#12 Volleyball Opens Regular-Season at Bluejay Invitational

Bluejay Invitational
All matches played at D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha, Neb.
Drake vs. Missouri • Friday, Aug. 30 • 3:30 p.m. | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | MU NOTES | DU NOTES |
NC State at #12 Creighton • Friday, Aug. 30 • 6 p.m. | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | CU NOTES | NCST NOTES |

NC State vs. Drake • Saturday, Aug. 31 • 2:30 p.m. | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | | NCST NOTES | DU NOTES |
Missouri at #12 Creighton • Saturday, Aug. 31 • 5 p.m. | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | CU NOTES | MU NOTES |

Missouri vs. NC State • Sunday, Sept. 1 • 12:00 p.m. | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | NCST NOTES | MU NOTES |
Drake at #12 Creighton • Sunday, Sept. 1 • 2:30 p.m. | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | CU NOTES | DU NOTES |

This Weekend
No. 12 Creighton opens its 2024 schedule this weekend when it hosts the Bluejay Invitational against three teams with postseason aspirations.
    The tournament begins on Friday, Aug. 30 at 3:30 p.m. when Drake meets Missouri, which precedes Creighton's match-up against NC State at 6 p.m.
    On Saturday, Aug. 31, NC State meets Drake at 2:30 p.m., followed by Creighton welcoming Missouri at 5 p.m.
    The event wraps up on Sunday, Sept. 1., when Missouri takes on NC State at Noon before closing when Drake faces Creighton at 2:30 p.m.
    D.J. Sokol Arena (2,500) in Omaha, Neb., will host the action.

Weekend Promotions
Friday is Fraternity & Sorority Life Night. The fraternity or sorority with the highest attendance will receive a donation to their chosen philanthropy. Additionally, 125 free hot dog vouchers will be available for students.
    Saturday's match promotion is a Camper Reunion. Additionally, the first 400 fans will receive a Creighton wrist lanyard. Natalia Valentine-Anderson and Allison Whitten from the Omaha Supernovas will be on hand, as well, to sign autographs.
    Sunday is the Rally in the Valley Day, a throwback to CU's time in the Missouri Valley Conference with Drake. There will be two fan raffles for a retro jersey from CU's time in the MVC.

Broadcast Information
All six matches of the Bluejay Invitational will be streamed on FloSports, which requires a subscription. The 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.
    Only Creighton's matches during the Bluejay Invitational will feature announcers. Friday's CU match vs. NC State will be called by Noah Sullinger and Megan Epperson, while CU's contests against Missouri and Drake will be announced by Jon Schriner and Kate Elman.
    Audio of all three Creighton matches will also be simulcast on 1180 the Zone (KZOT), and at http://GoCreighton.com/listen1180.

Live Stats Information
Every match this week will have free live stats at http://Creighton.StatBroadcast.com.
    Links will also be on the GoCreighton.com volleyball schedule page.

Scouting #12 Creighton
Creighton returns four starters from last season's 29-5 squad that reached an 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.
    The Bluejays return three All-BIG EAST selections from a year ago, a group led by 2023 BIG EAST Player of the Year Kendra Wait (10.36 aps., 3.41 dps., 1.14 kps., 0.78 bps,. .366%), 2022 BIG EAST Player of the Year Norah Sis (3.92 kps., 2.69 dps.) and Ava Martin (3.59 kps., .280%). Sis was named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year for the third straight fall.
    Also back are key contributors Kiara Reinhardt (1.35 kps. 0.92 bps., .336%), Destiny Ndam-Simpson (2.19 kps.), Sky McCune (2.06 dps.) and Sydney Breissinger (2.91 dps., 0.33 saps.).
    Creighton picked up transfers Maddy Bilinovic (Penn State) and Elise Goetzinger (Kentucky) in addition to adding four freshmen.
     CU averaged 14.53 kills, 1.53 aces, 16.13 digs and 2.25 blocks per set and hit .284 last season.

Scouting NC State
NC State went 22-7 last season but were left out of the NCAA Tournament despite a No. 43 RPI. The Wolfpack went just 1-4 against Top 50 opponents last year, with that lone win coming on Oct. 1 against the same Louisville team that would defeat Creighton in the Sweet 16.
    Second Team All-ACC performers Ava Brizard (3.53 kps.) and Amanda Rice (3.25 kps., .297%) lead NC State's returning nucleus, as do part-time setter Naomi Cabello (4.17 aps.), libero Skye Stokes (3.65 dps., 0.39 saps.) and middle blocker Jada Allen (1.51 kps., .372%, 1.02 bps.).
    The Wolfpack averaged 13.36 kills, 1.67 aces, 14.17 digs and 2.11 blocks per set last year while hitting .243 as a team.
    This year's NC State team is picked eighth in the jumbo-sized ACC, which now has 18 schools after adding Stanford, Cal and SMU.

