Friday, September 27
Omaha, Neb.
6 PM
Creighton University
vs
Providence
#6 Volleyball Opens BIG EAST Play With Three Home Matches
9/24/2024 9:25:00 AM | Volleyball
Creighton is seeking 11th straight BIG EAST title
Match #12: Providence at #6 Creighton • D.J. Sokol Arena • Friday, Sept. 27 • 6 p.m. | VIDEO ($) | RADIO | STATS | CU NOTES | PC NOTES |
Match #13: Connecticut at #6 Creighton • D.J. Sokol Arena • Sunday, Sept. 29 • 1 p.m. | VIDEO ($) | RADIO | STATS | CU NOTES | UCONN NOTES |
Match #14: Marquette at #6 Creighton • D.J. Sokol Arena • Tuesday, Oct. 1 • 6 p.m. | VIDEO | RADIO | STATS | CU NOTES | MU NOTES |
This Week
The 10-time defending BIG EAST regular-season champion and sixth-ranked Creighton Volleyball (9-2, 0-0 BIG EAST) team opens conference play with three home matches in a span of five days.
   The league slate opens on Friday at 6 p.m. when the Bluejays host Providence (7-4, 0-0 BIG EAST). Kendra Wait will be recognized prior to the match to honor her recently reaching 4,000 career assists.
   On Sunday the Bluejays square off against Connecticut (12-0, 0-0 BIG EAST) at 1 p.m.
   The busy stretch concludes with a rare Tuesday home match when the Bluejays welcome league rival Marquette (4-5, 0-0 BIG EAST).
   All three matches will take place inside D.J. Sokol Arena (2,500) in Omaha, Neb.
Promotions
Friday's match is Alumni Night, with Creighton Volleyball alums in attendance being recognized during the intermission after the first set. In addition, the first 50 students, as well as the first 125 overall fans, will receive a Creighton pint glass. Fans can also enjoy a 'happy hour'Â special with $5 domestic beers from doors open until first serve.
   Sunday's match vs. UConn is a Powder Blue Out. Fans are asked to wear powder blue. The first 125 students and first 650 overall fans will receive a powder blue 'Curious Jays' t-shirt.
   Tuesday's match vs. Marquette is a Blue Out, and 1,00 blue poms will be laid out on seats.
Friday & Sunday Broadcast Information
Both Friday's match vs. Providence and Sunday's contest vs. Connecticut will be streamed on Flo Sports, which requires a subscription.
   The Creighton Volleyball schedule page at GoCreighton.com has direct links to each broadcast, which even more specifics provided at http://GoCreighton.com/flosports. If you sign up via a "@creighton.edu" address, it costs $6.99 per month. If you don't have one of those, click on the video webcast link on the Creighton Volleyball schedule page and it will cost (and automatically renew) at $14.99 per month.
   Jake Ryan and Shannon Smolinski will broadcast Friday's match, while Jon Schriner and Kate Elman are on the call on Sunday.
   Audio from both webcasts will also be simulcast on the radio on 1180 the Zone (KZOT), as well as at http://GoCreighton.com/listen1180.
Tuesday's Broadcast Information
Tuesday's match vs. Marquette will be nationally-televised on FS1, with Noah Reed and Anna Connelly on the broadcast. The match will be streamed at http://FoxSports.com/live.
   Additonally, Jon Schriner and former Bluejay star Jaela (Zimmerman) Conner will call Tuesday's Creighton/Marquette match on the radio on 1180 the Zone (KZOT), as well as at http://GoCreighton.com/listen1180.
Live Stats Information
Each match will have free live stats, with links at http://Creighton.StatBroadcast.com.
   Links will also be on the GoCreighton.com volleyball schedule page.
Scouting #6 Creighton
Creighton is off to a 9-2 start this season, with both losses coming in five sets on the road to top-five teams Nebraska (Sept. 10) and Louisville (Sept. 15). The Bluejays are a program-best No. 6 in this week's AVCA rankings after back-to-back Top 10 wins over No. 6 Purdue (3-1) and No. 10 Kansas (3-0) last weekend in Lawrence, Kan.
   Creighton won three of the four non-conference tournaments it played in, winning the Bluejay Invitational, Creighton Classic and Jayhawk Classic this fall.
   The 2023 BIG EAST Player of the Year Kendra Wait (10.90 aps., 3.10 dps., 0.90 kps., 0.82 bps., .338%) opened her senior campaign by collecting MVP honors at the Bluejay Invitational, while 2022 BIG EAST Player of the Year Norah Sis (3.95 kps., .279%) was named MVP of the Creighton Classic.
   Junior Ava Martin (3.31 kps.) was named Preseason All-BIG EAST, and transfers Maddy Bilinovic (4.05 dps.) and Elise Goetzinger (2.46 kps., 1.21 bps., .323%) have made an immediate impact.
   CU returns four starters from last season's 29-5 squad that reached a 12th straight NCAA Tournament and saw the Bluejays win a 10th straight BIG EAST regular-season title and its ninth BIG EAST Tournament crown in the past decade. CU was a unanimous pick to win the BIG EAST by league coaches in 2024.
    CU averages 14.05 kills, 1.33 aces, 15.44 digs and 2.74 blocks per set and has hit .271.
Scouting Providence
Providence is off to a 7-4 start to the season against a schedule featuring Iowa, Evansville and a slew of teams from the Northeast. PC is 2-0 in three-set matches and five-set matches, but 3-4 in four-set contests.
   Shaliyah Rhoden (2.73 kps.) leads the Friars with 120 kills, with Kyla Grant (2.19 kps., 448%) the only other player to average multiple kills.
   Miller McDonald (5.57 aps.) and Audrey Kocon (4.22 aps., 2.41 dps., 1.69 kps., 0.78 bps.) split time at setter, and Jiji Lykins (3.43 dps.) is the PC libero.
   The Friars average 11.75 kills, 12.61 digs, 2.24 blocks and 1.80 aces per set and hit .208 as a team.
Scouting Connecticut
Connecticut is 12-0 this season against a schedule ranked 288th-toughest by the NCAA, and enter Friday's match at Marquette as one of seven remaining unbeaten teams nationally.
   The Huskies own three five-set wins, including a victory over Colgate in which they saved six match points, in its highest-profile victory to date.
   Emma Werkmeister (3.95 kps., .266%, 0.79 saps.) leads the team in kills and the BIG EAST in aces per set.
   Taylor Pannell (2.86 kps., .366%), Hanna Tylska (2.50 kps., .284%) and Audrey Rome (2.02 kps., 1.20 bps.) are also offensive threats to be wary of.
   Doga Kutlu (10.00 aps., 2.70 dps.) directs the offense and McKenna Brand (3.35 dps.) is the libero.
   The Huskies average 12.93 kills, 12.89 digs, 2.20 blocks and 2.22 aces per set while hitting .222.
Scouting Marquette
Marquette started the season ranked 24th nationally but went 4-5 in the non-conference against a challenging schedule that featured four different Top 25 foes, including a victory over No. 24 Dayton on Sept. 14.
   Four Golden Eagles were named Preseason All-BIG EAST, a list headed by 2022 BIG EAST Setter of the Year Yadhira Anchante (10.30 aps., 3.24 dps., 0.91 kps., .377%).
   Aubrey Hamilton (3.06 kps., 2.33 dps.) leads the team in kills, with Jenna Reitsma (2.36 kps., 2.91 dps.), Hattie Bray (2.27 kps., .263%) Carsen Murray (2.21 kps., .383%) and Ella Foti (2.14 kps., .266%) not far behind.
   Molly Berezowitz (3.36 dps.) has taken over the libero role.
   Marquette averages 13.67 kills, 1.58 aces, 15.85 digs and 2.06 blocks per set while hitting .233 as a team.
Creighton Coaches
Creighton is coached by Kirsten Bernthal Booth (Truman State, 1997), who owns a 479-191 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.
Series History vs. Providence
Creighton is 16-0 all-time against Providence, winning 48-of-49 sets in a series that began in 2014. Twenty-two of those set victories have been by 10 or more points.
   CU has also won its last 29 sets against the Friars.
   Five of the last six meetings have taken place in Rhode Island, as PC will be making just its second trip to Omaha since December of 2018.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 16-0 all-time against Providence and Friars coach Margot Royer-Johnson.
Series History vs. Connecticut
Creighton is 4-2 all-time against Connecticut, with three of those meetings going five sets.
   Creighton swept the lone meeting last year (25-12, 25-21, 25-13), which took place in Storrs.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 4-2 all-time against UConn and 4-1 against Ellen Herman-Kimball.
Series History vs. Marquette
Creighton is 26-7 all-time against Marquette, and are 22-4 (including 13-1 at home) since the start of the 2014 season against MU.
   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 26-7 in the history of the series, and Creighton has won all seven match-ups to go five sets.
   Creighton is 26-1 all-time against the Golden Eagles when winning at least one set, including the last 22 such matches since a setback in the 2013 BIG EAST Tournament final.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 26-7 against Marquette and 22-4 against Ryan Theis.
