Creighton University Athletics
2026 Volleyball Roster
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Jersey Number 9
Ayden Ames
- Position:
- Middle Blocker
- Height:
- 6-4
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Prosper, Texas
- High School:
- Prosper
Awards & Honors
2024 AVCA Southwest Region Freshman of the Year
2024 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll
2024 SEC Freshman of the Week, 12/2
2024 SEC All-Freshman Team
2025 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District
2025 AVCA All-Southwest Region Team
Summer 2026: With Team USA
• Started four matches for USA Volleyball at the NORCECA U21 Pan American Cup, helping the American side go 5-0 and win the gold medal.
• Finished the tournament with 18 kills, six blocks and three aces while hitting .400.
2026: Sophomore at Creighton
• Enrolled at Creighton in January of 2026.
• Practiced and competed with Creighton in the Spring semester.
• Owned seven kills and three blocks in spring match vs. Nebraska (April 17).
2024: Sophomore at Texas
• Started 28 of 29 appearances and averaged 1.52 kills per set while leading Texas with 109 total blocks (1.11 bps.).
• Helped Texas finish 26-4 and reach the Regional Final, in addition to the No. 6 year-end ranking in the AVCA poll.
• Named to the AVCA All-Southwest Region Team.
• Opened the season with four kills and five blocks in 3-0 win vs. No. 12 Creighton (Aug. 29).
• Led the team with nine blocks and six kills in a 3-2 win against No. 4 Louisville (Sept. 10).
• Totaled 11 kills and four blocks in the win against Alabama (Oct. 12).
• Added seven kills, a career-high eight blocks and three digs in win over eventual NCAA champ Texas A&M (Nov. 24).
• Added eight blocks and five kills in the win over Florida A&M in the NCAA First Round (Dec. 5).
• Finished with four blocks in the win over No. 25 Penn State in the NCAA Second Round (Dec. 6).
• Earned Academic All-District honors from College Sports Communicators.
• Won a gold medal with USA Volleyball at the U21 Pan American Cup.
2023: Freshman at Texas
• Started all 27 matches, finishing second on the team in total blocks with 88 and fifth on the team with 150 kills.
• UT finished the year 20-7 and ranked 11th nationally.
• Had a season-high 11 kills in the win against Ole Miss (Nov. 30).
• Owned a season-high seven blocks against Minnesota (Sept. 2), Missouri (Nov. 1), Mississippi State (Nov. 6), and Southern California (Dec. 6).
• Had eight kills and two blocks on .538 hitting in Sweet 16 match vs. No. 6 Creighton (Dec. 13).
Prosper High School
• Named 2023-24 Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year as well as 2023 Gatorade Texas Volleyball Player of the Year.
• Three-year middle blocker and outside hitter for head coach Ashlee McCormick at Prosper High School, where she led the Eagles to a 37-10 record in 2023 and a berth in the 6A state semifinals.
• Named an AVCA First Team All-American and the Dallas Morning News Player of the Year.
• Finished her high school career with 1,594 kills, 312 total blocks, and 96 aces in three varsity seasons.
• A member of 2023 USA U19 team that won the FIVB U19 World Championship.
• Recognized as a 2023 Under Armour All-American.
• Was the No 1 ranked player in the state of Texas and No. 3 ranked recruit nationally according to Prep Dig.
• A 2023 AVCA Best and Brightest Award recipient and winner of the 2023 AVCA High School All-Region Award.
• Named to the 2022 Texas Coaches Association Class 6A All-State Team and won the 2022 Dallas Morning News Hitter of the Year, SportsDay HS Hitter of the Year and 2022 District 5-6A Offensive Player of the Year.
• Led Prosper High School to an undefeated district season and District 5-6A Championship in 2022.
• Named to 2021 Texas Coaches Association Class 6A All-State Team.
• Selected to USA Volleyball 2021 NTDP U16 Fall Training Series.
Personal
• Daughter of Laura Ames and David Thau.
• Has two siblings, Jake Thau and Julia Thau.
• A communication major.
• Nickname is Triple A.
• Three words to describe her hometown are suburb, cow and yeehaw.
• Favorite food is sushi.
• Dream vacation destination is Greece.
• Celebrity she wants to meet is Ella Langley.
• Best birthday gift ever was tickets to Morgan Wallen.
• Most improved teammate is Rayna Christianson.
• Favorite professor at Creighton is Father Padanastro.
• Life advice is don’t let other people determine your worth.
• Chose Creighton because of the coaches, support staff and to compete for a national title.
• Best sports memory is winning Gatorade National Player of the Year in 2023.
• Favorite show on Netflix is Nobody Wants This.
• Hidden talent is her creativity and she’s good at art.
• Match she’s most excited for is Nebraska in Lincoln.
• NIL deal she wants is Energizer Batteries, because her initials are AAA.
• Reality show she’d star in is Dream Home Makeover.
