Creighton University Athletics
BIG EAST Honors Bluejay Trio as Volleyball a Unanimous Pick to Win 13th Title
8/20/2026 10:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Johnson, Ames, Hayes recognized
OMAHA, Neb. -- For the sixth time since 2015 and third year in a row, the Creighton Volleyball program has been voted a unanimous favorite to win the BIG EAST Conference title in a preseason vote of league coaches. The Bluejays, in search of a 13th consecutive regular-season league crown, also had Jaya Johnson, Abbey Hayes and Ayden Ames recognized with Preseason All-BIG EAST acclaim.
Creighton has previously been a unanimous favorite in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2024 and 2025 and gone a combined 85-3 in league action in those previous five seasons while sweeping the regular-season and conference titles on each occasion.
This year marks the 14th straight campaign that multiple Creighton players were recognized on the Preseason All-Conference team, and 11th time in the last 12 years with three or more selections. This is the second straight season that Johnson has been a preseason All-BIG EAST choice, but first such honor for Hayes and Ames.
Johnson was selected as a Preseason All-BIG EAST choice for the second straight season, and is CU's lone preseason unanimous selection in 2026 after averaging 2.40 kills, 1.06 digs and 0.81 blocks per set a year ago. A native of Olathe, Kan., Johnson remains Creighton's only right-side hitter this century to be named preseason all-conference.
Hayes earns the preseason nod after landing All-Freshman Team honors last season when she averaged 1.88 kills and 1.23 digs per set. The Eldridge, Iowa, product gives Creighton a Preseason All-BIG EAST outside hitter for the seventh straight campaign.
Ames is a highly-touted transfer from Texas, where she started 55-of-56 matches the previous two seasons for a pair of Longhorn teams that played deep into the NCAA Tournament. The junior middle blocker from Prosper, Texas, averaged 1.52 kills and 1.11 blocks per set while hitting .368 at UT last fall, and spent the summer winning a second straight gold medal with USA Volleyball's U21 team at the Pan American Cup.
Creighton picked up the maximum number of votes with 100 points and first place votes from the other 10 schools, as coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams or student-athletes. Villanova was picked a program-best second with 86 points and Marquette got the other first place vote and were selected third with 82 points. Xavier (75), DePaul (62) and Georgetown (49) rounded out the top half of the poll. The bottom-half of the league prognostications featured seventh place Connecticut (48), followed by St. John's (36), Butler (34), Butler (29), Providence (20) and Seton Hall (13).
The Bluejays return three starters and nine letterwinners from a team that finished last year 28-6, won an unprecedented 12th straight regular-season BIG EAST title, and closed the season ranked No. 10 in the country after making its second straight Elite Eight trip. This year's club was ranked 13th nationally in the Preseason AVCA Coaches Poll that was announced earlier this month.
Creighton's preseason prognosis marks the 23rd straight season of a top-five prediction in its league, after nine such accolades from the Missouri Valley Conference from 2004-12 before joining the BIG EAST in 2013. In the previous 32 seasons (19 in the MVC, 13 in the BIG EAST), Creighton has improved its preseason ranking 13 times, been ranked correctly 14 times, and dropped from preseason expectations just five times. Notably, 21 of Creighton's last 23 teams have met or exceeded preseason poll predictions, and the two that didn't dropped just a single slot.
The Bluejays own 12 BIG EAST regular-season titles, 11 conference tournament titles and a 227-18 overall record against league foes since joining the league in the summer of 2013. The Bluejays have won a league-record 47 straight regular-season BIG EAST matches, a figure that grows to 53 in a row when counting league tournament action.
After finishing its exhibition slate this Saturday at No. 15 Kansas, No. 13 Creighton opens the regular-season on Aug. 28 with a match against No. 9 Purdue in Sioux Falls, S.D., as part of the State Farm Volleyball Showcase. CU's regular-season home opener is Sept. 4 against Arizona.