With A Win On Friday...
- Creighton would win its 11th straight BIG EAST opener.
- Creighton would extend its program-record home win streak to 19 straight matches.
- Creighton would win its 35th straight home match against a BIG EAST team.
- Creighton would improve to 17-0 all-time against Providence.
- Creighton would win its 23rd straight match against an unranked team.
- Creighton would win its 14th straight regular-season BIG EAST match.
- Creighton would win its 16th straight match against a BIG EAST team.
128 Weeks As A Ranked Team
Creighton is ranked sixth in this week's AVCA poll, the 128th time in program history it's been ranked. That's tied for 41st-most of all programs in NCAA history.
   This week is Creighton's third straight week this fall and 24th week all-time as a Top 10 team.
   The No. 6 ranking is the best ranking in program history, surpassing the No. 7 on Aug. 28, 2017.
   All 128 rankings have occurred since 2012 and under the direction of Kirsten Bernthal Booth.
   The Bluejays are one of 15 schools (along with Baylor, BYU, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, Stanford, Texas and Wisconsin) to have been ranked each of the last 51 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.   123*   Florida
       123*   Kentucky
       123*   Texas
   4.   114   Nebraska
       114   Penn State
       114   BYU
       114   Purdue
       114   Wisconsin
   9.   112*   Baylor
   10.   108   Creighton
   11.   107*   Pittsburgh
   12.   106   Stanford
       106   Minnesota
   14.   99   Oregon
   15.   91   Washington
   16.   87*   Louisville
* includes 9 weeks in Fall of 2020 when most schools didn't play
Best Rankings Ever
Creighton is ranked sixth in this week's AVCA poll, its best mark ever. This is the program's 24th Top 10 ranking ever.
Date   Rank
September 23, 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
League Opener Histories
Including last year's sweep at Butler, Creighton owns a 22-8 record all-time in conference openers, including a 19-2 record under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. That includes a 10-1 mark in BIG EAST lid-lifters, and 10 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 of the last 11 conference tournament titles during those years, going 20-1 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 25-5 overall and 19-2 under Booth, with 13 straight wins.
   In league road openers, Creighton is 21-9 overall and 18-3 under Booth, with 10 straight wins.
   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.
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.
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 100-4 in home matches against BIG EAST teams (91-3 in the regular-season, 9-1 in the BIG EAST Tournament).
   Since November of 2014, Creighton is 84-1 inside D.J. Sokol Arena against BIG EAST teams, which includes a 76-1 league mark and a 8-0 mark in the conference tournament. The only setback (on Feb. 6, 2021 vs. Marquette) was played as a non-conference match, only to be flipped to a league contest 19 days later.
   Put another way, since enrolling at Creighton in the fall of 2020, Bluejay seniors Abbey Milner, Kendra Wait and Norah Sis are 28-0 in home matches against BIG EAST teams, and 84-8 in sets.
   Creighton has won 34 straight regular-season sets against BIG EAST opponents inside D.J. Sokol Arena, as well as 34 straight matches against BIG EAST opposition at home.
Easy PC
Creighton owns 16 straight wins over Providencel, tied for its seventh-longest win streak ever against one program.
   Last weekend the Bluejays earned their 23rd straight win over DePaul, tying a mark it had snapped earlier this season vs. Xavier.
Most Consecutive Match Wins Over One Team
   Wins   Opponent   Dates
   24   DePaul   2013-Present
   23   Xavier   2013-22
   20   Georgetown   2013-Present
   20   Butler   2013-Present
   19   Southern Illinois   2003-11
   18   Seton Hall   2014-Present
   16   Providence   2014-Present
   16   Indiana State   2005-Present
Hall Mark
Creighton has swept Providence each of the last nine meetings, and won each of the last 29 sets against the Friars.
   The 29 straight set victories over Providence is the second-longest streak in program history over one opponent.
Most Consecutive Set Wins Over One Team
   Wins   Opponent   Dates
   50   Seton Hall   2015-Present
   29   Providence   2017-Present
   25   Indiana State   2005-09
   24   Xavier   2015-18
   23   Indiana State   2009-Present
   22   Georgetown   2019-Present
   19   Providence   2014-17
   19   Butler   2018-21
BIG EAST'S Best
Since the reconfigufration of the BIG EAST in the summer of 2013, Creighton, Marquette and St. John's are the only teams to win any sort of BIG EAST volleyball title.
   Creighton owns 10 regular-season titles (3 shared) in that time, while Marquette owns four regular-season (3 shared) crowns.
   As it relates to BIG EAST Tournament titles, Creighton has won nine, Marquette one and St. John's one since 2013.
   Below is a look at the record of each BIG EAST team since league realignment in 2013:
BIG EAST VB Standings, 2013 - Sept. 23, 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 170Â Â Â 16Â Â Â 292Â Â Â 72
Marquette (10)Â Â Â 153Â Â Â 30Â Â Â 263Â Â Â 89
Xavier   108   76   171   160
Butler   98   88   173   163
St. John's (1)Â Â Â 94Â Â Â 92Â Â Â 209Â Â Â 151
Villanova (1)Â Â Â 91Â Â Â 95Â Â Â 178Â Â Â 153
Seton Hall (1)Â Â Â 80Â Â Â 105Â Â Â 161Â Â Â 174
DePaul   55   131   136   191
Georgetown   40   138   107   207
Connecticut#Â Â Â 30Â Â Â 32Â Â Â 65Â Â Â 54
Providence*Â Â Â 29Â Â Â 141Â Â Â 111Â Â Â 192
*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.
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 55-5 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 49-8, with six losses coming against the Bluejays compared to a 44-2 mark against everyone else, with the other two losses coming at St. John's.
Thorn In Their Side
Marquette is 263-89 since the start of the 2014 season, but just 4-22 in that time against Creighton.
   In other words, the Golden Eagles own a .154 winning percentage against Creighton (4-22) compared to a .795 mark (259-67) 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 3-13 against Creighton (.188) and 143-30 (.827) against everyone else.
BIG EAST Behemoths
Creighton and Marquette ought to be quite familiar with each other by this point.
   Tuesday will mark the 12th 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 eight of those 11 recent contests.
   Tuesday will also be the 20th meeting since Oct. 17, 2017 between the BIG EAST behemoths. CU is 15-4 in the last 19 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 BIG EAST play in 2024.
Stat   CU   MU   Everyone Else
BIG EAST Reg-Season W-LÂ Â Â 170-16Â Â Â 153-30Â Â Â 623-900
BIG EAST Play Win Percentage   .914   .836   .409
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
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 Tuesday.
   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.
Tuesday Night Lights
The match vs. Marquette is a rare home match on a Tuesday, as it's the first Tuesday home contest since 2015.
   Since moving into D.J. Sokol Arena in 2009, Creighton's played just five previous Tuesday matches in the facility, and only one of those were a league contest.
   Here's a look at the previous Tuesday tilts:
Date   Score
9/22/09Â Â Â Creighton 3, South Dakota State 0
8/31/10Â Â Â #7 Nebraska 3, Creighton 0
9/25/12Â Â Â Creighton 3, South Dakota 1
9/10/13Â Â Â #24 Creighton 3, Kansas 1
10/6/15Â Â Â Creighton 3, Georgetown 0
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   ???   ???
Bluejays Sweep Weekly BIG EAST Awards
Coming off a huge weekend that featured back-to-back Top 10 victories, the Creighton Volleyball team swept all four awards handed out by the BIG EAST Conference on Monday.
   Norah Sis was named Offensive Player of the Week, Kendra Wait tabbed Setter of the Week, Kiara Reinhardt recognized as Defensive Player of the Week and Jaya Johnson awarded Freshman of the Week.
   Sis averaged 4.43 kills, 2.00 digs, 0.71 blocks and 0.14 aces on .303 hitting to earn her second BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week this season (Sept. 9), and eighth of her career.
   Wait averaged 13.71 assists, 3.71 digs, 1.29 blocks and 0.86 kills per set and hit .267, attaining a pair of double-doubles. This is her third BIG EAST Setter of the Week award in the first four weeks of the season.
   Reinhardt averaged 1.57 blocks, 1.86 kills, 0.86 digs and hit .524 to help Creighton to the Jayhawk Classic title. This is her third career BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week honor.
   Johnson averaged 2.71 kills, 0.86 digs and 0.57 blocks per set and hit .438 in the two wins. It is Johnson's second BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honor of the young season (also Sept. 2).
October Excellence
Creighton has won 40 straight home matches played in the month of October, last losing in the month at home on Oct. 15, 2011 vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa.
   How long has it been? Creighton freshmen Alivia Hausmann and Emersen Strain were each five years old at the time.
The Gauntlet
Creighton played five non-conference matches against Top 25 teams, winning three of those, as part of a non-conference schedule ranked as the nation's fifth-toughest.
   This year was the fifth time in program history that Creighton played five or more Top 25 opponents prior to conference play, also doing so in 2014 (going 0-5), 2015 (1-4), 2017 (3-3) and 2019 (2-3).