• Thinka Maia Mitchell would play her in a movie.
2024 AVCA Southwest Region Freshman of the Year
2024 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll
2024 SEC Freshman of the Week, 12/2
2024 SEC All-Freshman Team
2025 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District
2025 AVCA All-Southwest Region Team
Summer 2026: With Team USA
• Started four matches for USA Volleyball at the NORCECA U21 Pan American Cup, helping the American side go 5-0 and win the gold medal.
• Finished the tournament with 18 kills, six blocks and three aces while hitting .400.
2026: Sophomore at Creighton
• Enrolled at Creighton in January of 2026.
• Practiced and competed with Creighton in the Spring semester.
• Owned seven kills and three blocks in spring match vs. Nebraska (April 17).
2024: Sophomore at Texas
• Started 28 of 29 appearances and averaged 1.52 kills per set while leading Texas with 109 total blocks (1.11 bps.).
• Helped Texas finish 26-4 and reach the Regional Final, in addition to the No. 6 year-end ranking in the AVCA poll.
• Named to the AVCA All-Southwest Region Team.
• Opened the season with four kills and five blocks in 3-0 win vs. No. 12 Creighton (Aug. 29).
• Led the team with nine blocks and six kills in a 3-2 win against No. 4 Louisville (Sept. 10).
• Totaled 11 kills and four blocks in the win against Alabama (Oct. 12).
• Added seven kills, a career-high eight blocks and three digs in win over eventual NCAA champ Texas A&M (Nov. 24).
• Added eight blocks and five kills in the win over Florida A&M in the NCAA First Round (Dec. 5).
• Finished with four blocks in the win over No. 25 Penn State in the NCAA Second Round (Dec. 6).
• Earned Academic All-District honors from College Sports Communicators.
• Won a gold medal with USA Volleyball at the U21 Pan American Cup.
2023: Freshman at Texas
• Started all 27 matches, finishing second on the team in total blocks with 88 and fifth on the team with 150 kills.
• UT finished the year 20-7 and ranked 11th nationally.
• Had a season-high 11 kills in the win against Ole Miss (Nov. 30).
• Owned a season-high seven blocks against Minnesota (Sept. 2), Missouri (Nov. 1), Mississippi State (Nov. 6), and Southern California (Dec. 6).
• Had eight kills and two blocks on .538 hitting in Sweet 16 match vs. No. 6 Creighton (Dec. 13).
Prosper High School
• Named 2023-24 Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year as well as 2023 Gatorade Texas Volleyball Player of the Year.
• Three-year middle blocker and outside hitter for head coach Ashlee McCormick at Prosper High School, where she led the Eagles to a 37-10 record in 2023 and a berth in the 6A state semifinals.
• Named an AVCA First Team All-American and the Dallas Morning News Player of the Year.
• Finished her high school career with 1,594 kills, 312 total blocks, and 96 aces in three varsity seasons.
• A member of 2023 USA U19 team that won the FIVB U19 World Championship.
• Recognized as a 2023 Under Armour All-American.
• Was the No 1 ranked player in the state of Texas and No. 3 ranked recruit nationally according to Prep Dig.
• A 2023 AVCA Best and Brightest Award recipient and winner of the 2023 AVCA High School All-Region Award.
• Named to the 2022 Texas Coaches Association Class 6A All-State Team and won the 2022 Dallas Morning News Hitter of the Year, SportsDay HS Hitter of the Year and 2022 District 5-6A Offensive Player of the Year.
• Led Prosper High School to an undefeated district season and District 5-6A Championship in 2022.
• Named to 2021 Texas Coaches Association Class 6A All-State Team.
• Selected to USA Volleyball 2021 NTDP U16 Fall Training Series.
Personal
• Daughter of Laura Ames and David Thau.
• Has two siblings, Jake Thau and Julia Thau.
• A communication major.
• Nickname is Triple A.
• Three words to describe her hometown are suburb, cow and yeehaw.
• Favorite food is sushi.
• Dream vacation destination is Greece.
• Celebrity she wants to meet is Ella Langley.
• Best birthday gift ever was tickets to Morgan Wallen.
• Most improved teammate is Rayna Christianson.
• Favorite professor at Creighton is Father Padanastro.
• Life advice is don’t let other people determine your worth.
• Chose Creighton because of the coaches, support staff and to compete for a national title.
• Best sports memory is winning Gatorade National Player of the Year in 2023.
• Favorite show on Netflix is Nobody Wants This.
• Hidden talent is her creativity and she’s good at art.
• Match she’s most excited for is Nebraska in Lincoln.
• NIL deal she wants is Energizer Batteries, because her initials are AAA.
• Reality show she’d star in is Dream Home Makeover.
• Thinka Maia Mitchell would play her in a movie.
Monday, June 08
Wednesday, May 27
Tuesday, May 26
Saturday, April 18
