark in the Sept. 15 match at No. 4 Louisville and starts this weekend with 4,532 in her career. That's good for second in CU history, trailing only Athletics Hall of Famer Korie Lebeda's 5,281.
Career Assists
       Name   Sets   No.   Years
   1.   Korie Lebeda   428   5,281   2005-08
   2.   Kendra Wait   422   4,532   2021-Pr.
   3.   Megan Bober   480   4,359   2009-12
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.
   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 - November 5, 2024
            BIG EAST only   All    matches
Team (NCAA Bids)Â Â Â WÂ Â Â LÂ Â Â WÂ Â Â L
Creighton (11)Â Â Â 182Â Â Â 16Â Â Â 304Â Â Â 72
Marquette (10)Â Â Â 164Â Â Â 31Â Â Â 276Â Â Â 90
Xavier   115   81   178   165
Butler   102   96   177   171
St. John's (1)Â Â Â 99Â Â Â 99Â Â Â 214Â Â Â 158
Villanova (1)Â Â Â 97Â Â Â 101Â Â Â 184Â Â Â 159
Seton Hall (1)Â Â Â 83Â Â Â 114Â Â Â 164Â Â Â 183
DePaul   63   135   144   195
Georgetown   42   148   109   217
Connecticut#Â Â Â 38Â Â Â 36Â Â Â 73Â Â Â 58
Providence*Â Â Â 29Â Â Â 153Â Â Â 111Â Â Â 204
*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.
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 107-4 in home matches against BIG EAST teams (98-3 in the regular-season, 9-1 in the BIG EAST Tournament).
   Since November of 2014, Creighton is 91-1 inside D.J. Sokol Arena against BIG EAST teams, which includes a 83-1 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, fourth-year Bluejay seniors Abbey Milner, Kendra Wait and Norah Sis are 35-0 in home matches against BIG EAST teams, and 105-9 in sets.
   Creighton has won 41 straight matches against BIG EAST opposition at home.
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
2020Â Â Â 1st (MW)Â Â Â 1st (MW)Â Â Â - -
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.
Stepping Up
Creighton has played five ranked teams this fall, 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 3.89 digs per set versus unranked foes.
   Sydney Breissinger averages 2.43 digs per set against Top 25 competition compared to 1.91 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 0.80 aces against unranked foes (44 aces in 55 sets).
  Â
Dominance Against The Unranked
Creighton is 54-1 in sets this year against unranked teams and 102-2 in sets dating to Oct. 7, 2023 against unranked opposition.       Creighton has outscored unranked opponents 1,373-886 this year, winning an incredible 60.78 percent of those points.
   Creighton has allowed 20 or more points in just 12 of the 55 sets against unranked foes this year.
   The Bluejays are hitting .342 against unranked teams this year, while holding those foes to .105 hitting. CU also owns decisive advantages in kills (816-518), aces (114-44), digs (811-654) and blocks (155.5-60.5) in those matches.
The Incredible Third Sets
Creighton is 22-1 in the third set this season, outscoring foes in points 581-379 to win an incredible 60.5 percent of the points.
   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 .331 in the third set this year, its best of any frame. That figure is .342 in the third set against ranked teams this fall.
   Creighton is also hitting .389 in the second set of its BIG EAST matches, and has held all 12 league foes to 19 points or less.
Hidden Stats
The only teams to finish a match with more aces than Creighton this season are Connecticut (8-6) and St. John's (3-0).
   The only teams to finish a match with more blocks than Creighton are USC (10.5-7.0) and Louisville (13-11).
   The only team to finish a match with more digs than Creighton has been Nebraska (81-80).
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.   295   9   .970
When Hitting .250+Â Â Â 212Â Â Â 6Â Â Â .972
When Hitting .300+Â Â Â 119Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 1.000
When Serving 10+ Aces   18   2   .900
When Owning More Kills   284   21   .931
When Owning More Aces   214   21   .911
When Owning More Digs   246   21   .921
When Owning More Blocks   227   17   .930
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.
Nationwide Success
With a 188-13 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
   12-0 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 36 matches dating to last season, Creighton is 33-3 and has won 102-of-115 sets. All three match losses came in five sets.
   In its 27 matches against BIG EAST schools since October 7, 2023, Creighton has dropped just two sets to league opponents.
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 10/21)
Rk.   Sets Lost   Team
1.   7   Pittsburgh
2.   9   Creighton
3.   10   Dayton
Set-tle Down
Since the start of the 2021 season, Creighton is 84-3 in three-set matches, 15-4 in four-set matches and 9-9 in five set contests.
   Two of the three 3-0 losses have come the past two seasons at Marquette.
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 12 more wins this season, the Bluejays have extended their program record to 25 straight home wins, surpassing a 15-match home win streak from Sept. 7-Nov. 30, 2018 that had been the standard.
   Creighton's 25-match home win streak is the third-longest active streak in the country.
   Creighton has won 68 of its last 70 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
   25   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 (11/4)
Wins   Team   Next Home Match
   38   Nebraska   11/14 vs. #14 Minnesota
   26   Pittsburgh   11/8 vs. #25 North Carolina
   25   Creighton   11/8 vs. Butler
   20   Dayton   11/8 vs. Davidson
Top 25 History
Creighton is 222-47 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 306-34 against unranked teams. Creighton has won all but three of its past 117 home matches over unranked teams and all but 13 of its last 167 matches at all sites against unranked teams.
Ranked vs. Ranked (CU is 24-27)
Home: 10-9Â Â Â Away: 8-11Â Â Â Â 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
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
09/05/15Â Â Â vs. #10 Kentucky (Cedar Falls, Iowa)Â Â Â 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
08/24/18Â Â Â vs. #5 Kentucky (Los Angeles, Calif.)Â Â Â 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
09/20/24Â Â Â vs. #6 Purdue (Lawrence, Kan.)Â Â Â W 3-1
09/21/24   at #10 Kansas   W 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 18th-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 five times this year so far, including a season-best .471 on Sept. 29 vs. UConn.
   Creighton is 312-9 under Kirsten Bernthal Booth when hitting .250 or better and as a program has won 180 straight matches when hitting .300 or better, a streak that dates to October of 1996.
Birds Of A Feather
Creighton has showcased a three new sets of 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's teams are a perfect 20-0 in matches played in Omaha in her career, though she did not play in two of those matches due to injury.