   This year's 11-match gauntlet ended with the first time that Creighton has ever played three consecutive matches against Top 10 foes (No. 4 Louisville, No. 6 Purdue, No. 10 Kansas), also part of the first time Creighton played four Top 10 teams in the same month.
   The only other Bluejay teams to play four Top 10 teams in the same season were in 2015 (5, with one of those in the NCAA Tournament), 2016 (4, with two of those in the NCAA Tournament), 2018 (4) and 2019 (4, with one of those in the NCAA Tournament). The challenging schedule paid off in each case, as those previous four teams went a combined 70-2 in league play and 8-0 in league tournament action and 7-4 in NCAA Tournament play.
   The only other time Creighton has previously played five ranked teams in the same month was September of 2017, a stretch that also featured matches on consecutive days against ranked Purdue and Kansas teams in Lawrence.
Strength Of Schedule
Here's how the BIG EAST teams compare in strength of schedule as the league enters conference play, as well as everyone's RPI and record against Top 100 RPI teams.
   SOS*   RPI*   Team   W-L   vs Top 100
   4   36   Marquette   4-5   2-4
   5   4   Creighton   9-2   6-2
   174   110   DePaul   8-4   1-2
   193   127   Villanova   7-4   0-2
   194   231   Georgetown   7-5   0-2
   242   304   Butler   2-10   0-4
   274   211   Seton Hall   6-5   0-3
   276   310   Xavier   2-8   0-1
   277   103   St. John's   11-3   1-2
   288   48   Connecticut   12-0   1-0
   316   234   Providence   7-4   0-1
*SOS based on NCAA report; RPI based on unofficial FigStats
All They Do Is Win
Creighton won its final 13 regular-season BIG EAST matches last season. That's the program's fifth-longest streak of league wins in team history, but not even halfway to the record.
Creighton's Most Consecutive Regular-Season League Wins
   Wins   Dates   Snapped By   League
   31   Nov. 18, 2017 - Nov. 3, 2019    at Villanova, 3-0   BIG EAST
   28   Oct. 31, 2015 - Sept. 30, 2017   at Marquette, 3-0   BIG EAST
   28   Oct. 17, 2021- Nov. 18, 2022   at #16 Marquette, 3-0     BIG EAST
   14   Sept. 29, 2012 - End of 2012   Never (left MVC)   MVC
   13   Oct. 7, 2023 - Present   ? ? ?   BIG EAST
   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
Stepping Up
Creighton's played five ranked teams in the past three weeks, 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 3.67 digs per set versus unranked foes.
   Sydney Breissinger averages 2.43 digs per set against Top 25 competition compared to 1.72 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 0.72 aces against unranked foes (13 aces in 18 sets).
Dominance Against The Unranked
Creighton has yet to drop a set in six matches this season against unranked opponents, sweeping NC State, Missouri, Drake, Kansas State, UNI and Rice.
   Creighton has outscored unranked opponents 450-311, winning an incredible 59.1 percent of all points.
   Creighton has allowed 20 or more points in just six of the 18 sets against unranked foes.
   The Bluejays are hitting .297 against unranked teams this year, while holding those foes to .104. CU also owns decisive advantages in kills (264-184), aces (31-13), digs (280-243) and blocks (53-22) in those matches.
The Incredible Third Sets
Creighton is 11-0 in the third set this season, outscoring foes 283-190. In its recent stretch of three straight Top 10 foes, the Bluejays outscored those teams by an incredible 75-43 margin.
   Creighton is hitting .323 in the third set this year, its best of any frame. That figure grows to .342 in the third set against ranked teams this fall.
Milestone Watch
Creighton's student-athletes are approaching all sorts of milestones.
   Maddy Bilinovic owns 948 career digs, just 52 shy of 1,000 for her career. The first 790 of those came with Penn State.
   Sydney Breissinger owns 367 career digs, putting her 33 shy of 400. She's also eight aces shy of 50.
   Elise Goetzinger is 25 kills shy of 700 in her career and 22 blocks shy of 300 in her career. That includes 579 kills and 231 blocks with Kentucky.
   Jaya Johnson is 29 kills away from 100.
   Ava Martin has 389 digs, 11 short of 400.
   Norah Sis owns 1,380 career kills. She's five behind Jessica Houts (1,385) for sixth, 34 behind Kelly Goc (1,414) for fifth and 47 shy of Taryn Kloth (1,427) for fourth place. Sis also enters this weekend having played in 99 career matches.
   Kendra Wait enters the weekend five blocks shy of 300 in her career.
   Wait also owns 1,705 career assists inside D.J. Sokol Arena, just 169 shy of Megan Bober's facility record of 1,874. Wait's 4,112 career assists (in all venues) is 95 shy of Kailey Reyes' 4,207 for third in CU history, and 247 short of Megan Bober's 4,359 for second place.
   Wait's 1,246 career digs are 12 shy of Reyes' 1,258 for sixth in program history.
4,000 And Counting
Kendra Wait surpassed the 4,000 assist mark in the Sept. 15 match at No. 4 Louisville and starts this weekend with 4,112 in her career.
   That puts her less than 100 assists away from third place less than 250 out of second place.
Career Assists
       Name   Sets   No.   Years
   1.   Korie Lebeda   428   5,281   2005-08
   2.   Megan Bober   480   4,359   2009-12
   3.   Kailey Reyes   368   4,207   1998-01
   5.   Kendra Wait   385   4,112   2021-Pr.
   4.   Melissa Weisensee   411   4,018   1994-97
   6.   Brittany Coleman   259   2,711   2003-05
   7.   Lydia Dimke   237   2,614   2016-17
   8.   Madelyn Cole   225   2,469   2018-19
   9.   Michelle Sicner   384   2,014   2011-14
   10.   Maggie Baumert   191   1,975   2014-15
Doubling Up
Kendra Wait has had a double-double in eight matches this season, and finished one dig shy in each of the three others.
   Wait's 61 double-doubles (in 111 matches played) rank third-most in program history with at least 18 matches still on the schedule.
   Wait has owned a double-double in each of her last eight matches against a Top 25 foe and 16-of-18 overall contests against the Top 25 in her career.
Career Matches With a Double-Double, Career
   D-D   Name   Years
   65   Melissa Weisensee   1994-97
   64   Kailey Reyes   1998-01
   61   Kendra Wait   2021-Present
   60   Melissa Walsh   1998-01
   58   Jaali Winters   2015-18
Hidden Stats
Creighton has owned more aces than its opponent in 10-of-11 matches this season, and tied Missouri in the other.
   When it comes to blocks, Creighton has outblocked 9-of-11 opponents this year, losing that category only to USC and Louisville.
   Creighton has outdug every opponent this season except Nebraska.
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 had a multi-match losing streak last season alone.
   Creighton has also won its last 17 matches after a five-set loss, a streak that dates back to early in the 2016 campaign.
   And while not in jeopardy on Friday, it's still worth bragging about that Creighton has also not lost back-to-back matches against conference foes since a three-match losing streak in November of 2011.
No Losers Here
Creighton has been as good as anyone at avoiding losses in recent seasons.
   Creighton, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Texas, Western Kentucky and Wisconsin are the nation's only teams with five losses or less in the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons.
   If you go back two years more, the nation's only teams to lose six times or less in the 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons are Creighton, Pittsburgh and Texas.
   Creighton is one of just two schools nationally who have won 25 matches or more in every season between 2014-23 (not counting the 2020 COVID-19 year). That group consists of BYU and Creighton.
Hunting The Top 10
Creighton is 10-36 all-time against top-10 teams, including a 10-29 mark under Kirsten Bernthal Booth, and a 2-2 record this year.
   Nine of the 10 victories came away from home, including four sweeps. All four top-five triumphs were also away from home.
   The highest-ranked teams that Creighton has ever beaten are No. 3 Washington (8/26/2017) and No. 3 Kentucky (9/4/2021), both on the road.
Creighton's All-Time Top 10 Wins
Date   Opponent   Score
09/05/15Â 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
Nationwide Success
With a 176-13 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
   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.
   Creighton has won 69-of-81 sets in its past 24 matches dating to midway through last season.
Fewest Sets Lost in 2023
Rk.   Sets Lost   Team
1.   22   Creighton
   22   Nebraska
   22   Dayton
4.   23   Wisconsin
   23   Tennessee
   23   Western Michigan
Set-tle Down
Since the start of the 2021 season, Creighton is 73-3 in three-set matches, 14-4 in four-set matches and 9-9 in five set contests.
The Streak At Home
Creighton had its first unbeaten home season in program history last year, going a perfect 13-0 in matches and 39-3 in sets.
   With five more wins this season, the Bluejays have set a program record with 18 straight home wins, surpassing a 15-match home win streak from Sept. 7-Nov. 30, 2018 that had been the standard.
   Creighton's 18-match home win streak is the sixth-longest active streak in the country.