Creighton has previously been a unanimous favorite in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2024 and 2025 and gone a combined 85-3 in league action in those previous five seasons while sweeping the regular-season and conference titles on each occasion.
This year marks the 14th straight campaign that multiple Creighton players were recognized on the Preseason All-Conference team, and 11th time in the last 12 years with three or more selections. This is the second straight season that Johnson has been a preseason All-BIG EAST choice, but first such honor for Hayes and Ames.
Johnson was selected as a Preseason All-BIG EAST choice for the second straight season, and is CU's lone preseason unanimous selection in 2026 after averaging 2.40 kills, 1.06 digs and 0.81 blocks per set a year ago. A native of Olathe, Kan., Johnson remains Creighton's only right-side hitter this century to be named preseason all-conference.
Hayes earns the preseason nod after landing All-Freshman Team honors last season when she averaged 1.88 kills and 1.23 digs per set. The Eldridge, Iowa, product gives Creighton a Preseason All-BIG EAST outside hitter for the seventh straight campaign.
Ames is a highly-touted transfer from Texas, where she started 55-of-56 matches the previous two seasons for a pair of Longhorn teams that played deep into the NCAA Tournament. The junior middle blocker from Prosper, Texas, averaged 1.52 kills and 1.11 blocks per set while hitting .368 at UT last fall, and spent the summer winning a second straight gold medal with USA Volleyball's U21 team at the Pan American Cup.
Creighton picked up the maximum number of votes with 100 points and first place votes from the other 10 schools, as coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams or student-athletes. Villanova was picked a program-best second with 86 points and Marquette got the other first place vote and were selected third with 82 points. Xavier (75), DePaul (62) and Georgetown (49) rounded out the top half of the poll. The bottom-half of the league prognostications featured seventh place Connecticut (48), followed by St. John's (36), Butler (34), Butler (29), Providence (20) and Seton Hall (13).
The Bluejays return three starters and nine letterwinners from a team that finished last year 28-6, won an unprecedented 12th straight regular-season BIG EAST title, and closed the season ranked No. 10 in the country after making its second straight Elite Eight trip. This year's club was ranked 13th nationally in the Preseason AVCA Coaches Poll that was announced earlier this month.
Creighton's preseason prognosis marks the 23rd straight season of a top-five prediction in its league, after nine such accolades from the Missouri Valley Conference from 2004-12 before joining the BIG EAST in 2013. In the previous 32 seasons (19 in the MVC, 13 in the BIG EAST), Creighton has improved its preseason ranking 13 times, been ranked correctly 14 times, and dropped from preseason expectations just five times. Notably, 21 of Creighton's last 23 teams have met or exceeded preseason poll predictions, and the two that didn't dropped just a single slot.
The Bluejays own 12 BIG EAST regular-season titles, 11 conference tournament titles and a 227-18 overall record against league foes since joining the league in the summer of 2013. The Bluejays have won a league-record 47 straight regular-season BIG EAST matches, a figure that grows to 53 in a row when counting league tournament action.
After finishing its exhibition slate this Saturday at No. 15 Kansas, No. 13 Creighton opens the regular-season on Aug. 28 with a match against No. 9 Purdue in Sioux Falls, S.D., as part of the State Farm Volleyball Showcase. CU's regular-season home opener is Sept. 4 against Arizona.