   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 20 wins, Goetzinger owns 124 kills and 64 blocks while hitting .393 in 59 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
2012Â Â Â 3Â Â Â USF, UNC, MVC
2013Â Â Â 1Â Â Â BGSU
2014Â Â Â 1Â Â Â CU, BIG EAST
2015Â Â Â 1Â Â Â BIG EAST
2016Â Â Â 1Â Â Â BIG EAST
2017Â Â Â 4Â Â Â WASH, CU, KU, BIG EAST
2018Â Â Â 3Â Â Â SMU, CU, BIG EAST
2019Â Â Â 2Â Â Â UNI, CU
2020Â Â Â 1Â Â Â BIG EAST
2021Â Â Â 5Â Â Â MIZZ, UK, CU, WSU, BIG EAST
2022Â Â Â 3Â Â Â WYO, UNO, BIG EAST
2023Â Â Â 5Â Â Â Purdue, CU, UNO, MINN, BIG EAST
2024Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 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 2,328 fans per home match (29th-best nationally), including a crowd of 2,570 on Oct. 20 vs. DePaul 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
   2,570   DePaul   10/20/24   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 fifth 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
30Â Â Â USCÂ Â Â 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
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
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 27-5
2023Â Â Â 9-2Â Â Â 2-1Â Â Â 29-5
2024Â Â Â 9-2Â Â Â 3-2Â Â Â 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
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.
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 491-3 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
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
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 6-3Â Â Â 27-5
2023Â Â Â 2-3Â Â Â 29-5
2024Â Â Â 0-2Â Â Â 21-2 so far
Total   85-69   584-343
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&MÂ Â Â 7 LIU
8 (4) Yale
8 (2) BYUÂ Â Â
8 (1) Colorado State  Â
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 410-11 (.974) all-time when leading a match 2-0, including a 353-5 mark (.986) under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. CU is 274-3 (.989) when up 2-0 dating to September of 2009, and 142-1 (.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 420-36 (.921) 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 160-5 in its last 165 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 152-6 in its last 158 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 189-4 (.979) in its last 193 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
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 5-4
2023Â Â Â 11-3
2024Â Â Â 6-2 so far
TOTALÂ Â Â 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 491 victories on the Bluejay sideline to rank fifth in school history across all sports through Nov. 5th.
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   491*
Jim Flanery, Women's Basketball   427*
Ed Hubbs, Men's & Women's Tennis   347
Dana Altman, Men's Basketball   327
Greg McDermott, Men's Basketball   325*
*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 201 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   23-0   2-0   25-0
Georgetown   21-0   -   21-0
Marquette   18-5   6-1   24-6
Providence   17-0   -   17-0
Seton Hall   18-3   2-0   20-3
St. John's   20-2   1-1   21-3
Villanova   19-3   3-0   22-3
Xavier   21-1   4-0   25-1
Total   182-16   19-2   201-18
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.
Match #25: #5 Creighton at Marquette • Milwaukee, Wis. • Sunday, Nov. 10 • 2 p.m. | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES |
This Week
No. 5 Creighton Volleyball (21-2, 12-0 BIG EAST) continues its quest for an 11th straight BIG EAST regular-season title with a pair of challenges this weekend.
   On Friday at 6 p.m., the Bluejays will host Butler (6-18, 4-8 BIG EAST before Wednesday's home match vs. Marquette) at D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha, Neb.
   On Sunday at 2 p.m., CU takes on rival Marquette (17-6, 11-1 BIG EAST before Wednesday's match at Butler) inside the Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee, Wis.
Promotional Schedule
Friday's promotion features a Family 4 Pack deal, where four reserved seats can be purchased for $40 or four general admission tickets can be bought for $36.
   Additionally, there's a limited number of Creighton Yo-Yo's for kids under 12 that will be distributed upon entering.
Broadcast Information
Friday's match will air on KOZN (1620 AM) and http://GoCreighton/listen1180. Jake Ryan and Jaela (Zimmerman) Conner will call the match, which can also be seen with a subscription on Flo Sports.
   Sunday's showdown at Marquette will be nationally-televised by FS1, with Noah Reed and Anna Connelly on the call.
   Links will also be on the GoCreighton.com volleyball schedule page.
Live Stats Information
Both of this weekend's matches will have free live stats, with links to each contest available on the GoCreighton.com volleyball schedule page.
Scouting #6 Creighton
Creighton has won 14 straight matches to improve to 21-2 this season, its best start in program history through 23 contests. Both losses have come in five sets on the road to top-five teams Nebraska (Sept. 10) and Louisville (Sept. 15).
   The Bluejays moved up a spot to a program-best No. 5 in this week's AVCA rankings, thanks in large part to back-to-back Top 10 wins over then-No. 6 Purdue (3-1) and then-No. 10 Kansas (3-0) in late September. In league play, Creighton is 12-0 and has just dropped one set.
   Three women on the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List lead the Bluejays. Setter Kendra Wait (11.12 aps., 3.01 dps., 0.92 kps., 0.86 bps., .365%) has been named BIG EAST Setter of the Week six times in the first 10 weeks of the fall, while outside hitters Norah Sis (3.77 kps., .300%, 0.43 saps.) and Ava Martin (3.53 kps., .302%) give CU one of the best attacking duo's in the country.
   Kiara Reinhardt (1.47 bps.) leads the league in blocks per set, and transfers Maddy Bilinovic (4.03 dps.) and Elise Goetzinger (2.50 kps., 1.17 bps., .367%) have made an immediate impact and rank among the best in the league at their respective positions.
   CU was a unanimous pick to win the BIG EAST by league coaches in 2024 after returning 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 leads the BIG EAST with 14.47 kills and 2.76 blocks per set as well as a .315 hitting percentage. CU's 14.91 digs per set ranks just fifth in the league, but is more a result of some short rallies and strong block, as the Bluejays have been out-dug just once all season.
Scouting Butler
Butler is 6-18 on the season and 4-8 in league play after last Saturday's 3-0 loss at UConn.
   Abby Maesch (3.38 kps.), Elise Ward (2.43 kps.) and Alaleh Tolliver (2.29 kps., 2.47 dps.) lead the Bulldogs in kills and libero Lauren Evans tops BU with 25 aces.
   Setter Cora Taylor (8.91 aps.) directs the offense and Evans (2.69 dps.) leads the defense.
   As a team, Butler averages 11.18 kills, 13.57 digs, 2.03 blocks and 1.52 aces per set while hitting .152.
Series History vs. Butler
Creighton is 21-1 all-time against Butler. The Bulldogs ruined Creighton's BIG EAST debut on Oct. 4, 2013 in Indianapolis, handing the Bluejays a four-set loss, but Creighton has won all 21 meetings since then.
   CU has also won the last 13 sets played in the series, including a sweep at Hinkle Fieldhouse on October 4th.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 21-1 vs. Butler and 3-0 when facing Butler head coach Kyle Shondell.
Scouting Marquette
Marquette started the season 6-6, but has won 11 matches in a row since losing at Creighton on October 1st.
   Four Golden Eagles were named Preseason All-BIG EAST, a list headed by 2022 BIG EAST Setter of the Year Yadhira Anchante (10.19 aps., 3.31 dps.).