   Creighton has won 47 of its last 48 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
   18   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 (9/23)
Wins   Team   Next Home Match
   32   Stephen F. Austin   9/26 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
   31   Nebraska   9/27 vs. UCLA
   27   Yale   10/5 vs. Princeton
   21   Wisconsin   10/6 vs. Washington
   20   Pittsburgh   9/25 vs. UMBC
   18   Creighton   9/27 vs. Providence
   16   Florida State   9/25 vs. Miami (Fla.)
Top 25 History
Creighton is 210-47 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 294-34 against unranked teams. Creighton has won all but three of its past 110 home matches over unranked teams and all but 13 of its last 156 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
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 16th-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).
   Creighton is 300-9 under Kirsten Bernthal Booth when hitting .250 or better and as a program has won 170 straight matches when hitting .300 or better, a streak that dates to October of 1996.
Birds Of A Feather
Creighton has showcased a pair of new jerseys this season, as Nike designed some custom-made uniforms.
   Both the white and navy ("Midnight Jays") jerseys are sleeveless in a drastic change from past years.
   The uniforms also feature several different colors of "Hyper-Elite" arm sleeves, which the players wear on their arms and can be mix & matched for a number of uniform combinations.
   If you look closely, the arms sleeves also have a feather design pattern, a nod to Creighton's Bluejay nickname.
   That's not all...Creighton is expected to debut another new jersey during this homestand.
Her Kind Of City
Kentucky transfer Elise Goetzinger is a perfect 13-0 in matches played in Omaha in her career.
   Goetzinger started all five of UK's matches en route to the 2020 national title (in the spring of 2021), which were played in CHI Health Center Omaha's convention center and arena. The Wildcats beat UNLV, No. 18 Western Kentucky, No. 9 Purdue, No. 7 Washington and No. 5 Texas en route to the championship.
   In 2022 Goetzinger was named to the All-Tournament Team while helping the Wildcats to the Bluejay Invitational title with wins over UNI, No. 17 Creighton and No. 25 USC.
   During those 13 wins, Goetzinger owns 86 kills and 46 blocks while hitting .425 in 43 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 2,346 fans per home match (25th-best nationally), including a crowd of 2,569 on Aug. 30 vs. NC State that was the third-largest volleyball crowd ever inside D.J. Sokol Arena.
Creighton Volleyball's Largest Home Crowds
   Att.   Opponent   Date   CU Result   Facility
   15,797   #2 Nebraska   09/07/22   L 2-3   CHI Health Ctr.
   14,022   #7 Nebraska   09/06/18   L 2-3   CHI Health Ctr.
   13,081   #18 Cal Poly   09/02/07   L 0-3   CHI Health Ctr.
   12,112   #1 Nebraska   09/24/06   L 1-3   CHI Health Ctr.
   11,279   #3 Nebraska   09/08/21   L 0-3   CHI Health Ctr.
   10,131   #4 Nebraska   09/15/15   L 0-3   CHI Health Ctr.
   8,037   #2 Nebraska   10/05/08   L 0-3   CHI Health Ctr.
   2,653   Auburn   12/02/22   L 2-3   D.J. Sokol Arena
   2,578   #13 Kentucky   09/01/17   W 3-0   D.J. Sokol Arena
   2,569   NC State   08/30/24   W 3-0   D.J. Sokol Arena
   2,568   Minnesota   12/02/23   W 3-0   D.J. Sokol Arena
   2,563   Colgate   12/01/23   W 3-0   D.J. Sokol Arena
   2,552   South Dakota   11/30/18   W 3-0   D.J. Sokol Arena
   2,517   Coastal Carolina   12/01/17   W 3-1   D.J. Sokol Arena
   2,514   #7 Nebraska   08/31/10   L 0-3   D.J. Sokol Arena
   2,509   #22 Washington   12/01/18   L 0-3   D.J. Sokol Arena
   2,504   #9 Marquette   11/22/19   W 3-1   D.J. Sokol Arena
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.   283   9   .969
When Hitting .250+Â Â Â 200Â Â Â 6Â Â Â .971
When Hitting .300+Â Â Â 109Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 1.000
When Serving 10+ Aces   17   2   .895
When Owning More Kills   272   21   .928
When Owning More Aces   204   21   .907
When Owning More Digs   235   21   .918
When Owning More Blocks   215   17   .927
Olympians Made Here
Taryn Kloth made history earlier this summer when the 2018 graduate became the first female Creighton student-athlete to compete in the Olympics.
   The South Dakota native paired with Kristen Nuss to tie for ninth place in Beach Volleyball, winning their first three matches before losing to a team from Canada that went on to win the silver medal.
   Head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth and associate head coach Angie Oxley Behrens both made the trip to Paris to watch three of Kloth's matches.
   Kloth was a First Team All-BIG EAST choice in 2016 and 2018 and named BIG EAST Tournament MVP in 2017. She ranks fourth in CU history with 1,427 career kills and won four BIG EAST regular-season and tournament titles.
61*
Creighton Volleyball traditionally owns one of the nation's top non-conference schedules, but head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth might have outdone herself this year.
   All 11 of Creighton's non-conference matches were against teams with a Top 61 RPI last year.
   Each of the top four teams that Creighton plays from that list will be faced 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
12 Straight NCAA's
Creighton Volleyball has made the NCAA Tournament in each of the previous 12 seasons. They are the first women's team in any sport at Creighton to make 12 straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
   The only other sport in Creighton history to make 12 straight NCAA Tournament appearances is the men's soccer program, which qualified in 17 straight seasons from 1992-2008.
    Creighton is one of seven teams nationally to have appeared in each of the last 12 NCAA Tournaments (2012-23). That group features BYU, Creighton, Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, Penn State and Texas.
   There are also 13 schools that have appeared in 13 of the last 14 NCAA Tournaments, a group that includes Creighton, Florida State, Hawai'i, Minnesota, Purdue, San Diego, Stanford and Washington. Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, Penn State, and Texas have appeared in every NCAA Tournament since at least 2010.
Year-By-Year In Non-Conference Play
Despite annually facing one of the nation's toughest non-conference schedules, Creighton has continued to excel against elite competition.
   Creighton is 11-15 against ranked non-conference foes over the last eight seasons after going 2-43 all-time vs. ranked teams in regular-season non-conference matches.
Non-Conference Records, By Year, Under Booth
Year   Non-Con W-L   vs. Ranked Non-Con   Final W-L
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
Starting At Home?
Creighton started the season with the Bluejay Invitational, the first time since the COVID-affected 2020 season (in the spring of 2021) that the Jays began at home.
   Take away that most unusual campaign and you'll find that Creighton hadn't started a fall season at home since 2010.
   This year marked the first time ever that Creighton started a season with five straight home matches.
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
Sis Is Killing It
Norah Sis enters Friday ranked seventh in Creighton history with 1,380 career kills.
   She has a chance to move into the top four in the next week.
Career Kills
       Name   Sets   No.   Years
   1.   Jaali Winters   494   1,843   2015-18
   2.   Leah Ratzlaff   409   1,622   2002-05
   3.   Melissa Walsh   394   1,596   1998-01
   4.   Taryn Kloth   462   1,427   2015-18
   5.   Kelly Goc   394   1,414   2004-07
   6.   Jessica Houts   451   1,385   2005-09
   7.   Norah Sis   345   1,380   2021-Pr.
   8.   JoDe Cieloha   398   1,375   1994-97
   9.   Leah McNary   458   1,257   2011-14
   10.   Marysa Wilkinson   499   1,183   2014-17
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 479-3 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 9-2 so far
Total   85-69   572-343
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 following a five-setter.
2-0 Better Than 0-2
Creighton is 398-11 (.973) all-time when leading a match 2-0, including a 341-5 mark (.986) under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. CU is 264-3 (.989) when up 2-0 dating to September of 2009, and 135-1 (.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 406-36 (.919) 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 153-5 in its last 158 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 140-6 in its last 146 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 177-4 in its last 181 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 109-109 since, including a 5-2 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 5-2 so far
TOTALÂ Â Â 111-144
TOTAL Under Booth   109-109
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 479 victories on the Bluejay sideline to rank fifth in school history across all sports.
Coach, Sport   Victories
Brent Vigness, Softball   819
Ed Servais, Baseball   678*
Mary Higgins, Softball   564
Tom Lilly, Men's & Women's Tennis   542*#
Kirsten Bernthal Booth, Volleyball   479*
Jim Flanery, Women's Basketball   427*
Ed Hubbs, Men's & Women's Tennis   347
Dana Altman, Men's Basketball   327
*still active coaching at Creighton
#currently just the women's tennis coach
Against The BIG EAST
Since the BIG EAST was restructured in 2013, Creighton owns a winning percentage better than .750 against each of the other teams currently in the BIG EAST.