Scouting Missouri
Missouri went 18-13 last season, reaching the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament before getting swept at Nebraska. The Tigers had a year-end RPI of 34 despite going 0-8 against Top 25 RPI squads.
    Mizzou is paced by RS Jordan Iliff (3.40 kps., 0.39 saps.), who spent a week in Anaheim training with the 2024 Women's Collegiate National Team alongside Creighton's Ava Martin.
    Junior OH Janet deMarrais (3.25 kps.) and sophomore setter Sierra Dudley (10.27 aps.) are also back in the fold, as is 2023 SEC Libero of the Year Maya Sands (4.71 dps.).
    Newcomers to watch include Oregon State transfer Mychael Vernon (3.57 kps.), WAC Libero of the Year Kiaraliz Perez Catala (4.83 dps. at UTRGV) and top-five recruit Claire Morrissey.
    Last year's Missouri team averaged 12.89 kills, 1.57 aces, 13.90 digs and 1.93 blocks per set while hitting .218.
    The Tigers were picked to finish sixth in the preseason SEC poll, with Iliff being named to the 18-member Preseason All-Conference squad.

Scouting Drake
Drake went 24-11 last season, reaching the final of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and losing in the quarterfinals of the NIVC to finish with an RPI of 52.
    The Bulldogs lost top weapons Haley Bush (3.46 kps.) and Taylor Oberpriller (3.87 kps., 2.92 dps.) but do return outside hitter Macy Daufeldt (3.22 kps.), setter Addison Beagle (8.53 aps.) and star libero Jada Wills (5.75 dps.).
    Drake averaged 13.74 kills, 1.16 aces, 17.46 digs and 2.38 blocks per set while hitting .253 a year ago.
    Coming off back-to-back runner-up finishes, the Bulldogs are picked to finish third in the MVC.

Creighton Coaches
Creighton is coached by Kirsten Bernthal Booth (Truman State, 1997), who owns a 470-189 record entering 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 last 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 also 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. NC State
Creighton and swept NC State on Aug. 31, 2018 in the only previous meeting between the schools by a 25-19, 25-21, 25-22 score. That took place at the DoubleTree Classic in Dallas, Texas, as part of an event hosted by SMU.
    Creighton senior Taryn Kloth led all players with 14 kills in the match and hit .379 as the future Olympian surpassed 1,000 career kills.
    Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 1-0 all-time against NC State, but has never faced Luka Slabe.

Series History vs. Missouri
Creighton is 2-0 all-time against Missouri, beating the Tigers 3-1 on Sept. 10, 2004 (31-29, 16-30, 30-26, 20-28) and 3-0 on Aug. 28, 2021 (25-21, 25-10, 25-13). Both of those matches took place in Columbia, Mo.
    In the 2021 meeting, then-freshman Norah Sis had 10 kills, with 9 digs, while classmate Kendra Wait (29 assists, 15 digs) wrapped up their first collegiate weekend together by earning spots on the Mizzou Invitational All-Tournament Team.
    Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 2-0 all-time against Missouri but has never faced Dawn Sullivan.

Series History vs. Drake
Creighton is 26-15 all-time against Drake, including a 14-7 mark in Omaha. CU has won the past seven match-ups, but the teams have met just once since the Bluejays moved to the BIG EAST Conference in the summer of 2013 (in 2019, a 3-1 CU win).
    Creighton lost nine of the first 10 match-ups with the Bulldogs, but the tables turned after Kirsten Bernthal Booth arrived in Omaha in 2003, as Booth is 20-3 against Drake (12-0 in Omaha) and 1-0 against Darrin McBroom.

Last Season Summary
Creighton went 29-5 last season, earned a 10th straight BIG EAST regular-season title, won its ninth BIG EAST Tournament in the past 10 seasons, and played in its 12th consecutive NCAA Tournament as it reached the Sweet 16.
    Kendra Wait was named BIG EAST Player of the Year and BIG EAST Setter of the Year as well as an AVCA Third Team All-American. Also named All-BIG EAST were Ava Martin, Kiana Schmitt and Norah Sis.
    CU posted three top-25 victories on the fall, topping No. 16 Purdue (Aug. 26), No. 9 Minnesota (Sept. 16) and No. 25 Marquette (Nov. 5), and finished the year 13-0 at home.