   Aubrey Hamilton (3.44 kps., 2.33 dps.) leads the team in kills, with Natalie Ring (2.64 kps., .288%) Carsen Murray (1.88 kps., .386%) and Ella Foti (2.09 kps.) not far behind.
   Samantha Naber (2.88 dps.) has taken over the libero role.
   Marquette averages 13.80 kills, 1.64 aces, 16.33 digs and 1.99 blocks per set while hitting .262 as a team.
Series History vs. Marquette
Creighton is 27-7 all-time against Marquette, and are 23-4 against MU since the start of the 2014 season. That includes a nationally-televised 3-1 win in Omaha last month.
   The Bluejays are 6-1 against the Golden Eagles in BIG EAST Tournament action, and 5-1 in the final, including title match victories in the spring of 2021, the fall of 2021 and the fall of 2022.
   Teams to win the first set are 27-7 in the history of the series, and Creighton has won all seven match-ups to go five sets.
   Creighton is 27-1 all-time against the Golden Eagles when winning at least one set, including the last 23 such matches since a setback in the 2013 BIG EAST Tournament final.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 27-7 against Marquette and 23-4 against Ryan Theis. Her 27 victories against the Golden Eagles are the most of any of the 100 teams she's beaten as a CU coach.
Creighton Coaches
Creighton is coached by Kirsten Bernthal Booth (Truman State, 1997), who owns a 491-191 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 remain in sole possession of first place in the BIG EAST as the league's lone remaining team unbeaten in BIG EAST play.
- Creighton would beat Butler for the 22nd straight time, improving to 22-1 all-time against the Bulldogs.
- Creighton would improve to 22-2, its best start ever after 24 matches.
- Creighton would win its 42nd consecutive home match against a BIG EAST opponent, and 38th such in a row at home in the regular-season.
- Creighton would win its 40th straight November home match.
- Creighton would win its 35th straight match against an unranked team.
- Creighton would win its 28th straight match against a BIG EAST team.
- Creighton would win its 26th straight regular-season BIG EAST match.
- Creighton would extend a school record with its 26th consecutive home victory, moving to 13-0 at home this fall.
- Creighton would extend its season-high win streak to 15.
- Creighton would start 13-0 in BIG EAST play for the fourth time in the last nine years.
- Creighton would improve to 183-16 all-time in regular-season BIG EAST matches, and 99-3 in BIG EAST home contests.
- Creighton would improve to 202-18 against BIG EAST opponents since joining the league in 2013.
Milestone Watch
Creighton's student-athletes are approaching all sorts of milestones.
   Norah Sis owns 992 career digs and is eight shy of 1,000. Sis also owns 93 career aces, putting her just seven away from 100.
   Kendra Wait owns record 1,958 career assists inside D.J. Sokol Arena, and is just 42 shy of 2,000.
   Kiara Reinhardt owns 480 career kills and is 20 short of 500. Her 362 career total blocks put her 10 rejections shy of a spot in Creighton's Top 10.
   Destiny Ndam-Simpson owns 191 career kills and is nine shy of 200.
   Maddy Bilinovic owns 1,096 career digs and is four shy of 1,100.
   Ava Martin owns 949 career kills and is 51 shy of 1,000.
   As a team, Creighton's 28 straight set wins entering Friday are two shy of a program record.
  Â
Best Rankings Ever
Creighton is ranked fifth in this week's AVCA poll, its best mark ever. This is the program's 30th Top 10 ranking ever.
Date   Rank
November 4, 2024Â Â Â 5th
September 23, 2024Â Â Â 6th
September 30, 2024Â Â Â 6th
October 7, 2024Â Â Â 6th
October 14, 2024Â Â Â 6th
October 21, 2024Â Â Â 6th
October 28, 2024Â Â Â 6th
August 28, 2017Â Â Â 7th
September 11, 2017Â Â Â 8th
December 19, 2016 (Year-End)Â Â Â 9th
August 9, 2017 (Preseason)Â Â Â 9th
September 4, 2017Â Â Â 9th
October 29, 2018Â Â Â 9th
November 5, 2018Â Â Â 9th
November 12, 2018Â Â Â 9th
November 19, 2018Â Â Â 9th
November 26, 2018Â Â Â 9th
October 28, 2019Â Â Â 9th
November 4, 2019Â Â Â 9th
September 9, 2024Â Â Â 9th
September 16, 2024Â Â Â 9th
September 10, 2018Â Â Â 10th
September 17, 2018Â Â Â 10th
September 24, 2018Â Â Â 10th
October 1, 2018Â Â Â 10th
October 8, 2018Â Â Â 10th
October 15, 2018Â Â Â 10th
October 22, 2018Â Â Â 10th
October 21, 2019Â Â Â 10th
November 25, 2019Â Â Â 10th
134 Weeks As A Ranked Team
Creighton is ranked fifth in this week's AVCA poll, the 134th time in program history it's been ranked. That's 39th-most of all programs in NCAA history.
   This week is Creighton's ninth straight week this fall and 30th week all-time as a Top 10 team.
   The No. 5 ranking is the best ranking in program history -- matching the last six weeks -- and surpassing the previous best of No. 6 in the six previous weeks from Sept. 23-Oct. 28, 2024.
   All 134 rankings have been 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 56 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.   129*   Florida
       129*   Kentucky
       129*   Texas
   4.   120   Nebraska
       120   Penn State
       120   BYU
       120   Purdue
       120   Wisconsin
   9.   119*   Baylor
   10.   114   Creighton
   11.   113*   Pittsburgh
   12.   112   Stanford
       112   Minnesota
   14.   105   Oregon
   15.   94   Washington
   16.   93*   Louisville
* includes 9 weeks in Fall of 2020 when most schools didn't play
Report Card
Creighton is 182-16 all-time in regular-season BIG EAST matches, and will play its 200th contest in the league on Sunday at Marquette.
   Here's a report card of how CU has done in 50 match segments in the BIG EAST.
   Matches   W-L  Â
   1-50   43-7
   51-100   48-2
   101-150   46-4
   151-200   45-3 so far
Head to Head
Creighton and Marquette have shared the BIG EAST regular-season title in each of the previous three years, but CU has won the league tournament each of those years.
   Including league tournament action, Creighton is 65-5 against conference teams since the fall of 2021 began, losing once each to Xavier, St. John's and UConn and twice to Marquette.
   Meanwhile, Marquette is 58-9, with seven losses coming against the Bluejays compared to a 53-2 mark against everyone else, with the other two losses coming at St. John's.
Thorn In Their Side
Marquette is 274-90 since the start of the 2014 season, but just 4-23 in that time against Creighton.
   In other words, the Golden Eagles own a .148 winning percentage against Creighton (4-23) compared to a .801 mark (270-67) against everyone else since 2013.
