With wins over Bradley University and the University of Northern Iowa, the Creighton volleyball team earned a spot in the AVCA Top 25 for the first time in team history. The Jays are No. 25 in the poll with an overall record of 22-3 (13-1 MVC).
“It’s a great accomplishment for us,” sophomore outside hitter Leah McNary said. “I saw it from the beginning just because of all of the hard work we’ve been putting in. I think it’s suitable for us right now.”
The Jays needed five sets (25-18, 25-23, 11-25, 17-25, 15-8), but were able to outlast the Northern Iowa Panthers on Saturday night. Having won the third and fourth sets, the Panthers entered the final set with the momentum, but the Jays pulled together and were able to come away with an emotional win. After going back and forth to a 4-4 tie, the Jays went on an 11-4 run to secure the victory.
Senior setter Megan Bober contributed her second triple-double of the weekend and fourth of the season, finishing with 10 kills, 47 assists and 14 digs. McNary led the team with 19 kills, and freshman outside hitter Melanie Jereb had 15 kills along with 15 digs. Senior defensive specialist Brooke Boggs led the team with 24 digs.
Head Coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth said she was pleased with the perseverance of her team.
“It showed this team’s mental toughness,” Booth said. “They stayed together even through some tough games and never fell apart, they really stayed together as a unit, and I’m really impressed with their mental toughness.”
The Jays opened the weekend with a 3-1 (25-13, 25-18, 23-25, 25-15) victory over Bradley on Friday night. Jereb led the Jays with 14 kills and also chipped in with 16 digs. Freshman libero Kate Elman led the team with 24 digs.
The Jays had seven aces in comparison to the three of the Braves, including three from sophomore middle blocker Kelli Browning. The Jays also posted a .309 hitting percentage, more than doubling the .145 of the Braves.
Bober and Jereb were both honored by the Missouri Valley Conference for their performances over the weekend. Bober was named MVC Player of the week, while Jereb was tabbed as the MVC Freshman of the Week.
The Jays return to D.J. Sokol Arena for their final two home games of the regular season this weekend. They will face the 3-21 Indiana State University Sycamores on Friday at 5 p.m., while the 14-10 Illinois State Redbirds come to Omaha on Saturday at 6 p.m. for Creighton’s senior night.