Hello World!
Fifth-year transfers Maddy Bilinovic and Elise Goetzinger, redshirt freshman Jaya Johnson and four Bluejay true freshmen (Alivia Hausmann, Emersen Strain, Sophia Wendlick and Nora Wurtz), could make their Creighton debuts this weekend.
    Below is the current Creighton players and how they performed in their regular-season collegiate debuts (as well as at previous schools in the case of Bilinovic and Goetzinger).
    Records for a Bluejay debut can be found at the bottom of page three. Interestingly, the career leaders or career runner-ups for Creighton Volleyball in digs (Brittany Witt and Kate Elman), aces (Molly Moran), kills (Jaali Winters) and blocks (Kelli Browning) also own the CU record or are second for that same category for a Bluejay debut.
Year    Name    SP    K    E    TA    Pct.    A    SA    DIG    TB
2021    Norah Sis•    3    11    4    28    .250    0    1    5    4
2020    Kiara Reinhardt•    3    7    4    16    .188    0    2    2    4
2020    Elise Goetzinger%    2    7    1    9    .667    0    0    0    1
2021    Kendra Wait•    3    5    0    9    .556    32    0    7    2
2023    D. Ndam-Simpson    3    5    2    10    .300    0    0    3    1
2022    Ava Martin    1    3    0    4    .750    0    0    0    1
2023    Ava TeStrake    2    0    1    2    -.500    0    0    0    0
2020    Katie Maser    1    0    0    0    ---    1    0    0    0
2021    Abbey Milner    1    0    0    0    ---    0    0    0    0
2021    Emma Ziegler#    1    0    0    0    ---    2    0    0    0
2022    Sky McCune•    3    0    0    0    ---    2    0    5    0
2023    Sydney Breissinger    3    0    0    0    ---    1    0    7    0
2023    Audrey Clark    3    0    0    0    ---    0    0    0    0
2020    Maddy Bilinovic$    4    0    0    0    ---    6    1    16    0
#Ziegler's stats from debut at Denver
$Bilinovic's stats from debut at Penn State
%Goetzinger's stats from debut at Kentucky

Exhibition Recap
Creighton has played two scrimmages in preparation for the start of the regular-season.
    In its annual Blue/White scrimmage (Aug. 16), the White team saved a match point to earn a 3-2 win. Sixteen players saw action during at least one set on both the Blue and White sides.
    Last Saturday (Aug. 24), Creighton won the first three sets in an exhibition contest at preseason Mountain West Conference favorite Colorado Stat before the Rams won the final two games in a contest that was predetermined to go the full five sets.

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

Top 25 History
Creighton is 201-45 all-time when playing as a ranked team, and also 21-25 all-time against ranked teams when ranked itself. That mark improves to 2-1 when both Creighton and its opponent are ranked in the top 10.
    Since the start of the 2012 season, 40 of Creighton's 74 losses have come against ranked teams. In that same period, Creighton is 288-34 against unranked teams. Creighton has won all but three of its past 106 home matches over unranked teams and all but 13 of its last 150 matches at all sites against unranked teams.

124 Weeks As A Ranked Team
Creighton is ranked 12th in the preseason AVCA poll, the 124th time in program history it's been ranked. That's 41st-most of all programs in NCAA history.
    All 124 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 47 polls.

Season Opening History
Last season's win vs. Loyola Chicago improved Creighton to 20-10 in season-opening matches since restarting the program in 1994, and 16-5 under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. That includes a 13-2 mark since 2009 and four straight wins.
    Creighton enters Friday's match vs. NC State with a 20-10 mark in home openers, including a 15-6 mark under Kirsten Bernthal Booth.
    Creighton is 13-2 all-time in its first home match of the season at D.J. Sokol Arena.

Some Fab Freshmen
Creighton has started 15 different true freshmen in its season opener since 2009, and 19 such players since 2000.
    Since 2000, the only true freshmen to start CU's season-opener have been Brittany Coleman (2003), Carolyn Decker (2004), Korie Lebeda (2005), Allie Oelke (2007), Brooke Boggs (2009), Heather Thorson (2009), Julianne Mandolfo (2010), Katie Neisler (2011), Michelle Sicner (2011), Melanie Jereb (2012), Ashley Jansen (2012), Jess Bird (2013), Jaali Winters (2015), Naomi Hickman (2017), Emily Bressman (2019), Kiara Reinhardt (2020), Kendra Wait (2021), Norah Sis (2021) and Sky McCune (2022), with Coleman, Lebeda and Wait the only freshmen to start at setter in the season-opener.
    In addition, CU also started redshirt freshmen Lauren Smith (2013) and Brittany Lawrence (2015), as well as transfers Maggie Baumert (2014), Lydia Dimke (2016), Madelyn Cole (2018), Erica Kostelac (2019), Mahina Pua'a (2020) and Ellie Bichelmeyer (2023) in season-openers.
    Eleven of those women (Martin, Sis, Wait, Reinhardt, Coleman, Decker, Lebeda, Oelke, Mandolfo, Sicner and Jereb) went on to land a spot on the MVC or BIG EAST's All-Freshman Team (though the BIG EAST had no such team from 2013-19). Winters was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in 2015, Dimke was named BIG EAST Player of the Year in 2016, Davis was BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in 2019, Sis recognized as BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in 2021 and Martin named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in 2022.