   No other team has beaten Marquette more times than Creighton since 2013, with in-state rival Wisconsin (7) next-closest. Among BIG EAST teams not named Creighton, St. John's (5) and Xavier (4) own the most wins vs. MU.
   Since the start of the 2018 season, Marquette is 3-14 against Creighton (.176) and 154-30 (.837) against everyone else.
BIG EAST Behemoths
Creighton and Marquette ought to be quite familiar with each other by this point.
   Sunday will mark the 13th meeting between the schools since February 4, 2021, and that doesn't include two other matches that were cancelled due to COVID protocols. Creighton has won nine of those 12 recent contests.
   Sunday will also be the 21st meeting since Oct. 17, 2017 between the BIG EAST behemoths. CU is 16-4 in the last 20 encounters.
Tale of The Tape
No matter how you slice it, Creighton and Marquette have dominated BIG EAST Volleyball since 2013. Here's how they compare, heading into Nov. 6th.
Stat   CU   MU   Everyone Else
BIG EAST Reg-Season W-LÂ Â Â 182-16Â Â Â 164-31Â Â Â 732-1031
BIG EAST Play Win Percentage   .919   .841   .415
BIG EAST Reg.-Season Titles#Â Â Â 10Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 0
BIG EAST Tourney Titles   9   1   1
BIG EAST Player of the Year   4   5   3
BIG EAST Libero of the Year   2   0   9
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year   4   3   5
BIG EAST Coach of the Year   4   2   6
AVCA All-Americans*Â Â Â 7Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 0
AVCA H.M. All-Americans   17   8   14
AVCA Region Freshman of Year   3   1   2
AVCA Region Coach of Year   4   0   3
CSC Academic All-Americans   8   3   0
# includes ties
*First/Second/Third Teams only
Been A Long Time
Though Marquette fell to St. John's in the semifinals of the 2023 BIG EAST Tournament, it's been a while since the Golden Eagles dropped a regular-season home match in league play.
   Marquette has won 28 regular-season home league matches in a row since an Oct. 29, 2021 loss to Creighton.
   Similarly, Creighton has won 37 straight regular-season home matches since a Feb. 16, 2021 loss to Marquette.
Doubling Up
Kendra Wait has had a double-double in 14 matches this season, and finished one dig shy in four other contests.
   Wait's 67 double-doubles (in 123 matches played) are the most in program history, passing Melissa Weisensee's 65 from 1994-97.
   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.
   What makes Wait's accomplishment even more impressive is that she's needed so little time to do it. Since Wait enrolled, Creighton has played in just 37 matches that weren't sweeps (and she missed one of those). Here's a look at how long the matches have been for CU's four players with 60 or more career double-doubles:
Career Matches With a Double-Double, Career
   D-D   Name   Years
   67   Kendra Wait   2021-Present
   65   Melissa Weisensee   1994-97
   64   Kailey Reyes   1998-01
   60   Melissa Walsh   1998-01
Name   D-D in 3-Set Matches   4-Set   5-Set
Kendra Wait   36 of 87   15 of 19   16 of 18
Melissa Weisensee   20 of 50   28 of 38   17 of 20
Kailey Reyes   16 of 54   31 of 35   17 of 19
Melissa Walsh   17 of 54   27 of 35   16 of 19
*based on team matches played
Chasing All-Conference History
It seems likely that Kendra Wait and Norah Sis will be named All-BIG EAST at the end of the month.
   If that happens, they'd join rare air in Creighton Athletics history.
   The only other student-athletes in school history in any sport to be named First Team All-Conference four times have been Tara Oltman (Softball), Doug McDermott (Men's Basketball) and Jaali Winters (Volleyball). Of those, only Winters got each honor in the BIG EAST.
Sis Chasing Milestones
Norah Sis enters this weekend with 1,509 kills, 992 digs and 93 aces in her career.
   In program history, only two Bluejays have had at least 1,500 kills and 1,000 digs. Of that duo, only Jaali Winters had 100+ aces, as well.
Creighton Players With 1,000+ Kills
Name   KILLS   DIGS   ACES
Jaali Winters   1,843   1,386   101
Leah Ratzlaff   1,622   721   77
Melissa Walsh   1,596   1,240   71
Norah Sis   1,509   992   93
Taryn Kloth   1,427   426   64
Kelly Goc   1,414   275   59
Jessica Houts   1,385   468   54
JoDe Cieloha   1,375   821   113
Leah McNary   1,257   225   0
Marysa Wilkinson   1,183   165   5
Lauren Smith   1,160   209   12
Allie Oelke   1,126   1,382   86
Kelli Browning   1,104   165   44
Amanda Cvejdlik   1,029   208   46
Shelly Kapler   1,000   922   104
Jaela Zimmerman   1,000   796   77
Tourney Field Begins To Fill Up
Last Sunday's win vs. Villanova made Creighton the first team to clinch a spot in the six-team BIG EAST Tournament, which will be contested at the end of the month in Omaha.
   Marquette can clinch a spot with at least one more win, as well.
   The top two teams in the league standings will earn a bye to the semifinals.
Weekly Awards Haul
Two more sweeps helped a pair of Creighton Volleyball student-athletes earn weekly BIG EAST honors on Nov. 4 as Kiara Reinhardt was named the league's Defensive Player of the Week and Ava Martin recognized as the Offensive Player of the Week.
   Martin averaged 4.75 points, 4.33 kills, 0.50 blocks and 0.17 aces per set on .426 hitting. She had 13 kills, five digs and a block on .387 hitting in a victory vs. St. John's on Friday. The two-time All-BIG EAST choice followed that up with 13 kills, two digs, two blocks and an ace on .478 hitting in Sunday's sweep vs. Villanova. This is Martin's first BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week award this season, and third of her career after being recognized on Aug. 28 and Sept. 18 last season
   Reinhardt led the BIG EAST with 2.67 blocks per set and added 1.83 kills and 0.33 digs per set. The Cedarburg, Wis., product had a season-high 10 blocks to go with four kills, two digs and two assists on Friday vs. St. John's. She then contributed seven kills, six blocks and a pair of assists in a victory vs. Villanova. Reinhardt's efforts helped Creighton hold foes to .073 hitting on the week.
   Reinhardt was previously honored as BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 23 this fall. She also picked up similar acclaim on both March 9, 2020 as well as Oct. 30, 2023.
On A Roll
Kendra Wait has not committed an attack error in any of her last five matches, as she's hitting .640 (16-0-25) in that span. Wait's also contributed 10.47 assists and 3.47 digs per set in that span.
   Another Bluejay in the midst of an extraordinary run is Elise Goetzinger. The fifth-year senior has averaged 2.57 kills and 1.49 blocks per set while hitting .511 in her past seven matches.
Reinhardt Rejects
Kiara Reinhardt is leading the BIG EAST with 1.47 blocks per set, good enough to rank 10th nationally.
