The Creighton volleyball team is hoping its home court advantage will give it a boost in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament next week. This year, the tournament will be held in Omaha, in the new D.J. Sokol Arena.
“The D.J. Sokol Arena has provided us with a great place to play and practice,” senior middle blocker Jessica Houts said. “The biggest difference this year playing in the Ryan Center has been the home court advantage we have. It has really made a difference being able to practice where we play, and I think it gives us more of an edge.”
This leverage will help the Bluejays as they try to continue their season.
Creighton is currently 9-2 at home and 2-8 away and is averaging 1,070 fans per match so far this season.
“We are all so blessed to have an incredible facility like the Ryan Center. It really makes us feel more at home because we practice there, so we are more used to seeing it on game days,” sophomore outside hitter Karisa Almgren said.
However, playing at home doesn’t make the opponents any easier.
“Missouri State, Wichita State or [Northern Iowa] are all really good teams that I think we can beat, but we have to all be on our game, and we can’t let up for even one point,” junior outside hitter Alicia Runge said.
Creighton’s win over Wichita State when it was ranked in the top 25 this year proves the Jays have the ability to beat top-notch foes.
“My favorite match this year was beating Wichita State at home,” junior outside hitter Allie Oelke said. “The atmosphere of the game was amazing. The crowd was going wild and we all played together as a team. It was an incredible win.”
Top-seeded Northern Iowa will be the team to beat.
“UNI is [16-0] in conference play,” senior middle blocker Lauren Bloemke said. “We played them very closely the first week of conference play and lost by two in the first, second and fourth sets.”
The Jays are currently fifth in the MVC and could end up seeded fourth, fifth or sixth in the tournament. Regardless, their first match will be Thurs., Nov. 26 at 8 p.m.