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%)

Another Loaded Field
This weekend's Bluejay Invitational field features two teams (No. 12 Creighton and vote-getter Missouri) that are listed in this week's AVCA poll.
    Below is a list of each team to enter play while being ranked or having received votes in the AVCA Top 25 poll the week of the Bluejay Invitational. Those previous 30 teams are a collective 58-26 with 14 titles.
    Each of the past 11 (and 14 of 18 overall) Bluejay Invitationals have been won by a team that entered the weekend in the Top 25 or receiving votes.
    In all but one occasion (2013) there's been at least one team getting votes, the team to win it was the highest-ranked team coming in, though it's worth noting that in 2010 and 2011 none of the participants were receiving votes.
Year    (Rank) Team    W-L at Bluejay Invite
2007    (RV) Middle Tennessee    3-0
2008    #16 Minnesota    3-0
2008    #21 LSU    2-1
2008    (RV) Texas A&M    0-3
2009    #10 Illinois    2-0
2012    #21 Kansas State    3-0
2013    #19 Creighton    2-1
2013    (RV) California    3-0
2014    (RV) Creighton    3-0
2015    (RV) Pacific    3-0
2015    (RV) Creighton    2-1
2015    (RV) Lipscomb    0-3
2016    #4 Kansas    2-0
2016    (RV) Creighton    2-1
2016    (RV) TCU    1-1
2017    #7 Creighton    2-1
2017    #13 Kentucky    2-1
2017    #18 USC    1-2
2017    (RV) Northern Iowa    1-2
2018    #14 Creighton    2-0
2018    (RV) Iowa State    1-1
2018    (RV) Wichita State    0-2
2019    #12 Washington    3-0
2019    #17 Creighton    2-1
2021    #19 Creighton    3-0
2022    #16 Kentucky    3-0
2022    #17 Creighton    2-1
2022    #25 USC    1-2
2023    #20 Creighton    3-0
2023    (RV) LSU    1-2
2024    #12 Creighton    TBD
2024    (RV) Missouri    TBD

Bluejay Invitational History
This will be the 19th edition of the Bluejay Invitational, where host Creighton is 34-17 all-time in the event. The Bluejays have never gone winless in the event, and have gone undefeated four times (2014, 2018, 2021, 2023). CU boasts five titles, winning the Bluejay Invitational in 2014, 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2023.
    Champions, by year, include Iowa State (2005), Iowa (2006), Middle Tennessee (2007), Minnesota (2008), Illinois (2009), Kansas (2010), Northern Illinois (2011), Kansas State (2012), California (2013), Creighton (2014), Pacific (2015), Kansas (2016), Creighton (2017), Creighton (2018), Washington (2019), Creighton (2021), Kentucky (2022) and Creighton (2023).
    Between 18 previous Bluejay Invitationals, (2005-23), two Creighton First Serve Festivals (1996-97), four Creighton Classics (2011, 2014, 2015, 2019), one MVC Tournament (2009) and five BIG EAST Tournaments (2013, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2022), Creighton has won 10 of the 30 tournaments (excluding NCAA Tournament action) it has hosted since the program's 1994 restart.
    Those were the 2014 Bluejay Invitational, the 2015 BIG EAST Tournament, the 2017 Bluejay Invitational, the 2018 Bluejay Invitational, the 2018 BIG EAST Tournament, the 2019 Creighton Classic, the 2020 BIG EAST Tournament, the 2021 Bluejay Invitational, the 2022 BIG EAST Tournament and the 2023 Bluejay Invitational, which means that CU has won at least one home tournament each of the previous seven seasons.