   CU has not had a player lead the league in that category for an entire season since Lauren Smith averaged 1.27 blocks per set in 2015. Kelli Browning also paced the BIG EAST with 1.53 blocks per set in 2013. Reinhardt had a season-high 10 blocks last Friday vs. St. John's and had 16 blocks in six sets (2.67 bps.) last weekend.
Feelin' Good In The Neighborhood
Creighton has three players from the Badger State who will be looking to claim bragging rights with a win over Marquette on Sunday.
   Freshman Sophia Wendlick is from Milwaukee.
   Senior Elise Goetzinger hails from Blue Mounds, Wis., from around the Madison area.
   Kiara Reinhardt is from the northern Milwaukee suburb of Cedarburg. One of Reinhardt's teammates at Cedarburg High School was former Villanova middle blocker Maddie Barber, who is the sister of former Marquette All-American and 2019 BIG EAST Player of the Year Allie Barber.
All They Do Is Win
Creighton won its final 13 regular-season BIG EAST matches last season and is 12-0 this fall. That's the program's fourth-longest streak of league wins in team history.
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
   25   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
Streaking In League Play
Creighton has won 27 straight matches against conference teams. Though impressive, there's still six teams with longer active streaks.
   Wins   Team   Current League
   94   Western Kentucky   Conference-USA  Â
   66   High Point   Big South  Â
   35   Northern Iowa   Missouri Valley  Â
   34   Dayton   Atlantic 10  Â
   32   Southeastern Louisiana   Southland  Â
   27   Creighton   BIG EAST
Road Dubs
Creighton has won six consecutive true road matches, a streak that started on Sept. 21 with a 3-0 win over No. 10 Kansas.
   A win on Sunday at Marquette would tie CU's fifth-longest road win streak ever with seven in a row.
Creighton's Longest Road Win Streaks
Wins   Dates   Snapped By
   9   Sept. 30-Dec. 2, 2016   at #5 Texas, 3-0
   8   Sept. 29 - Nov. 30, 2012   at #11 Minnesota, 3-1
   8   Sept. 28 - Nov. 3, 2018   at #2 Nebraska, 3-1
   8   Oct. 2, 2021-Sept. 10, 2022   at Rice, 3-2
   7   Sept. 21-Nov. 9, 2007   at #24 Wichita State, 3-0
   7   Nov. 21, 2009-Oct. 2, 2010   at Drake, 3-1
   7   Sept. 6-Oct. 26, 2018   at Villanova, 3-0
   7   Oct. 7-Nov. 18, 2022   at #16 Marquette, 3-0
   7   Oct. 7 - Nov. 11, 2023   at #5 Nebraska, 3-2
   6   Oct. 14-Nov. 17, 2000   at Missouri State, 3-0
   6   Oct. 31, 2015-Aug. 28, 2016   at Southern California, 3-2
   6   Sept. 21, 2024 - Present   TBD
   5   Nov. 21, 2003-Sept. 14, 2004   at Wichita State, 3-1
   5   Oct. 11-Nov. 15, 2014   at #8 Illinois, 3-0
   5   Oct. 6-Nov. 12, 2017   at Villanova, 3-0
   5   Aug. 28-Sept. 25, 2021   at St. John's, 3-1
Going Streaking
Creighton has won 14 consecutive matches, tied for the nation's sixth-longest active streak through contests of Nov. 3. The 14-match win streak is tied for its eighth-longest win streak in program history.
Nation's Longest Active Win Streaks (11/3)
   Rk.   Streak   Team
   1.   22   South Dakota State
   2.   20   Southeastern Louisiana
   3.   19   Nebraska
   4.   17   Western Kentucky
       17   Dayton
   6.   14   Creighton
       14   Penn State
   8.   13   Northern Iowa
   9.   12   UT Arlington
       12   Howard
   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
       17   Oct. 7-Dec. 2, 2023   vs. #7 Louisville, 3-2
       14   Sept. 19-Nov. 3, 2019   at Villanova, 3-0
       14   Oct. 17-Dec. 2, 2021   Kansas, 3-1
       14   Sept. 20, 2024 - Present   TBD
       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
20 Wins, Again
Creighton picked up its 20th win of the season on Nov. 1 when it swept St. John's to improve to 20-2.
   Creighton has won 20 or more matches in four straight years, 12 of the last 13 years (CU only played 16 times in the spring of 2021, going 12-4), and now has 15 20-win campaigns to its ledger all-time.
   This fall marked the 15th straight time that after Creighton won its 19th match, it won its next match as well to reach the 20-victory milestone.
Year   MP to 20 W   Date of 20th Win
2006Â Â Â 29Â Â Â 11/18
2007Â Â Â 29Â Â Â 11/16
2010Â Â Â 30Â Â Â 11/26
2012Â Â Â 23Â Â Â 10/27
2013Â Â Â 27Â Â Â 11/22
2014Â Â Â 27Â Â Â 11/08
2015Â Â Â 28Â Â Â 11/07
2016Â Â Â 26Â Â Â 11/06
2017Â Â Â 25Â Â Â 11/05
2018Â Â Â 24Â Â Â 10/27
2019Â Â Â 24Â Â Â 11/09
2021Â Â Â 23Â Â Â 10/24
2022Â Â Â 23Â Â Â 10/30
2023Â Â Â 24Â Â Â 11/03
2024Â Â Â 22Â Â Â 11/01
  Â
That's Just Wild
Including last Sunday, Creighton has swept Villanova each of the last eight meetings, and won each of the last 24 sets against the Wildcats.
   The 24 straight set victories over the Wildcats is the fifth-longest streak in program history over one opponent, but still far behind a 53-set win streak the Jays extended over Seton Hall recently.
Most Consecutive Set Wins Over One Team
   Wins   Opponent   Dates
   53   Seton Hall   2015-Present
   32   Providence   2017-Present
   25   Indiana State   2005-09
   25   Georgetown   2019-Present
   24   Xavier   2015-18
   24   Villanova   2021-Present
   23   Indiana State   2009-Present
   19   Providence   2014-17
   19   Butler   2018-21
Clean Sweeps
Creighton has won 28 straight sets, sweeping each of its past nine matches and winning the final set in the prior contest. That's the third-longest set win streak in program history.
   Creighton can break the mark with a 3-0 win vs. Butler on Friday.
   Entering this week, Creighton's 28 straight set wins were the nation's longest active streak.
Consecutive Sets Won
   Set Wins   Dates   Snapped By
   30   Oct.7 - Nov. 10, 2023   at St. John's
   29   Oct. 16-Nov. 18, 2022   at #16 Marquette
   28   Oct.1, 2024 - Present   ? ? ?
   25   Oct. 22-Nov. 20, 2016   Villanova
   25   Oct. 26-Nov. 23, 2018   #16 Marquette
   22   Nov. 7-Dec. 2, 2021   Kansas
   21   Nov. 11 - Dec. 2, 2023   vs. #7 Louisville
   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
How Many Sets In A Row?