   The Bluejays own 189 wins against BIG EAST competition (including BIG EAST Championship play) since 2013, 30 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   20-1   -   20-1
Connecticut   3-1   1-0   4-1
DePaul   22-0   2-0   24-0
Georgetown   20-0   -   20-0
Marquette   17-5   6-1   23-6
Providence   16-0   -   16-0
Seton Hall   17-3   2-0   19-3
St. John's   18-2   1-1   19-3
Villanova   17-3   3-0   20-3
Xavier   20-1   4-0   24-1
Total   170-16   19-2   189-18
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 #13: Connecticut at #6 Creighton • D.J. Sokol Arena • Sunday, Sept. 29 • 1 p.m. | VIDEO ($) | RADIO | STATS | CU NOTES | UCONN NOTES |
Match #14: Marquette at #6 Creighton • D.J. Sokol Arena • Tuesday, Oct. 1 • 6 p.m. | VIDEO | RADIO | STATS | CU NOTES | MU NOTES |
This Week
The 10-time defending BIG EAST regular-season champion and sixth-ranked Creighton Volleyball (9-2, 0-0 BIG EAST) team opens conference play with three home matches in a span of five days.
   The league slate opens on Friday at 6 p.m. when the Bluejays host Providence (7-4, 0-0 BIG EAST). Kendra Wait will be recognized prior to the match to honor her recently reaching 4,000 career assists.
   On Sunday the Bluejays square off against Connecticut (12-0, 0-0 BIG EAST) at 1 p.m.
   The busy stretch concludes with a rare Tuesday home match when the Bluejays welcome league rival Marquette (4-5, 0-0 BIG EAST).
   All three matches will take place inside D.J. Sokol Arena (2,500) in Omaha, Neb.
Promotions
Friday's match is Alumni Night, with Creighton Volleyball alums in attendance being recognized during the intermission after the first set. In addition, the first 50 students, as well as the first 125 overall fans, will receive a Creighton pint glass. Fans can also enjoy a 'happy hour'Â special with $5 domestic beers from doors open until first serve.
   Sunday's match vs. UConn is a Powder Blue Out. Fans are asked to wear powder blue. The first 125 students and first 650 overall fans will receive a powder blue 'Curious Jays' t-shirt.
   Tuesday's match vs. Marquette is a Blue Out, and 1,00 blue poms will be laid out on seats.
Friday & Sunday Broadcast Information
Both Friday's match vs. Providence and Sunday's contest vs. Connecticut will be streamed on Flo Sports, which requires a subscription.
   The Creighton Volleyball schedule page at GoCreighton.com has direct links to each broadcast, which even more specifics provided at http://GoCreighton.com/flosports. If you sign up via a "@creighton.edu" address, it costs $6.99 per month. If you don't have one of those, click on the video webcast link on the Creighton Volleyball schedule page and it will cost (and automatically renew) at $14.99 per month.
   Jake Ryan and Shannon Smolinski will broadcast Friday's match, while Jon Schriner and Kate Elman are on the call on Sunday.
   Audio from both webcasts will also be simulcast on the radio on 1180 the Zone (KZOT), as well as at http://GoCreighton.com/listen1180.
Tuesday's Broadcast Information
Tuesday's match vs. Marquette will be nationally-televised on FS1, with Noah Reed and Anna Connelly on the broadcast. The match will be streamed at http://FoxSports.com/live.
   Additonally, Jon Schriner and former Bluejay star Jaela (Zimmerman) Conner will call Tuesday's Creighton/Marquette match on the radio on 1180 the Zone (KZOT), as well as at http://GoCreighton.com/listen1180.
Live Stats Information
Each match will have free live stats, with links at http://Creighton.StatBroadcast.com.
   Links will also be on the GoCreighton.com volleyball schedule page.
Scouting #6 Creighton
Creighton is off to a 9-2 start this season, with both losses coming in five sets on the road to top-five teams Nebraska (Sept. 10) and Louisville (Sept. 15). The Bluejays are a program-best No. 6 in this week's AVCA rankings after back-to-back Top 10 wins over No. 6 Purdue (3-1) and No. 10 Kansas (3-0) last weekend in Lawrence, Kan.
   Creighton won three of the four non-conference tournaments it played in, winning the Bluejay Invitational, Creighton Classic and Jayhawk Classic this fall.
   The 2023 BIG EAST Player of the Year Kendra Wait (10.90 aps., 3.10 dps., 0.90 kps., 0.82 bps., .338%) opened her senior campaign by collecting MVP honors at the Bluejay Invitational, while 2022 BIG EAST Player of the Year Norah Sis (3.95 kps., .279%) was named MVP of the Creighton Classic.
   Junior Ava Martin (3.31 kps.) was named Preseason All-BIG EAST, and transfers Maddy Bilinovic (4.05 dps.) and Elise Goetzinger (2.46 kps., 1.21 bps., .323%) have made an immediate impact.
   CU returns four starters from last season's 29-5 squad that reached a 12th straight NCAA Tournament and saw the Bluejays win a 10th straight BIG EAST regular-season title and its ninth BIG EAST Tournament crown in the past decade. CU was a unanimous pick to win the BIG EAST by league coaches in 2024.
    CU averages 14.05 kills, 1.33 aces, 15.44 digs and 2.74 blocks per set and has hit .271.
Scouting Providence
Providence is off to a 7-4 start to the season against a schedule featuring Iowa, Evansville and a slew of teams from the Northeast. PC is 2-0 in three-set matches and five-set matches, but 3-4 in four-set contests.
   Shaliyah Rhoden (2.73 kps.) leads the Friars with 120 kills, with Kyla Grant (2.19 kps., 448%) the only other player to average multiple kills.
   Miller McDonald (5.57 aps.) and Audrey Kocon (4.22 aps., 2.41 dps., 1.69 kps., 0.78 bps.) split time at setter, and Jiji Lykins (3.43 dps.) is the PC libero.
   The Friars average 11.75 kills, 12.61 digs, 2.24 blocks and 1.80 aces per set and hit .208 as a team.
Scouting Connecticut
Connecticut is 12-0 this season against a schedule ranked 288th-toughest by the NCAA, and enter Friday's match at Marquette as one of seven remaining unbeaten teams nationally.
   The Huskies own three five-set wins, including a victory over Colgate in which they saved six match points, in its highest-profile victory to date.
   Emma Werkmeister (3.95 kps., .266%, 0.79 saps.) leads the team in kills and the BIG EAST in aces per set.
   Taylor Pannell (2.86 kps., .366%), Hanna Tylska (2.50 kps., .284%) and Audrey Rome (2.02 kps., 1.20 bps.) are also offensive threats to be wary of.
   Doga Kutlu (10.00 aps., 2.70 dps.) directs the offense and McKenna Brand (3.35 dps.) is the libero.
   The Huskies average 12.93 kills, 12.89 digs, 2.20 blocks and 2.22 aces per set while hitting .222.
Scouting Marquette
Marquette started the season ranked 24th nationally but went 4-5 in the non-conference against a challenging schedule that featured four different Top 25 foes, including a victory over No. 24 Dayton on Sept. 14.
   Four Golden Eagles were named Preseason All-BIG EAST, a list headed by 2022 BIG EAST Setter of the Year Yadhira Anchante (10.30 aps., 3.24 dps., 0.91 kps., .377%).
   Aubrey Hamilton (3.06 kps., 2.33 dps.) leads the team in kills, with Jenna Reitsma (2.36 kps., 2.91 dps.), Hattie Bray (2.27 kps., .263%) Carsen Murray (2.21 kps., .383%) and Ella Foti (2.14 kps., .266%) not far behind.
   Molly Berezowitz (3.36 dps.) has taken over the libero role.
   Marquette averages 13.67 kills, 1.58 aces, 15.85 digs and 2.06 blocks per set while hitting .233 as a team.
Creighton Coaches
Creighton is coached by Kirsten Bernthal Booth (Truman State, 1997), who owns a 479-191 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.
Series History vs. Providence
Creighton is 16-0 all-time against Providence, winning 48-of-49 sets in a series that began in 2014. Twenty-two of those set victories have been by 10 or more points.
   CU has also won its last 29 sets against the Friars.
   Five of the last six meetings have taken place in Rhode Island, as PC will be making just its second trip to Omaha since December of 2018.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 16-0 all-time against Providence and Friars coach Margot Royer-Johnson.
Series History vs. Connecticut
Creighton is 4-2 all-time against Connecticut, with three of those meetings going five sets.
   Creighton swept the lone meeting last year (25-12, 25-21, 25-13), which took place in Storrs.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 4-2 all-time against UConn and 4-1 against Ellen Herman-Kimball.
Series History vs. Marquette
Creighton is 26-7 all-time against Marquette, and are 22-4 (including 13-1 at home) since the start of the 2014 season against MU.
   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 26-7 in the history of the series, and Creighton has won all seven match-ups to go five sets.
   Creighton is 26-1 all-time against the Golden Eagles when winning at least one set, including the last 22 such matches since a setback in the 2013 BIG EAST Tournament final.
   Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 26-7 against Marquette and 22-4 against Ryan Theis.
With A Win On Friday...
- Creighton would win its 11th straight BIG EAST opener.
- Creighton would extend its program-record home win streak to 19 straight matches.
- Creighton would win its 35th straight home match against a BIG EAST team.
- Creighton would improve to 17-0 all-time against Providence.
- Creighton would win its 23rd straight match against an unranked team.
- Creighton would win its 14th straight regular-season BIG EAST match.