More Bluejay Invitational History
Entering this fall there have been 34 schools (besides Creighton) to play in the Bluejay Invitational, including three appearances by UNI and two appearances each by Kentucky, USC, Omaha, Illinois, Kansas, Northern Colorado, Iowa State, Wichita State and Lipscomb.
    In addition to Drake making its second appearance (2019) will be the first appearance in the Bluejay Invitational for both NC State and Missouri.
    Creighton's 34 wins are the most in Bluejay Invitational history, far ahead of Kansas' five wins that are second-most.
    Creighton (5 titles) and Kansas (2) are the only schools in history to win the event more than once.
    Creighton is the only program to win consecutive Bluejay Invitational crowns (2017, 2018).
    Creighton's Norah Sis is attempting to become the first player ever to be a two-time MVP of the event.

Longitude Aptitude
Teams located west of Creighton are a combined 24-38 all-time with four Bluejay Invitational titles, while teams to the east of Creighton are 40-43 with nine titles. Creighton owns the other five titles, and is 34-17 in the event. Of this year's field, Drake, Missouri and NC State are all east of Omaha.
    Creighton has won two or more matches in every Bluejay Invitational since going 1-2 in 2011, and has never been winless in the event.

Jays Earn Tourney Titles
Creighton won five different tournaments last season, tying a program record.
    It was the 12th straight season that Creighton has won at least one tournament, a streak that started in 2012. During that span, the Bluejays have won 30 tournament titles, not to mention 10 regular-season league crowns.
Creighton's Tournament Titles Since 2012
Year    Titles Won    Tourney Hosts
2012    3    USF, UNC, MVC
2013    1    BGSU
2014    1    CU, BIG EAST
2015    1    BIG EAST
2016    1    BIG EAST
2017    4    WASH, CU, KU, BIG EAST
2018    3    SMU, CU, BIG EAST
2019    2    UNI, CU
2020    1    BIG EAST
2021    5    MIZZ, UK, CU, WSU, BIG EAST
2022    3    WYO, UNO, BIG EAST
2023    5    Purdue, CU, UNO, MINN, BIG EAST

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 past three seasons 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.
    Here's that list:
Fewest Sets Lost in 2023
Rk.    Sets Lost    Team
1.    22    Creighton
    22    Nebraska
    22    Dayton
4.    23    Wisconsin
    23    Tennessee
    23    Western Michigan

Meaningful Matchup vs. Mizzou
Elise Goetzinger's first weekend at Creighton could see her face a familiar opponent, as the Bluejays host Missouri on Saturday.
    Goetzinger faced the Tigers six times in the previous four seasons while enrolled at Kentucky, and went 6-0 in those contests. One win was a 3-0 sweep, while the other five of the victories were in four sets.
    Goetzinger averaged 2.35 kills and 1.13 blocks per set while hitting .384 against Mizzou.

Sister, Sister
Creighton senior Katie Maser will see a familiar face on ther opposite side of the net on Sunday when the Bluejays meet Drake.
    That's because her younger sister Carolyn Maser will be playing in her first weekend at the collegiate level as a freshman with the Bulldogs.

Olympians Made Here
Taryn Kloth made history earlier this summer when the 2018 graduate became the first former 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 are 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
1    at Nebraska
6    at Louisville
13    vs. Purdue
15    at Kansas
30    USC
34    Missouri
35    vs. Northern Iowa
43    NC State
52    Drake
60    vs. Rice
61    Kansas State

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 22 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 343 of them) has had a multi-match losing streak since Creighton's last skid.
    Creighton has also not lost back-to-back matches against conference teams since a three-match losing streak in November of 2011.
    By comparison, every other team in the BIG EAST had a multi-match losing streak last season alone.
    Creighton has also won its last 14 matches after a five-set loss, a streak that dates back to early in the 2016 campaign.
    What's it all mean? Coming off a five-set loss in its final match last season, a couple of streaks will be on the line on Friday vs. NC State.

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.

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.

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.
    Creighton's 13-match home win streak is tied for its second-longest in program history, trailing only a 15-match home win streak from Sept. 7-Nov. 30, 2018. The 13-match home win streak is also the eighth-longest active in the country.
    Creighton has also won 32 straight sets at home, which leads the country.
Creighton's Longest Home Win Streaks
Wins    Dates    Snapped By
    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
    13    Sept. 1, 2023 - Present    TBD
    12    Sept. 20-Nov. 28, 2015    #4 Kansas, 3-2
    12    Sept. 19, 2019 - Jan. 29, 2021    South Dakota, 3-2
    12    Sept. 10-Dec. 2, 2021    Kansas, 3-1
    12    Sept. 23-Nov. 26, 2022    Auburn, 3-2

Nation's Longest Active Home Win Streaks
Wins    Team    Next Home Match
    28    Stephen F. Austin    9/3 vs. High Point
    24    Yale    9/13 vs. Villanova
    23    Nebraska    8/30 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
    17    Western Michigan    8/30 vs. Loyola Marymount
    17    Wisconsin    9/10 vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee
    16    Pittsburgh    9/3 vs. Buffalo
    16    High Point    9/6 vs. Ohio
    13    Creighton    8/30 vs. NC State

Her Kind Of City
Kentucky transfer Elise Goetzinger is a perfect 8-0 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. That UNLV squad was coached by Dawn Sullivan, who is now the head coach of Missouri.
    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 eight wins, Goetzinger owned 43 kills and 27 blocks while hitting .440 in 27 sets played.