In its 28-set win streak, Creighton has allowed as many as 20 points just four times.
- It has outscored foes 700-428 in all sets (an average of 25.0-15.3), 225-126 in the second set (an average of 25.0-14.0) and 225-133 in the third set (an average of 25.0-14.8).
- Creighton owns a 66-14 advantage in aces, even though it has nearly the same number of service errors (CU 54, Opponents 53). In that time, Ava Martin has 17 aces and Norah Sis has 15 aces.
- Creighton is hitting .375 (419-92-872).
- Elise Goetzinger is hitting .500 (55-7-96), Ava Martin is hitting .430 (109-14-221) and Norah Sis is hitting .338 (107-30-228).
- Kiara Reinhardt (44) has more blocks than CU's opponents (28.5), with Kendra Wait (23), Jaya Johnson (26) and Elise Goetzinger (23) not far behind.
The Best Overall Starts
Creighton's 21-2 record is the program's best mark ever after 23 matches. Its 2021 team opened 17-2, but lost its 20th contest of the year.
Creighton's Most Wins, 2 Losses Or Less
   Wins   Year   3rd Loss
   21 so far   2024   TBD
   17   2021   10/16 at UConn
   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 12-0 in conference play for the fifth time in 12 seasons in the BIG EAST.
   The Bluejays went 18-0 in both 2016 and 2018 and finished 17-1 in 2022. The 2019 squad started 12-0 before a Nov. 8th loss.
Most Wins Before First League Loss
   Wins   Year (League)   First League Loss
   18   2018 (BIG EAST)   None
   18   2016 (BIG EAST)   None
   17   2022 (BIG EAST)   11/19 at #16 Marquette
   12   2019 (BIG EAST)   11/8 at Villanova
   12   2024 (BIG EAST)   TBD
   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
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 108-16.
   Kendra Wait has played in all 108 victories is the 11th student-athlete to appear in 100 or more victories. Of those 11 women, Wait's .878 win percentage in matches appeared just ahead of Kiana Schmitt's .873 (110-16) for the top mark.
   Norah Sis is waiting in the wings to join that list. The senior is 98-13 in her career in matches she's played in, as she's missed 13 matches (10 wins) in her career.
Most Wins, Four-Year Span
   W-L   Years
   111-28   2015-18
   109-25   2016-19
   108-16   2021-Pres.
   107-32   2014-17
   104-31   2012-15
   104-34   2013-16
   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
   108-15   .878   Kendra Wait   2021-Pres.
   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
Fun With Numbers
- Creighton has not trailed by more than five points in any of its last 69 sets played against BIG EAST competition dating to a 17-10 deficit in the second set at Providence on Oct. 21, 2023 (Creighton won that set, 25-21).
- Creighton has not trailed in 18-of-37 sets played against BIG EAST foes this fall, and 18 of the 22 BIG EAST sets when scoring the first point of a set.
- During Creighton's 27-match win streak over BIG EAST foes, the Bluejays have owned a hitting percentage advantage over its opponent of .098 or more in each match.
- Through matches of Sunday, Nov. 3, Creighton's 11 non-conference opponents were a combined 106-22 (.828) in league play. Three of the 11 teams (Nebraska, Northern Iowa and Kansas) are still unbeaten in league play, and all 11 have a winning record in conference action.
NCAA Reveal Had Creighton Sixth
The NCAA DI women's volleyball committee announced its in-season top-16 rankings during on Oct. 20th, and had Creighton tabbed sixth.
   The reveal is based on the criteria used to select and seed the 64 teams for the volleyball championship. It includes strength of schedule, Rating Percentage Index, head-to-head competition, results versus common opponents, significant wins and losses and locations of contests. Input is also provided by the regional advisory committees for consideration by the Division I women's volleyball committee.
1. Nebraska   9. Wisconsin
2. Pitt   10. Oregon
3. Penn State   11. Kansas
4. Louisville   12. Purdue
5. Stanford   13. Utah
6. Creighton   14. TCU
7. SMUÂ Â Â 15. USC
8. Texas   16. Minnesota
Decade of Dominance
Eleven 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 2024 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
2014#Â Â Â 16-2Â Â Â 14.89Â Â Â .242Â Â Â 1.30Â Â Â 17.09Â Â Â 2.86
2015#Â Â Â 17-1Â Â Â 15.02Â Â Â .271Â Â Â 1.33Â Â Â 16.97Â Â Â 2.47
2016#Â Â Â 18-0Â Â Â 15.37Â Â Â .317Â Â Â 1.69Â Â Â 16.08Â Â Â 2.41
2017#Â Â Â 16-2Â Â Â 14.81Â Â Â .302Â Â Â 1.31Â Â Â 16.62Â Â Â 2.05
2018#Â Â Â 18-0Â Â Â 14.45Â Â Â .294Â Â Â 2.13Â Â Â 15.67Â Â Â 2.38
2019#Â Â Â 17-1Â Â Â 14.61Â Â Â .269Â Â Â 2.07Â Â Â 15.80Â Â Â 2.25
2020#Â Â Â 7-1Â Â Â 12.93Â Â Â .249Â Â Â 1.30Â Â Â 14.17Â Â Â 2.75
2021#Â Â Â 16-2Â Â Â 13.95Â Â Â .242Â Â Â 1.82Â Â Â 18.02Â Â Â 2.86
2022#Â Â Â 17-1Â Â Â 14.80Â Â Â .299Â Â Â 1.85Â Â Â 16.10Â Â Â 2.33
2023#Â Â Â 16-2Â Â Â 14.40Â Â Â .313Â Â Â 1.89Â Â Â 15.91Â Â Â 2.30
2024Â Â Â 12-0Â Â Â 14.92Â Â Â .366Â Â Â 2.24Â Â Â 14.32Â Â Â 2.77
#won league's regular-season title
Halfway Home
Creighton was 9-0 in league play at the midway point of the BIG EAST season, making the Bluejays unbeaten at the halfway mark of league play for the sixth time (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024).
   The Bluejays have suffered one league loss or fewer in the second half of conference play during each of the previous 10 seasons.
