COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL: Creighton Will Host First and Second Rounds of NCAA Tourney

OMAHA–(CU Athletics Nov. 28)–The eight-time BIG EAST champion Creighton Volleyball team will appear in the NCAA Tournament for the 10th straight season, and 11th time overall, when it takes on Ole Miss (21-8) at 7 p.m. Central on Thursday, Dec. 2.. The field of 64 was announced on Sunday evening on ESPNU.

No. 14-seeded Creighton (30-3) will host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history. Oregon (22-8) and Kansas (16-11) will also square off on Thursday in a 4:30 p.m. match at D.J. Sokol Arena inside the Wayne and Eileen Ryan Athletic Center.

Creighton clinched an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a 3-0 win at Marquette on Saturday afternoon in the title match of the 2021 BIG EAST Championship, Presented by JEEP. This year marks the eighth straight season that Creighton had the BIG EAST’s best regular-season record in conference play, and seventh time in that span it has won the league championship.

The winner of the Creighton/Ole Miss match-up will meet the winner of the Oregon/Kansas contest in the Second Round on Friday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. Central, also at D.J. Sokol Arena.

The Bluejays are led by three-time National Coach of the Year Kirsten Bernthal Booth, who owns a 413-178 mark in her 19th year at Creighton. Creighton had four women earn All-BIG EAST honors, including seniors Abby Bottomley (4.87 dps., 0.39 saps.) and Jaela Zimmerman (3.66 kps., 3.27 dps.) and freshmen Kendra Wait (10.43 aps., 3.05 dps., 0.88 bps., 1.20 kps., .331%) and Norah Sis (3.69 kps., 2.96 dps.). Sis was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year last Wednesday before being named Most Outstanding Player of the 2021 BIG EAST Championship on Saturday. The Bluejays lead the nation in match victories (30), set victories (93), road wins (12), wins away from home (19) and opponents hitting percentage (.117).

Creighton is 1-0 all-time against Ole Miss, sweeping the Rebels on Sept. 6, 2008 in Jacksonville, Ala.

Creighton was one of two teams in the BIG EAST to earn a spot in the field of 64, as Marquette earned an at-large bid and will make its 10th trip to the NCAAs in the last 11 seasons. The Golden Eagles, who shared the league’s regular-season title with Creighton, will face Dayton in a pod hosted by No. 6 seed Purdue.

Creighton is 7-1 against teams that made the 2021 NCAA Tournament field, going 3-0 vs. Marquette, 1-0 vs. Kentucky, 1-0 vs. South Dakota, 1-0 vs. USC, 1-0 vs. Illinois and 0-1 vs. Nebraska.

Creighton volleyball season ticket holders will be emailed pre-sale ticket purchase information on Sunday night. A limited number of general public all-session tickets will be available for purchase starting Tuesday, November 30 at 1 pm (CST) by clicking here.

Information regarding broadcasts will be announced in the days to come.

Notes About Creighton Volleyball’s Postseason History
– Creighton’s Volleyball program will make its 11th trip  (2010, 2012-21) to the NCAA Tournament, and 10th consecutive appearance.
– Creighton is 11-10 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including an 8-2 record in the First Round. The Bluejays made the Sweet 16 in 2015 and reached the Elite Eight in 2016.
– Creighton is hosting for the third time, having gone 1-1 at D.J. Sokol Arena in both 2017 and 2018.
– The volleyball program is the only team in school history to reach 10 consecutive NCAA Tournaments in any women’s sport.
– Earlier in the month an at-large bid earned by the men’s soccer program marked the 35th straight academic year that  that Creighton Athletics boasts at least one NCAA Tournament qualifier.
– This is the fourth time that Creighton has earned a national seed, having been a No. 16 seed in 2015 and a No. 9 seed in both 2017 and 2018.
– Creighton is one of nine teams nationally to have appeared in each of the last 10 NCAA Volleyball Tournaments (2012-21). That group features BYU, Creighton, Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, Penn State, San Diego, Texas and Washington.
– Kirsten Bernthal Booth leads her 11th different Creighton team to the NCAA Tournament, tied for most in school history by any coach with former men’s soccer mentor Bob Warming.