Starting At Home?
Creighton starts the season this weekend with the Bluejay Invitational, the first time since the COVID-affected 2020 season (in the spring of 2021) that the Jays have begun at home.
    Take away that most unusual campaign and you'll find that Creighton hasn't started a fall season at home since 2010.
    This year will also mark the first time ever that Creighton has started a season with five straight home matches.

Tournament Tradition
Creighton has four different active players who have previously been named to the All-Tournament Team at the Bluejay Invitational.
    Kendra Wait has been honored each of the last three years (2021, 2022, 2023).
    Norah Sis was recognized in 2021 and 2023, taking home MVP honors last year. She can become the first two-time MVP of the Bluejay Invitational this weekend.
    Ava Martin earned her first such honor in 2023.
    And don't forget Elise Goetzinger, who received All-Tournament acclaim in 2022 while playing for Kentucky.

Milestone Watch
Creighton's student-athletes are approaching all sorts of milestones as the 2024 season gets underway.
    Kendra Wait owns 22 career double-doubles inside D.J. Sokol Arena, tied for the facility record with Megan Bober (2009-12). Wait also has 389 career kills and is 11 shy of 400.
    Maddy Bilinovic enters her first weekend as a Bluejay with 790 career digs to her name, all of them achieved while at Penn State, as she approaches 800 in her career.
    Fellow transfer Elise Goetzinger collected 579 career kills while at Kentucky, putting her 21 shy of 600.
    Ava Martin opens her junior campaign with 681 kills, only 19 away from the 700 club.
    Sydney Breissinger has 285 career digs, putting her 15 short of 300.
    Norah Sis has 1,226 career kills and is 31 kills from tying Leah McNary's 1257 for eighth-most in program history.

Sis Is Killing It
Norah Sis enters her senior season ninth in Creighton history with 1,226 career kills and has a chance to move into the top four by early October.
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.    JoDe Cieloha    398    1,375    1994-97
    8.    Leah McNary    458    1,257    2011-14
    9.    Norah Sis    306    1,226    2021-Pr.
    10.    Marysa Wilkinson    499    1,183    2014-17

A Great Start
Ava Martin enters her junior season with 681 kills in her career. The 681 kills is the sixth-most ever by a Bluejay in their first two seasons.
Most Kills, After 2 Seasons at Creighton
    Kills    Yr1    Yr2    Name    Year
    994    546    448    Jaali Winters    2015 & 2016
    924    435    489    Norah Sis    2021 & 2022
    769    341    428    Melissa Walsh    1998 & 1999
    733    270    463    Alicia Runge    2009 & 2010 (Jr. & Sr.)
    696    180    516    Leah Ratzlaff    2002 & 2003
    681    264    417    Ava Martin    2022 & 2023
    653    267    386    Jessica Houts    2005 & 2006
    640    225    415    Amanda Cvejdlik    2005 & 2006

Setting The Table
Three-time All-BIG EAST selection Kendra Wait enters her senior season having started all 100 matches she's played in during her career.
    Should she get the nod on Friday vs. NC State, Wait will become the fifth Bluejay setter to start four straight season-openers, joining Melissa Weisensee (1994-97), Kailey Reyes (1998-01), Korie Lebeda (2005-08) and Megan Bober (2009-12).
    In addition to Wait, Norah Sis could also make her fourth Opening Day start on Friday night.
Five Opening Day Starts
Name    Years
Naomi Hickman    2017-21

Four Opening Day Starts
Name    Years
JoDe Cieloha    1994-97
Melissa Weisensee    1994-97
Shlley Kapler    1996-99
Erin Swanson    1998-01
Kailey Reyes    1998-01
Melissa Walsh    1998-01
Carolyn Decker    2004-06, 08
Korie Lebeda    2005-08
Jessica Houts    2006-09
Allie Oelke    2007-10
Heather Thorson    2009-12
Megan Bober    2009-12
Jess Bird    2013-16
Lauren Smith    2013-16
Jaali Winters    2015-18