- Creighton would win its 16th straight match against a BIG EAST team.
128 Weeks As A Ranked Team
Creighton is ranked sixth in this week's AVCA poll, the 128th time in program history it's been ranked. That's tied for 41st-most of all programs in NCAA history.
   This week is Creighton's third straight week this fall and 24th week all-time as a Top 10 team.
   The No. 6 ranking is the best ranking in program history, surpassing the No. 7 on Aug. 28, 2017.
   All 128 rankings have occurred since 2012 and under the direction of Kirsten Bernthal Booth.
   The Bluejays are one of 15 schools (along with Baylor, BYU, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, Stanford, Texas and Wisconsin) to have been ranked each of the last 51 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.   123*   Florida
       123*   Kentucky
       123*   Texas
   4.   114   Nebraska
       114   Penn State
       114   BYU
       114   Purdue
       114   Wisconsin
   9.   112*   Baylor
   10.   108   Creighton
   11.   107*   Pittsburgh
   12.   106   Stanford
       106   Minnesota
   14.   99   Oregon
   15.   91   Washington
   16.   87*   Louisville
* includes 9 weeks in Fall of 2020 when most schools didn't play
Best Rankings Ever
Creighton is ranked sixth in this week's AVCA poll, its best mark ever. This is the program's 24th Top 10 ranking ever.
Date   Rank
September 23, 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
League Opener Histories
Including last year's sweep at Butler, Creighton owns a 22-8 record all-time in conference openers, including a 19-2 record under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. That includes a 10-1 mark in BIG EAST lid-lifters, and 10 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 of the last 11 conference tournament titles during those years, going 20-1 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 25-5 overall and 19-2 under Booth, with 13 straight wins.
   In league road openers, Creighton is 21-9 overall and 18-3 under Booth, with 10 straight wins.
   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.
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.
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 100-4 in home matches against BIG EAST teams (91-3 in the regular-season, 9-1 in the BIG EAST Tournament).
   Since November of 2014, Creighton is 84-1 inside D.J. Sokol Arena against BIG EAST teams, which includes a 76-1 league mark and a 8-0 mark in the conference tournament. The only setback (on Feb. 6, 2021 vs. Marquette) was played as a non-conference match, only to be flipped to a league contest 19 days later.
   Put another way, since enrolling at Creighton in the fall of 2020, Bluejay seniors Abbey Milner, Kendra Wait and Norah Sis are 28-0 in home matches against BIG EAST teams, and 84-8 in sets.
   Creighton has won 34 straight regular-season sets against BIG EAST opponents inside D.J. Sokol Arena, as well as 34 straight matches against BIG EAST opposition at home.
Easy PC
Creighton owns 16 straight wins over Providencel, tied for its seventh-longest win streak ever against one program.
   Last weekend the Bluejays earned their 23rd straight win over DePaul, tying a mark it had snapped earlier this season vs. Xavier.
Most Consecutive Match Wins Over One Team
   Wins   Opponent   Dates
   24   DePaul   2013-Present
   23   Xavier   2013-22
   20   Georgetown   2013-Present
   20   Butler   2013-Present
   19   Southern Illinois   2003-11
   18   Seton Hall   2014-Present
   16   Providence   2014-Present
   16   Indiana State   2005-Present
Hall Mark
Creighton has swept Providence each of the last nine meetings, and won each of the last 29 sets against the Friars.
   The 29 straight set victories over Providence is the second-longest streak in program history over one opponent.
Most Consecutive Set Wins Over One Team
   Wins   Opponent   Dates
   50   Seton Hall   2015-Present
   29   Providence   2017-Present
   25   Indiana State   2005-09
   24   Xavier   2015-18
   23   Indiana State   2009-Present
   22   Georgetown   2019-Present
   19   Providence   2014-17
   19   Butler   2018-21
BIG EAST'S Best
Since the reconfigufration of the BIG EAST in the summer of 2013, Creighton, Marquette and St. John's are the only teams to win any sort of BIG EAST volleyball title.
   Creighton owns 10 regular-season titles (3 shared) in that time, while Marquette owns four regular-season (3 shared) crowns.
   As it relates to BIG EAST Tournament titles, Creighton has won nine, Marquette one and St. John's one since 2013.
   Below is a look at the record of each BIG EAST team since league realignment in 2013:
BIG EAST VB Standings, 2013 - Sept. 23, 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 170Â Â Â 16Â Â Â 292Â Â Â 72
Marquette (10)Â Â Â 153Â Â Â 30Â Â Â 263Â Â Â 89
Xavier   108   76   171   160
Butler   98   88   173   163
St. John's (1)Â Â Â 94Â Â Â 92Â Â Â 209Â Â Â 151
Villanova (1)Â Â Â 91Â Â Â 95Â Â Â 178Â Â Â 153
Seton Hall (1)Â Â Â 80Â Â Â 105Â Â Â 161Â Â Â 174
DePaul   55   131   136   191
Georgetown   40   138   107   207
Connecticut#Â Â Â 30Â Â Â 32Â Â Â 65Â Â Â 54
Providence*Â Â Â 29Â Â Â 141Â Â Â 111Â Â Â 192
*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.
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 55-5 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 49-8, with six losses coming against the Bluejays compared to a 44-2 mark against everyone else, with the other two losses coming at St. John's.
Thorn In Their Side
Marquette is 263-89 since the start of the 2014 season, but just 4-22 in that time against Creighton.
   In other words, the Golden Eagles own a .154 winning percentage against Creighton (4-22) compared to a .795 mark (259-67) 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 3-13 against Creighton (.188) and 143-30 (.827) against everyone else.
BIG EAST Behemoths
Creighton and Marquette ought to be quite familiar with each other by this point.
   Tuesday will mark the 12th 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 eight of those 11 recent contests.
   Tuesday will also be the 20th meeting since Oct. 17, 2017 between the BIG EAST behemoths. CU is 15-4 in the last 19 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 BIG EAST play in 2024.
Stat   CU   MU   Everyone Else
BIG EAST Reg-Season W-LÂ Â Â 170-16Â Â Â 153-30Â Â Â 623-900
BIG EAST Play Win Percentage   .914   .836   .409
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
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 Tuesday.
   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.
Tuesday Night Lights
The match vs. Marquette is a rare home match on a Tuesday, as it's the first Tuesday home contest since 2015.
   Since moving into D.J. Sokol Arena in 2009, Creighton's played just five previous Tuesday matches in the facility, and only one of those were a league contest.
   Here's a look at the previous Tuesday tilts:
Date   Score
9/22/09Â Â Â Creighton 3, South Dakota State 0
8/31/10Â Â Â #7 Nebraska 3, Creighton 0
9/25/12Â Â Â Creighton 3, South Dakota 1
9/10/13Â Â Â #24 Creighton 3, Kansas 1
10/6/15Â Â Â Creighton 3, Georgetown 0
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   ???   ???
Bluejays Sweep Weekly BIG EAST Awards
Coming off a huge weekend that featured back-to-back Top 10 victories, the Creighton Volleyball team swept all four awards handed out by the BIG EAST Conference on Monday.
   Norah Sis was named Offensive Player of the Week, Kendra Wait tabbed Setter of the Week, Kiara Reinhardt recognized as Defensive Player of the Week and Jaya Johnson awarded Freshman of the Week.
   Sis averaged 4.43 kills, 2.00 digs, 0.71 blocks and 0.14 aces on .303 hitting to earn her second BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week this season (Sept. 9), and eighth of her career.
   Wait averaged 13.71 assists, 3.71 digs, 1.29 blocks and 0.86 kills per set and hit .267, attaining a pair of double-doubles. This is her third BIG EAST Setter of the Week award in the first four weeks of the season.
   Reinhardt averaged 1.57 blocks, 1.86 kills, 0.86 digs and hit .524 to help Creighton to the Jayhawk Classic title. This is her third career BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week honor.
   Johnson averaged 2.71 kills, 0.86 digs and 0.57 blocks per set and hit .438 in the two wins. It is Johnson's second BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honor of the young season (also Sept. 2).
October Excellence
Creighton has won 40 straight home matches played in the month of October, last losing in the month at home on Oct. 15, 2011 vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa.
   How long has it been? Creighton freshmen Alivia Hausmann and Emersen Strain were each five years old at the time.
The Gauntlet
Creighton played five non-conference matches against Top 25 teams, winning three of those, as part of a non-conference schedule ranked as the nation's fifth-toughest.
   This year was the fifth time in program history that Creighton played five or more Top 25 opponents prior to conference play, also doing so in 2014 (going 0-5), 2015 (1-4), 2017 (3-3) and 2019 (2-3).
   This year's 11-match gauntlet ended with the first time that Creighton has ever played three consecutive matches against Top 10 foes (No. 4 Louisville, No. 6 Purdue, No. 10 Kansas), also part of the first time Creighton played four Top 10 teams in the same month.