League Record by Year
Year   1st Half   2nd Half   Place
1994Â Â Â 2-8Â Â Â 1-9Â Â Â T-9th MVC
1995Â Â Â 3-7Â Â Â 3-7Â Â Â T-7th MVC
1996Â Â Â 2-7Â Â Â 3-6Â Â Â T-6th MVC
1997Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â T-3rd MVC
1998Â Â Â 2-7Â Â Â 3-6Â Â Â 8th MVC
1999Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â 5th MVC
2000Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â T-4th MVC
2001Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 4th MVC
2002Â Â Â 1-8Â Â Â 1-8Â Â Â T-9th MVC
2003Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â T-5th MVC
2004Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5th MVC
2005Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 5th MVC
2006Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 4th MVC
2007Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â T-2nd MVC
2008Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 2nd MVC
2009Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â T-4th MVC
2010Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 3rd MVC
2011Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 4th MVC
2012Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 1st MVC
2013Â Â Â 6-2Â Â Â 6-2Â Â Â T-2nd BIG EAST
2014Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 1st BIG EAST
2015Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 1st BIG EAST
2016Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 1st BIG EAST
2017Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 1st BIG EAST
2018Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 1st BIG EAST
2019Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 1st BIG EAST
2020Â Â Â 3-1Â Â Â 4-0Â Â Â 1st BIG EAST (Midwest)
2021Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â T-1st BIG EAST
2022Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â T-1st BIG EAST
2023Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â Â T-1st BIG EAST
2024   9-0   3-0 so far   TBD
Total   186-89   180-89   --
So Clean
Creighton Volleyball is hitting an absurd .366 in BIG EAST play.
   How good is that?
   Across the BIG EAST, among players with three attempts per set, only two non-Creighton players are hitting better than .366.
   Creighton has hit .357 or better in at least one set during each of its last 20 matches against league foes.
   Creighton has averaged just 10.13 attack errors in its last 24 matches against BIG EAST Conference matches, finishing with 10 or less total attack errors in 13 of those.
   Looking at just the 37 BIG EAST sets played this season, Creighton has never had more than seven attack errors in any set, and its worst attack percentage in a set was .186. On the other hand, its opponents own 7+ attack errors in 15-of-37 sets and have managed only eight sets of better than .170.
   Creighton has owned a better hitting percentage than the opposition in 36-of-37 league sets this season...all but set one at Villanova on Oct. 11th.
Aced That Test
Creighton has had more service aces than service errors in six of its last seven matches, a good trend since CU has won 23 contests in a row when owning more aces than errors. In those five matches (21 sets), CU has accumulated 51 aces against just 37 serving miscues.
   Norah Sis, who had three aces on Sunday vs. Villanova during a 14-0 serving spree, has already established a personal-best with 32 service aces this fall compared to just 20 errors.
   Per Evollve.net, Creighton is second nationally (trailing only Pitt) by winning 51.6 percent of the points when it serves. The median team (#173 of 346) wins just 43.2 percent of the points when it serves.
   Creighton's team reception percentage is .953. All four primary passers receive at .940 or better, as Creighton has been aced just 57 times in 23 matches this fall. Creighton has won 67.2 percent of the points when in serve receive this year, which ranks fourth-best in the country per Evollve.net, compared to the median team at 57.1 percent.
Putting The 0 In October And November
Creighton is 81-6 in the 10th month of the year since Oct. 1, 2016, including 15 straight wins, and victories in 29 of its past 30 such matches.
   Creighton's been awfully good in the month of November too. Since Nov. 1, 2014, CU is 63-4 in the 11th month of the year.
   Creighton has won 43 straight October home matches (since 10/15/11) and 39 consecutive home matches in November (since 11/23/14). Incredibly, Creighton is 117-10 in sets in those home November contests.
Defense Wins Championships
Creighton ranks fifth nationally with 14.47 kills per set, second with a .315 hitting percentage and is also sixth with 13.39 assists per set.
   But where it has dominated has been on the defensive side of the net, where it ranks 14th in blocks per set (2.76) and third in opponents hitting percentage (.130).
   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.
   In league play this year, Creighton is hitting .366 and holding foes to .106 hitting.
Sis Is Killing It
Norah Sis ranks fourth in Creighton history with 1,509 career kills after passing Olympian Taryn Kloth in October during a win at Villanova.
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.   Norah Sis   381   1,509   2021-Pr.
   5.   Taryn Kloth   462   1,427   2015-18
4,500 And Counting
Kendra Wait surpassed the 4,000 assist mark in the Sept. 15 match at No. 4 Louisville and starts this weekend with 4,532 in her career. That's good for second in CU history, trailing only Athletics Hall of Famer Korie Lebeda's 5,281.
Career Assists
       Name   Sets   No.   Years
   1.   Korie Lebeda   428   5,281   2005-08
   2.   Kendra Wait   422   4,532   2021-Pr.
   3.   Megan Bober   480   4,359   2009-12
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.
   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 - November 5, 2024
            BIG EAST only   All    matches
Team (NCAA Bids)Â Â Â WÂ Â Â LÂ Â Â WÂ Â Â L
Creighton (11)Â Â Â 182Â Â Â 16Â Â Â 304Â Â Â 72
Marquette (10)Â Â Â 164Â Â Â 31Â Â Â 276Â Â Â 90
Xavier   115   81   178   165
Butler   102   96   177   171
St. John's (1)Â Â Â 99Â Â Â 99Â Â Â 214Â Â Â 158
Villanova (1)Â Â Â 97Â Â Â 101Â Â Â 184Â Â Â 159
Seton Hall (1)Â Â Â 83Â Â Â 114Â Â Â 164Â Â Â 183
DePaul   63   135   144   195
Georgetown   42   148   109   217
Connecticut#Â Â Â 38Â Â Â 36Â Â Â 73Â Â Â 58
Providence*Â Â Â 29Â Â Â 153Â Â Â 111Â Â Â 204
*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.
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 107-4 in home matches against BIG EAST teams (98-3 in the regular-season, 9-1 in the BIG EAST Tournament).
   Since November of 2014, Creighton is 91-1 inside D.J. Sokol Arena against BIG EAST teams, which includes a 83-1 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, fourth-year Bluejay seniors Abbey Milner, Kendra Wait and Norah Sis are 35-0 in home matches against BIG EAST teams, and 105-9 in sets.
   Creighton has won 41 straight matches against BIG EAST opposition at home.
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
2020Â Â Â 1st (MW)Â Â Â 1st (MW)Â Â Â - -
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.
Stepping Up
Creighton has played five ranked teams this fall, 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 3.89 digs per set versus unranked foes.
   Sydney Breissinger averages 2.43 digs per set against Top 25 competition compared to 1.91 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 0.80 aces against unranked foes (44 aces in 55 sets).
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Dominance Against The Unranked
Creighton is 54-1 in sets this year against unranked teams and 102-2 in sets dating to Oct. 7, 2023 against unranked opposition.       Creighton has outscored unranked opponents 1,373-886 this year, winning an incredible 60.78 percent of those points.
   Creighton has allowed 20 or more points in just 12 of the 55 sets against unranked foes this year.
   The Bluejays are hitting .342 against unranked teams this year, while holding those foes to .105 hitting. CU also owns decisive advantages in kills (816-518), aces (114-44), digs (811-654) and blocks (155.5-60.5) in those matches.