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 470-3 under Booth when it reaches a match point opportunity, falling only when it wasted two match points on Sept. 4, 2010 to Iowa, two match points on Nov. 1, 2013 in a loss to St. John's, and two match points on Dec. 7, 2019 in an NCAA Tournament loss at No. 7 Minnesota.
Surviving Match Points, Under Booth
Date    Opponent    MP(s) Faced    Final Set 5
08/30/03    vs. McNeese State    13-14, 15-16    18-16
10/10/03    Wichita State    13-14    16-14
10/13/06    at Wichita State    12-14, 13-14, 14-15    17-15
09/11/07    at Drake    13-14, 14-15    17-15
08/26/11    vs. UTSA    12-14, 13-14    16-14
11/16/12    at Wichita State    13-14    16-14
09/20/15    Kansas State    23-24 (4th set)    15-13
11/20/15    at Georgetown    23-24, 26-27 (4th set)    15-7
08/24/18    vs. #5 Kentucky    16-15, 19-18    22-20

Taking The Fifth
Creighton is 70-39 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 27 true road matches to go five sets, including wins in 2012 over league rivals Northern Iowa, Wichita State and Missouri State, wins in 2013 at Denver and at Wichita State, wins in 2014 at Butler and at St. John's, a win at Georgetown in 2015, an NCAA Tournament win at No. 4 Kansas in 2016, 2017 victories at Butler, Georgetown and Marquette, a 2018 win at Butler, wins at UNI and No. 10 Marquette in 2019, at South Dakota in the 2020 campaign, at Omaha and UConn in 2022 and at No. 9 Minnesota in 2023.
    It's also worth noting that Creighton is 19-5 all-time in five-set home matches at D.J. Sokol Arena.
    Creighton's six victories in five-set matches in 2022 broke the program record of five previously done in 2003, 2011 and 2015. The nine five-set matches in 2022 was also a record.
    Below is a list of Creighton's record in five-set matches on a yearly basis:
Year    Set 5 W-L    Total W-L
1994    0-2    5-20
1995    0-2    11-19
1996    2-6    9-19
1997    3-5    15-13
1998    2-3    7-18
1999    3-3    13-15
2000    3-3    16-12
2001    1-1    14-13
2002    1-3    3-23
2003    5-1    12-18
2004    4-0    18-11
2005    3-1    16-14
2006    4-2    21-10
2007    2-0    21-10
2008    2-3    18-9
2009    1-4    14-17
2010    3-3    21-12
2011    5-2    17-14
2012    4-1    29-4
2013    3-2    23-9
2014    3-2    25-9
2015    5-2    27-9
2016    4-3    29-7
2017    4-1    26-7
2018    3-2    29-5
2019    2-1    25-6
2020    4-2    12-4
2021    1-1    31-4
2022    6-3    27-5
2023    2-3    29-5
2024    0-0    0-0
Total    85-67    563-341

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

BIG EAST Preseason Poll
Creighton Volleyball was the unanimous pick to win the BIG EAST in a preseason poll of league coaches.
    Creighton earned 10 first place votes to earn the maximum 100 points. Marquette earned Creighton's first place vote (coaches can't vote for their own teams) as well as nine other second-place votes to finish second in the poll with 91 points.
    St. John's (80) was picked third, just ahead of DePaul (74) and Butler (58). Rounding out the bottom half of the poll were Xavier (49), Seton Hall (40), Villanova (39), Connecticut (33), Georgetown (27) and Providence (14).
    Creighton also had three women among the 12 members on the BIG EAST's preseason all-conference team in Ava Martin as well as unanimous selections Kendra Wait and Norah Sis. Sis was also tabbed the BIG EAST's Preseason Player of the Year for the third straight fall.
    Creighton has finished in the spot predicted of it or better in the preseason poll in 19 of 21 years under Kirsten Bernthal Booth, including 10 years where it's finished exactly where it was picked.
Year    Preseason Pick    Finish    Move
1994    11th    9th    #2
1995    9th    7th    #2
1996    9th    6th    #3
1997    8th    3rd    #5
1998    6th    8th    i2
1999    T-7th    5th    #2
2000    4th    T-4th    - -
2001    2nd    4th    i2
2002    7th    9th    i2
2003    9th    T-5th    #4
2004    5th    5th    - -
2005    5th    5th    - -
2006    4th    4th    - -
2007    3rd    T-2nd    #1
2008    3rd    2nd    #1
2009    4th    T-4th    - -
2010    4th    3rd    #1
2011    3rd    4th    i1
2012    4th    1st    #3
2013    1st    T-2nd    i1
2014    1st    1st    - -
2015    1st    1st    - -
2016    1st    1st    - -
2017    1st    1st    - -
2018    2nd    1st    #1
2019    2nd    1st    #1
2020    1st (MW)    1st (MW)    - -
2021    1st    T-1st    - -
2022    1st    T-1st    - -
2023    2nd    T-1st    #1
2024    1st    ???    ???