   The only other Bluejay teams to play four Top 10 teams in the same season were in 2015 (5, with one of those in the NCAA Tournament), 2016 (4, with two of those in the NCAA Tournament), 2018 (4) and 2019 (4, with one of those in the NCAA Tournament). The challenging schedule paid off in each case, as those previous four teams went a combined 70-2 in league play and 8-0 in league tournament action and 7-4 in NCAA Tournament play.
   The only other time Creighton has previously played five ranked teams in the same month was September of 2017, a stretch that also featured matches on consecutive days against ranked Purdue and Kansas teams in Lawrence.
Strength Of Schedule
Here's how the BIG EAST teams compare in strength of schedule as the league enters conference play, as well as everyone's RPI and record against Top 100 RPI teams.
   SOS*   RPI*   Team   W-L   vs Top 100
   4   36   Marquette   4-5   2-4
   5   4   Creighton   9-2   6-2
   174   110   DePaul   8-4   1-2
   193   127   Villanova   7-4   0-2
   194   231   Georgetown   7-5   0-2
   242   304   Butler   2-10   0-4
   274   211   Seton Hall   6-5   0-3
   276   310   Xavier   2-8   0-1
   277   103   St. John's   11-3   1-2
   288   48   Connecticut   12-0   1-0
   316   234   Providence   7-4   0-1
*SOS based on NCAA report; RPI based on unofficial FigStats
All They Do Is Win
Creighton won its final 13 regular-season BIG EAST matches last season. That's the program's fifth-longest streak of league wins in team history, but not even halfway to the record.
Creighton's Most Consecutive Regular-Season League Wins
   Wins   Dates   Snapped By   League
   31   Nov. 18, 2017 - Nov. 3, 2019    at Villanova, 3-0   BIG EAST
   28   Oct. 31, 2015 - Sept. 30, 2017   at Marquette, 3-0   BIG EAST
   28   Oct. 17, 2021- Nov. 18, 2022   at #16 Marquette, 3-0     BIG EAST
   14   Sept. 29, 2012 - End of 2012   Never (left MVC)   MVC
   13   Oct. 7, 2023 - Present   ? ? ?   BIG EAST
   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
Stepping Up
Creighton's played five ranked teams in the past three weeks, 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 3.67 digs per set versus unranked foes.
   Sydney Breissinger averages 2.43 digs per set against Top 25 competition compared to 1.72 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 0.72 aces against unranked foes (13 aces in 18 sets).
Dominance Against The Unranked
Creighton has yet to drop a set in six matches this season against unranked opponents, sweeping NC State, Missouri, Drake, Kansas State, UNI and Rice.
   Creighton has outscored unranked opponents 450-311, winning an incredible 59.1 percent of all points.
   Creighton has allowed 20 or more points in just six of the 18 sets against unranked foes.
   The Bluejays are hitting .297 against unranked teams this year, while holding those foes to .104. CU also owns decisive advantages in kills (264-184), aces (31-13), digs (280-243) and blocks (53-22) in those matches.
The Incredible Third Sets
Creighton is 11-0 in the third set this season, outscoring foes 283-190. In its recent stretch of three straight Top 10 foes, the Bluejays outscored those teams by an incredible 75-43 margin.
   Creighton is hitting .323 in the third set this year, its best of any frame. That figure grows to .342 in the third set against ranked teams this fall.
Milestone Watch
Creighton's student-athletes are approaching all sorts of milestones.
   Maddy Bilinovic owns 948 career digs, just 52 shy of 1,000 for her career. The first 790 of those came with Penn State.
   Sydney Breissinger owns 367 career digs, putting her 33 shy of 400. She's also eight aces shy of 50.
   Elise Goetzinger is 25 kills shy of 700 in her career and 22 blocks shy of 300 in her career. That includes 579 kills and 231 blocks with Kentucky.
   Jaya Johnson is 29 kills away from 100.
   Ava Martin has 389 digs, 11 short of 400.
   Norah Sis owns 1,380 career kills. She's five behind Jessica Houts (1,385) for sixth, 34 behind Kelly Goc (1,414) for fifth and 47 shy of Taryn Kloth (1,427) for fourth place. Sis also enters this weekend having played in 99 career matches.
   Kendra Wait enters the weekend five blocks shy of 300 in her career.
   Wait also owns 1,705 career assists inside D.J. Sokol Arena, just 169 shy of Megan Bober's facility record of 1,874. Wait's 4,112 career assists (in all venues) is 95 shy of Kailey Reyes' 4,207 for third in CU history, and 247 short of Megan Bober's 4,359 for second place.
   Wait's 1,246 career digs are 12 shy of Reyes' 1,258 for sixth in program history.
4,000 And Counting
Kendra Wait surpassed the 4,000 assist mark in the Sept. 15 match at No. 4 Louisville and starts this weekend with 4,112 in her career.
   That puts her less than 100 assists away from third place less than 250 out of second place.
Career Assists
       Name   Sets   No.   Years
   1.   Korie Lebeda   428   5,281   2005-08
   2.   Megan Bober   480   4,359   2009-12
   3.   Kailey Reyes   368   4,207   1998-01
   5.   Kendra Wait   385   4,112   2021-Pr.
   4.   Melissa Weisensee   411   4,018   1994-97
   6.   Brittany Coleman   259   2,711   2003-05
   7.   Lydia Dimke   237   2,614   2016-17
   8.   Madelyn Cole   225   2,469   2018-19
   9.   Michelle Sicner   384   2,014   2011-14
   10.   Maggie Baumert   191   1,975   2014-15
Doubling Up
Kendra Wait has had a double-double in eight matches this season, and finished one dig shy in each of the three others.
   Wait's 61 double-doubles (in 111 matches played) rank third-most in program history with at least 18 matches still on the schedule.
   Wait has owned a double-double in each of her last eight matches against a Top 25 foe and 16-of-18 overall contests against the Top 25 in her career.
Career Matches With a Double-Double, Career
   D-D   Name   Years
   65   Melissa Weisensee   1994-97
   64   Kailey Reyes   1998-01
   61   Kendra Wait   2021-Present
   60   Melissa Walsh   1998-01
   58   Jaali Winters   2015-18
Hidden Stats
Creighton has owned more aces than its opponent in 10-of-11 matches this season, and tied Missouri in the other.
   When it comes to blocks, Creighton has outblocked 9-of-11 opponents this year, losing that category only to USC and Louisville.
   Creighton has outdug every opponent this season except Nebraska.
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 had a multi-match losing streak last season alone.
   Creighton has also won its last 17 matches after a five-set loss, a streak that dates back to early in the 2016 campaign.
   And while not in jeopardy on Friday, it's still worth bragging about that Creighton has also not lost back-to-back matches against conference foes since a three-match losing streak in November of 2011.
No Losers Here
Creighton has been as good as anyone at avoiding losses in recent seasons.
   Creighton, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Texas, Western Kentucky and Wisconsin are the nation's only teams with five losses or less in the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons.
   If you go back two years more, the nation's only teams to lose six times or less in the 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons are Creighton, Pittsburgh and Texas.
   Creighton is one of just two schools nationally who have won 25 matches or more in every season between 2014-23 (not counting the 2020 COVID-19 year). That group consists of BYU and Creighton.
Hunting The Top 10
Creighton is 10-36 all-time against top-10 teams, including a 10-29 mark under Kirsten Bernthal Booth, and a 2-2 record this year.
   Nine of the 10 victories came away from home, including four sweeps. All four top-five triumphs were also away from home.
   The highest-ranked teams that Creighton has ever beaten are No. 3 Washington (8/26/2017) and No. 3 Kentucky (9/4/2021), both on the road.
Creighton's All-Time Top 10 Wins
Date   Opponent   Score
09/05/15Â 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
Nationwide Success
With a 176-13 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
   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.
   Creighton has won 69-of-81 sets in its past 24 matches dating to midway through last season.
Fewest Sets Lost in 2023
Rk.   Sets Lost   Team
1.   22   Creighton
   22   Nebraska
   22   Dayton
4.   23   Wisconsin
   23   Tennessee
   23   Western Michigan
Set-tle Down
Since the start of the 2021 season, Creighton is 73-3 in three-set matches, 14-4 in four-set matches and 9-9 in five set contests.
The Streak At Home
Creighton had its first unbeaten home season in program history last year, going a perfect 13-0 in matches and 39-3 in sets.
   With five more wins this season, the Bluejays have set a program record with 18 straight home wins, surpassing a 15-match home win streak from Sept. 7-Nov. 30, 2018 that had been the standard.
   Creighton's 18-match home win streak is the sixth-longest active streak in the country.
   Creighton has won 47 of its last 48 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
   18   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 (9/23)
Wins   Team   Next Home Match
   32   Stephen F. Austin   9/26 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
   31   Nebraska   9/27 vs. UCLA
   27   Yale   10/5 vs. Princeton
   21   Wisconsin   10/6 vs. Washington
   20   Pittsburgh   9/25 vs. UMBC
   18   Creighton   9/27 vs. Providence
   16   Florida State   9/25 vs. Miami (Fla.)
Top 25 History
Creighton is 210-47 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 294-34 against unranked teams. Creighton has won all but three of its past 110 home matches over unranked teams and all but 13 of its last 156 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
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 16th-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).
