#6 Volleyball Earns Best Year-End AVCA Rank Ever
12/23/2024 7:06:00 PM | Volleyball
AVCA ranking is program's best year-end ranking ever
OMAHA, Neb. -- The Creighton Volleyball team earned its best year-end ranking in program history as the American Volleyball Coaches Association voted the Bluejays No. 6 in the poll announced on Monday, Dec. 23rd. The No. 6 slotting surpassed its previous best year-end rank of No. 9 that came on Dec. 19, 2016 following CU's first trip to the Elite Eight.
This is the 10th season that Creighton has been ranked in the year-end poll -- all since 2012 -- and fourth straight campaign. It is also the 35th week overall the Bluejays have been in the Top 10, and 14th straight Top 10 ranking 10 to extend a program-record.
The Bluejays are one of 14 schools (along with Baylor, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, Stanford, Texas and Wisconsin) to have been ranked each of the last 62 polls. The 62 straight rankings is two shy of the school record of 64 straight polls set from Oct. 31, 2016 - March 15, 2021. This year also marks the sixth time that Creighton has been ranked in all 16 polls of a season, joining 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023.
Creighton has been ranked in all but six of the past 131 weeks the AVCA has put out a Top 25 poll and 139 times in program history, which ranks 39th-most all-time. Creighton is 233-48 all-time when playing as a ranked team in the AVCA poll. This was the 13th straight campaign that Creighton has spent at least one week in the Top 25.
Creighton played 11 matches in 2024 against teams in the Top 25 of the year-end poll, going 8-3 in those contests.
| Date | Opponent | Match Time Ranking | Year-End Ranking | CU Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 31 | Missouri | Not Ranked | No. 19 | CU won 3-0 |
| Sept. 5 | USC | No. 20 | No. 24 | CU won 3-1 |
| Sept. 10 | at Nebraska | No. 5 | No. 4 | CU lost 3-2 |
| Sept. 15 | at Louisville | No. 4 | No. 2 | CU lost 3-2 |
| Sept. 20 | vs. Purdue (Lawrence, Kan. | No. 6 | No. 9 | CU won 3-1 |
| Sept. 21 | at Kansas | No. 10 | No. 12 | CU won 3-0 |
| Oct. 1 | Marquette | Not Ranked | No. 21 | CU won 3-1 |
| Nov. 10 | at Marquette | Not Ranked | No. 21 | CU won 3-1 |
| Nov. 30 | Marquette | Not Ranked | No. 21 | CU won 3-0 |
| Dec. 13 | vs. Texas (University Park, Pa.) | No. 13 | No. 11 | CU won 3-1 |
| Dec. 15 | at Penn State | No. 2 | No. 1 | CU lost 3-2 |
The year-end top six in the poll consisted of Penn State, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Nebraska, Stanford and Creighton.
Over the last 17 seasons from 2008-2024, 315-of-425 teams (74.1 percent) of teams have been in both the preseason and final polls. Of the teams ranked in the preseason poll released in August, all but preseason No. 15 Tennessee, No. 16 BYU, No. 19 Arkansas, No. 20 Florida State and No. 25 Georgia were also ranked in the final poll.
In those same 17 seasons from 2008-2024, 385-of-425 teams (90.6 percent) in the preseason top-25 polls would go on to reach the NCAA Tournament, as all but preseason No. 19 Arkansas and No. 25 Georgia reached the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
In the year-end version of the official NCAA RPI, Creighton finished No. 6.
Dec. 23 AVCA/TARAFLEX Final Division I WVB Poll
| Rank | School (First-Place Votes Adjusted) | Total Points Adjusted | Record | Previous Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Penn State [61] | 1,525 | 35-2 | 2 |
| 2 | Louisville | 1,456 | 30-6 | 4 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh | 1,386 | 33-2 | 1 |
| 4 | Nebraska | 1,365 | 33-3 | 3 |
| 5 | Stanford | 1,243 | 28-5 | 5 |
| 6 | Creighton | 1,242 | 32-3 | 6 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | 1,165 | 26-7 | 7 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 1,055 | 23-8 | 11 |
| 9 | Purdue | 983 | 27-7 | 9 |
| 10 | Oregon | 913 | 24-8 | 14 |
| 11 | Texas | 878 | 20-7 | 13 |
| 12 | Kansas | 740 | 25-5 | 12 |
| 13 | Arizona State | 712 | 30-3 | 8 |
| 14 | Florida | 670 | 23-8 | 22 |
| 15 | SMU | 639 | 25-8 | 10 |
| 16 | Texas A&M | 535 | 21-8 | RV |
| 17 | Dayton | 517 | 31-3 | 23 |
| 18 | Minnesota | 482 | 21-11 | 15 |
| 19 | Missouri | 454 | 22-9 | 25 |
| 20 | Baylor | 378 | 23-8 | 16 |
| 21 | Marquette | 324 | 25-9 | RV |
| 22 | Georgia Tech | 300 | 21-10 | 18 |
| 23 | Utah | 279 | 25-6 | 17 |
| 24 | Southern California | 183 | 22-10 | 19 |
| 25 | TCU | 155 | 22-8 | 20 |
Others receiving votes and listed on two or more ballots: Florida State 77; Northern Iowa 71; North Carolina 36; Miami (FL) 27; BYU 18; Ole Miss 9; Western Kentucky 4
2 teams mentioned on only one ballot for a total of 4 combined points
Dropped Out: Florida State (21), BYU (24)