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 20-2 in the match following a five-setter.
    That's notable since CU's last match (even if it was nine months ago) was a five-set contest vs. Louisville.

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.

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.
    Below is a look at the record of each BIG EAST team since league realignment in 2013:
BIG EAST VB Standings, 2013 - 2023
             BIG EAST only    All     matches
Team (NCAA Bids)    W    L    W    L
Creighton (11)    170    16    283    70
Marquette (10)    153    30    259    84
Xavier    108    76    169    152
Butler    98    88    171    153
St. John's (1)    94    92    198    148
Villanova (1)    91    95    171    149
Seton Hall (1)    80    105    155    169
DePaul    55    131    128    187
Georgetown    40    138    100    202
Connecticut#    30    32    53    54
Providence*    29    141    104    188
*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.

2-0 Better Than 0-2
Creighton is 390-11 (.973) all-time when leading a match 2-0, including a 333-5 mark (.985) under Kirsten Bernthal Booth. CU is 256-3 when up 2-0 dating to September of 2009, and 131-1 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 17-206 (.076) all-time when trailing a match 0-2, and 15-107 (.123) 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 400-36 (.917) overall under Kirsten Bernthal Booth when it wins set one. In that same time span, CU is just 70-153 (.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 149-5 in its last 154 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 132-6 in its last 138 matches at all sites when winning the first set, compared to a 13-19 record in that same span when dropping the opener.
    Creighton has gone 171-4 in its last 175 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 105-108 since.
Year    W-L vs. Previous Season NCAA Teams
1994    0-4
1995    0-2
1996    0-2
1997    0-3
1998    0-5
1999    2-4
2000    0-4
2001    1-6
2002    0-5
2003    0-3
2004    2-2
2005    0-6
2006    4-6
2007    4-9
2008    6-8
2009    1-11
2010    4-7
2011    2-6
2012    8-3
2013    6-6
2014    4-5
2015    11-5
2016    10-7
2017    8-6
2018    8-5
2019    5-4
2020    3-1
2021    3-1
2022    5-4
2023    11-3
2024    0-0 so far
TOTAL    108-143
TOTAL Under Booth    105-108

A Dozen, Cousin
Kirsten Bernthal Booth is in some select company, as she has directed her team to 12 NCAA Tournaments. That's more than any other coach in Creighton history.
Name    Sport    NCAA's @CU
Kirsten Bernthal Booth    Volleyball    12
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

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.

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 470 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    470*
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

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 10-13 against ranked non-conference foes over the previous seven seasons after going 2-43 all-time vs. ranked teams in regular-season non-conference matches.
Non-Conference Records, By Year, Under Booth
Year    Non-Con W-L    vs. Ranked Non-Con    Final W-L
2003    3-8    0-0    12-18
2004    8-2    0-1    18-11
2005    6-5    0-3    16-14
2006    8-3    0-1    21-10
2007    6-5    0-3    21-10
2008    3-5    0-3    18-9
2009    3-8    0-3    14-17
2010    5-5    0-1    21-12
2011    5-7    0-1    17-14
2012    9-2    0-1    29-4
2013    9-3    1-2    23-9
2014    7-6    0-5    25-9
2015    6-7    1-4    27-9
2016    6-6    0-4    29-7
2017    7-4    3-3    26-7
2018    8-4    1-3    29-5
2019    7-3    2-3    25-6
2020    3-2    0-0    12-4
2021    12-1    1-1    31-4
2022    8-3    1-2    27-5
2023    9-2    2-1    29-5
2024    0-0    0-0    TBD

Against The BIG EAST
Since the BIG EAST was restructured in 2013, Creighton owns a record 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

President Elect 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.

#12 Volleyball Opens Regular-Season at Bluejay Invitational

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ellie Bichelmeyer

Maddy Bilinovic

Ellie Bolton

Sydney Breissinger

Audrey Clark

Morgan Colangelo

Elise Goetzinger

Alivia Hausmann

Jaya Johnson

Ava Martin

Katie Maser

Sky McCune

Abbey Milner

Destiny Ndam-Simpson

Kiara Reinhardt

Ann Marie Remmes

Kiana Schmitt

Norah Sis

Emersen Strain

Ava TeStrake

Kendra Wait

Sophia Wendlick

Nora Wurtz

Emma Ziegler