   Creighton is 300-9 under Kirsten Bernthal Booth when hitting .250 or better and as a program has won 170 straight matches when hitting .300 or better, a streak that dates to October of 1996.
Birds Of A Feather
Creighton has showcased a pair of new jerseys this season, as Nike designed some custom-made uniforms.
   Both the white and navy ("Midnight Jays") jerseys are sleeveless in a drastic change from past years.
   The uniforms also feature several different colors of "Hyper-Elite" arm sleeves, which the players wear on their arms and can be mix & matched for a number of uniform combinations.
   If you look closely, the arms sleeves also have a feather design pattern, a nod to Creighton's Bluejay nickname.
   That's not all...Creighton is expected to debut another new jersey during this homestand.
Her Kind Of City
Kentucky transfer Elise Goetzinger is a perfect 13-0 in matches played in Omaha in her career.
   Goetzinger started all five of UK's matches en route to the 2020 national title (in the spring of 2021), which were played in CHI Health Center Omaha's convention center and arena. The Wildcats beat UNLV, No. 18 Western Kentucky, No. 9 Purdue, No. 7 Washington and No. 5 Texas en route to the championship.
   In 2022 Goetzinger was named to the All-Tournament Team while helping the Wildcats to the Bluejay Invitational title with wins over UNI, No. 17 Creighton and No. 25 USC.
   During those 13 wins, Goetzinger owns 86 kills and 46 blocks while hitting .425 in 43 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 2,346 fans per home match (25th-best nationally), including a crowd of 2,569 on Aug. 30 vs. NC State that was the third-largest volleyball crowd ever inside D.J. Sokol Arena.
Creighton Volleyball's Largest Home Crowds
   Att.   Opponent   Date   CU Result   Facility
   15,797   #2 Nebraska   09/07/22   L 2-3   CHI Health Ctr.
   14,022   #7 Nebraska   09/06/18   L 2-3   CHI Health Ctr.
   13,081   #18 Cal Poly   09/02/07   L 0-3   CHI Health Ctr.
   12,112   #1 Nebraska   09/24/06   L 1-3   CHI Health Ctr.
   11,279   #3 Nebraska   09/08/21   L 0-3   CHI Health Ctr.
   10,131   #4 Nebraska   09/15/15   L 0-3   CHI Health Ctr.
   8,037   #2 Nebraska   10/05/08   L 0-3   CHI Health Ctr.
   2,653   Auburn   12/02/22   L 2-3   D.J. Sokol Arena
   2,578   #13 Kentucky   09/01/17   W 3-0   D.J. Sokol Arena
   2,569   NC State   08/30/24   W 3-0   D.J. Sokol Arena
   2,568   Minnesota   12/02/23   W 3-0   D.J. Sokol Arena
   2,563   Colgate   12/01/23   W 3-0   D.J. Sokol Arena
   2,552   South Dakota   11/30/18   W 3-0   D.J. Sokol Arena
   2,517   Coastal Carolina   12/01/17   W 3-1   D.J. Sokol Arena
   2,514   #7 Nebraska   08/31/10   L 0-3   D.J. Sokol Arena
   2,509   #22 Washington   12/01/18   L 0-3   D.J. Sokol Arena
   2,504   #9 Marquette   11/22/19   W 3-1   D.J. Sokol Arena
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.   283   9   .969
When Hitting .250+Â Â Â 200Â Â Â 6Â Â Â .971
When Hitting .300+Â Â Â 109Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 1.000
When Serving 10+ Aces   17   2   .895
When Owning More Kills   272   21   .928
When Owning More Aces   204   21   .907
When Owning More Digs   235   21   .918
When Owning More Blocks   215   17   .927
Olympians Made Here
Taryn Kloth made history earlier this summer when the 2018 graduate became the first female Creighton student-athlete to compete in the Olympics.
   The South Dakota native paired with Kristen Nuss to tie for ninth place in Beach Volleyball, winning their first three matches before losing to a team from Canada that went on to win the silver medal.
   Head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth and associate head coach Angie Oxley Behrens both made the trip to Paris to watch three of Kloth's matches.
   Kloth was a First Team All-BIG EAST choice in 2016 and 2018 and named BIG EAST Tournament MVP in 2017. She ranks fourth in CU history with 1,427 career kills and won four BIG EAST regular-season and tournament titles.
61*
Creighton Volleyball traditionally owns one of the nation's top non-conference schedules, but head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth might have outdone herself this year.
   All 11 of Creighton's non-conference matches were against teams with a Top 61 RPI last year.
   Each of the top four teams that Creighton plays from that list will be faced 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
12 Straight NCAA's
Creighton Volleyball has made the NCAA Tournament in each of the previous 12 seasons. They are the first women's team in any sport at Creighton to make 12 straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
   The only other sport in Creighton history to make 12 straight NCAA Tournament appearances is the men's soccer program, which qualified in 17 straight seasons from 1992-2008.
    Creighton is one of seven teams nationally to have appeared in each of the last 12 NCAA Tournaments (2012-23). That group features BYU, Creighton, Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, Penn State and Texas.
   There are also 13 schools that have appeared in 13 of the last 14 NCAA Tournaments, a group that includes Creighton, Florida State, Hawai'i, Minnesota, Purdue, San Diego, Stanford and Washington. Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, Penn State, and Texas have appeared in every NCAA Tournament since at least 2010.
Year-By-Year In Non-Conference Play
Despite annually facing one of the nation's toughest non-conference schedules, Creighton has continued to excel against elite competition.
   Creighton is 11-15 against ranked non-conference foes over the last eight seasons after going 2-43 all-time vs. ranked teams in regular-season non-conference matches.
Non-Conference Records, By Year, Under Booth
Year   Non-Con W-L   vs. Ranked Non-Con   Final W-L
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
Starting At Home?
Creighton started the season with the Bluejay Invitational, the first time since the COVID-affected 2020 season (in the spring of 2021) that the Jays began at home.
   Take away that most unusual campaign and you'll find that Creighton hadn't started a fall season at home since 2010.
   This year marked the first time ever that Creighton started a season with five straight home matches.
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
Sis Is Killing It
Norah Sis enters Friday ranked seventh in Creighton history with 1,380 career kills.
   She has a chance to move into the top four in the next week.
Career Kills
       Name   Sets   No.   Years
   1.   Jaali Winters   494   1,843   2015-18
   2.   Leah Ratzlaff   409   1,622   2002-05
   3.   Melissa Walsh   394   1,596   1998-01
   4.   Taryn Kloth   462   1,427   2015-18
   5.   Kelly Goc   394   1,414   2004-07
   6.   Jessica Houts   451   1,385   2005-09
   7.   Norah Sis   345   1,380   2021-Pr.
   8.   JoDe Cieloha   398   1,375   1994-97
   9.   Leah McNary   458   1,257   2011-14
   10.   Marysa Wilkinson   499   1,183   2014-17
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 479-3 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 9-2 so far
Total   85-69   572-343
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 following a five-setter.
2-0 Better Than 0-2
Creighton is 398-11 (.973) all-time when leading a match 2-0, including a 341-5 mark (.986) under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. CU is 264-3 (.989) when up 2-0 dating to September of 2009, and 135-1 (.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 406-36 (.919) 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 153-5 in its last 158 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 140-6 in its last 146 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 177-4 in its last 181 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 109-109 since, including a 5-2 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 5-2 so far
TOTALÂ Â Â 111-144
TOTAL Under Booth   109-109
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 479 victories on the Bluejay sideline to rank fifth in school history across all sports.
Coach, Sport   Victories
Brent Vigness, Softball   819
Ed Servais, Baseball   678*
Mary Higgins, Softball   564
Tom Lilly, Men's & Women's Tennis   542*#
Kirsten Bernthal Booth, Volleyball   479*
Jim Flanery, Women's Basketball   427*
Ed Hubbs, Men's & Women's Tennis   347
Dana Altman, Men's Basketball   327
*still active coaching at Creighton
#currently just the women's tennis coach
Against The BIG EAST
Since the BIG EAST was restructured in 2013, Creighton owns a winning percentage better than .750 against each of the other teams currently in the BIG EAST.
   The Bluejays own 189 wins against BIG EAST competition (including BIG EAST Championship play) since 2013, 30 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   20-1   -   20-1
Connecticut   3-1   1-0   4-1
DePaul   22-0   2-0   24-0
Georgetown   20-0   -   20-0
Marquette   17-5   6-1   23-6
Providence   16-0   -   16-0
Seton Hall   17-3   2-0   19-3
St. John's   18-2   1-1   19-3
Villanova   17-3   3-0   20-3
Xavier   20-1   4-0   24-1
Total   170-16   19-2   189-18
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 Media Availability September 9
Tuesday, September 09
Creighton Volleyball Highlights vs. USC, 9/7/25
Sunday, September 07
Creighton Volleyball Highlights vs. UCSB - 9/6/25
Sunday, September 07
Creighton Volleyball Postgame Interview vs. UCSB - 9/6/25
Sunday, September 07