The Incredible Third Sets
Creighton is 22-1 in the third set this season, outscoring foes in points 581-379 to win an incredible 60.5 percent of the points.
   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 .331 in the third set this year, its best of any frame. That figure is .342 in the third set against ranked teams this fall.
   Creighton is also hitting .389 in the second set of its BIG EAST matches, and has held all 12 league foes to 19 points or less.
Hidden Stats
The only teams to finish a match with more aces than Creighton this season are Connecticut (8-6) and St. John's (3-0).
   The only teams to finish a match with more blocks than Creighton are USC (10.5-7.0) and Louisville (13-11).
   The only team to finish a match with more digs than Creighton has been Nebraska (81-80).
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.   295   9   .970
When Hitting .250+Â Â Â 212Â Â Â 6Â Â Â .972
When Hitting .300+Â Â Â 119Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 1.000
When Serving 10+ Aces   18   2   .900
When Owning More Kills   284   21   .931
When Owning More Aces   214   21   .911
When Owning More Digs   246   21   .921
When Owning More Blocks   227   17   .930
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.
Nationwide Success
With a 188-13 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
   12-0 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 36 matches dating to last season, Creighton is 33-3 and has won 102-of-115 sets. All three match losses came in five sets.
   In its 27 matches against BIG EAST schools since October 7, 2023, Creighton has dropped just two sets to league opponents.
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 10/21)
Rk.   Sets Lost   Team
1.   7   Pittsburgh
2.   9   Creighton
3.   10   Dayton
Set-tle Down
Since the start of the 2021 season, Creighton is 84-3 in three-set matches, 15-4 in four-set matches and 9-9 in five set contests.
   Two of the three 3-0 losses have come the past two seasons at Marquette.
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 12 more wins this season, the Bluejays have extended their program record to 25 straight home wins, surpassing a 15-match home win streak from Sept. 7-Nov. 30, 2018 that had been the standard.
   Creighton's 25-match home win streak is the third-longest active streak in the country.
   Creighton has won 68 of its last 70 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
   25   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 (11/4)
Wins   Team   Next Home Match
   38   Nebraska   11/14 vs. #14 Minnesota
   26   Pittsburgh   11/8 vs. #25 North Carolina
   25   Creighton   11/8 vs. Butler
   20   Dayton   11/8 vs. Davidson
Top 25 History
Creighton is 222-47 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 306-34 against unranked teams. Creighton has won all but three of its past 117 home matches over unranked teams and all but 13 of its last 167 matches at all sites against unranked teams.
Ranked vs. Ranked (CU is 24-27)
Home: 10-9Â Â Â Away: 8-11Â Â Â Â 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
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
09/05/15Â Â Â vs. #10 Kentucky (Cedar Falls, Iowa)Â Â Â 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
08/24/18Â Â Â vs. #5 Kentucky (Los Angeles, Calif.)Â Â Â 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
09/20/24Â Â Â vs. #6 Purdue (Lawrence, Kan.)Â Â Â W 3-1
09/21/24   at #10 Kansas   W 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 18th-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 five times this year so far, including a season-best .471 on Sept. 29 vs. UConn.
   Creighton is 312-9 under Kirsten Bernthal Booth when hitting .250 or better and as a program has won 180 straight matches when hitting .300 or better, a streak that dates to October of 1996.
Birds Of A Feather
Creighton has showcased a three new sets of 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's teams are a perfect 20-0 in matches played in Omaha in her career, though she did not play in two of those matches due to injury.
   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 20 wins, Goetzinger owns 124 kills and 64 blocks while hitting .393 in 59 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
2012Â Â Â 3Â Â Â USF, UNC, MVC
2013Â Â Â 1Â Â Â BGSU
2014Â Â Â 1Â Â Â CU, BIG EAST
2015Â Â Â 1Â Â Â BIG EAST
2016Â Â Â 1Â Â Â BIG EAST
2017Â Â Â 4Â Â Â WASH, CU, KU, BIG EAST
2018Â Â Â 3Â Â Â SMU, CU, BIG EAST
2019Â Â Â 2Â Â Â UNI, CU
2020Â Â Â 1Â Â Â BIG EAST
2021Â Â Â 5Â Â Â MIZZ, UK, CU, WSU, BIG EAST
2022Â Â Â 3Â Â Â WYO, UNO, BIG EAST
2023Â Â Â 5Â Â Â Purdue, CU, UNO, MINN, BIG EAST
2024Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 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 2,328 fans per home match (29th-best nationally), including a crowd of 2,570 on Oct. 20 vs. DePaul 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
   2,570   DePaul   10/20/24   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 fifth 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
30Â Â Â USCÂ Â Â 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
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
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 27-5
2023Â Â Â 9-2Â Â Â 2-1Â Â Â 29-5
2024Â Â Â 9-2Â Â Â 3-2Â Â Â 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
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.
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 491-3 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
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
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 6-3Â Â Â 27-5
2023Â Â Â 2-3Â Â Â 29-5
2024Â Â Â 0-2Â Â Â 21-2 so far
Total   85-69   584-343
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&MÂ Â Â 7 LIU
8 (4) Yale
8 (2) BYUÂ Â Â
8 (1) Colorado State  Â
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 410-11 (.974) all-time when leading a match 2-0, including a 353-5 mark (.986) under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. CU is 274-3 (.989) when up 2-0 dating to September of 2009, and 142-1 (.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 420-36 (.921) 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 160-5 in its last 165 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 152-6 in its last 158 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 189-4 (.979) in its last 193 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
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 5-4
2023Â Â Â 11-3
2024Â Â Â 6-2 so far
TOTALÂ Â Â 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 491 victories on the Bluejay sideline to rank fifth in school history across all sports through Nov. 5th.
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   491*
Jim Flanery, Women's Basketball   427*
Ed Hubbs, Men's & Women's Tennis   347
Dana Altman, Men's Basketball   327
Greg McDermott, Men's Basketball   325*
*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 201 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   23-0   2-0   25-0
Georgetown   21-0   -   21-0
Marquette   18-5   6-1   24-6
Providence   17-0   -   17-0
Seton Hall   18-3   2-0   20-3
St. John's   20-2   1-1   21-3
Villanova   19-3   3-0   22-3
Xavier   21-1   4-0   25-1
Total   182-16   19-2   201-18
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.
Players Mentioned
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/ VolleyballCreighton Volleyball - Win #1 - Recap vs Kansas 8.31.25
Thursday, September 04
Creighton Volleyball's Brian Rosen Media Availability - 9/3/25
Wednesday, September 03
Creighton Volleyball Eloise Brandewie Highlights - 9/2/25
Tuesday, September 02
Creighton Volleyball Postgame Interviews vs. Kansas - 8/31/25
Monday, September 01