| Rk. | Team | Points |
| 1. | Creighton (10 first place votes) | 100 |
| 2. | Villanova | 86 |
| 3. | Marquette (1 first place vote) | 82 |
| 4. | Xavier | 75 |
| 5. | DePaul | 62 |
| 6. | Georgetown | 49 |
| 7. | Connecticut | 48 |
| 8. | St. John's | 36 |
| 9. | Butler | 34 |
| 10. | Providence | 20 |
| 11. | Seton Hall | 13 |
Preseason BIG EAST Volleyball Player of the Year: Abby Harrell, Sr., OH, Villanova
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team^
Elise Ward, Sr., OH, Butler
Abbey Hayes, So., OH, Creighton
Ayden Ames, Jr., MB, Creighton
Jaya Johnson, Sr., RS/MB, Creighton*
Kendall Timme, So., OH., DePaul*
Kamryn Lee-Caracci, Sr., MB, Georgetown
Carson Tyler, Jr., OH, Marquette
Rashanny Solano Smith, Sr., L, St. John's
Abby Harrell, Sr., OH, Villanova
Campbell McKinnon, Jr., MB, Villanova*
Macy Hatkevich, Sr., S, Xavier*
Margot Kemp, RS-Jr., MB, Xavier
McKinley Boehm, RS-So., MB, Xavier
*Denotes unanimous selection
^Denotes tie in voting
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team^
Elise Ward, Sr., OH, Butler
Abbey Hayes, So., OH, Creighton
Ayden Ames, Jr., MB, Creighton
Jaya Johnson, Sr., RS/MB, Creighton*
Kendall Timme, So., OH., DePaul*
Kamryn Lee-Caracci, Sr., MB, Georgetown
Carson Tyler, Jr., OH, Marquette
Rashanny Solano Smith, Sr., L, St. John's
Abby Harrell, Sr., OH, Villanova
Campbell McKinnon, Jr., MB, Villanova*
Macy Hatkevich, Sr., S, Xavier*
Margot Kemp, RS-Jr., MB, Xavier
McKinley Boehm, RS-So., MB, Xavier
*Denotes unanimous selection
^Denotes tie in voting
| Year | Creighton's Preseason Pick and Conference | Finish | Move |
| 1994 | 11th Missouri Valley | 9th | up 2 |
| 1995 | 9th Missouri Valley | 7th | up 2 |
| 1996 | 9th Missouri Valley | 6th | up 3 |
| 1997 | 8th Missouri Valley | 3rd | up 5 |
| 1998 | 6th Missouri Valley | 8th | down 2 |
| 1999 | T-7th Missouri Valley | 5th | up 2 |
| 2000 | 4th Missouri Valley | T-4th | - - |
| 2001 | 2n Missouri Valley | 4th | down 2 |
| 2002 | 7th Missouri Valley | 9th | down 2 |
| 2003 | 9th Missouri Valley | T-5th | up 4 |
| 2004 | 5th Missouri Valley | 5th | - - |
| 2005 | 5th Missouri Valley | 5th | - - |
| 2006 | 4th Missouri Valley | 4th | - - |
| 2007 | 3rd Missouri Valley | T-2nd | up 1 |
| 2008 | 3rd Missouri Valley | 2nd | up 1 |
| 2009 | 4th Missouri Valley | T-4th | - - |
| 2010 | 4th Missouri Valley | 3rd | up 1 |
| 2011 | 3rd Missouri Valley | 4th | down 1 |
| 2012 | 4th Missouri Valley | 1st | up 3 |
| 2013 | 1st BIG EAST | 2nd | down 1 |
| 2014 | 1st BIG EAST | 1st | - - |
| 2015 | 1st* BIG EAST | 1st | - - |
| 2016 | 1st* BIG EAST | 1st | - - |
| 2017 | 1st* BIG EAST | 1st | - - |
| 2018 | 2nd BIG EAST | 1st | up 1 |
| 2019 | 2nd BIG EAST | 1st | up 1 |
| 2020 | 1st BIG EAST (Midwest) | 1st (Midwest) | - - |
| 2021 | 1st BIG EAST | T-1st | - - |
| 2022 | 1st BIG EAST | T-1st | - - |
| 2023 | 2nd BIG EAST | T-1st | - - |
| 2024 | 1st* BIG EAST | 1st | - - |
| 2025 | 1st* BIG EAST | 1st | - - |
| 2026 | 1st* BIG EAST | 1st | TBD |
| *unanimous favorite | |||
Players Mentioned
Thursday, August 20
Friday, August 14
Monday, June 08
Wednesday, May 27
