The Creighton volleyball team has provided plenty of excitement through non-conference play. They’ve played four five-set matches, including a heartbreaker in front of the largest crowd in collegiate volleyball history. 

They’ve won two tournaments on the road, including against their cross-town rivals, the Omaha Mavericks. 

There’s a reason this team is the favorite to win the league, even in a very strong Big East. Returning from last year’s conference championship run, Norah Sis is a powerhouse that draws the other teams’ block on every single swing. Allison Whitten just won the conference’s Defensive Player of the Week award. Keeley Davis continues to prove why she is one of the conference’s premier hitters. Kendra Wait has shown herself to be the best setter in the league, racking up blocks and digs while still setting at an elite level. 

The team’s newcomers look to make the team even better. Freshman Sky McCune survived a service onslaught from Nebraska, being targeted the entire match and not giving up a single ace. Her fellow freshman Ava Martin provided the push the Jays needed to win both matches in the Omaha invitational. Transfer Jazz Schmidt returned with a roar against Rice, leading the team with 17 kills. 

Any team with this much talent has potential, but anyone who’s watched them play knows where their true strength lies: grit.  

Wait has said several times that the team’s motto is to not let balls hit the ground, and it’s evident. Countless long rallies, diving digs, and crazy comebacks have become a hallmark of this team. 

There’s only one thing separating this team from finishing this season in Omaha at the Final Four: closing out sets. Against Nebraska, Creighton had every chance to win the second set, which very well could have given them the match. Against Rice, they had it at 14-14 in the fifth and couldn’t quite finish it. Even in their five-set wins, they could have easily closed out both matches in four. 

This team is about 15 points throughout the season away from being a top ten team right now. As the freshmen grow into their roles, as Jazz gets re-acclimated to the offense, and as the team continues to build momentum, they could absolutely be hanging a new banner in Sokol at the end of the season.