THOMAS ZIEGLER/THE CREIGHTONIAN
Down two sets to one and staring down their first Big East loss of the season, No. 12 Creighton volleyball didn’t flinch.
Senior Ava Martin earned a career high 30 kills as the Bluejays rallied past Marquette in five sets on Nov. 1. The win extended Creighton’s streak to 14 straight. Creighton hit .370 as a team, but that efficiency doesn’t tell the whole story.
The first set was a clinic: crisp passing and a barrage of kills from Martin and freshman Abbey Hayes forced Marquette to burn both timeouts early. Then the match flipped.
In the second and third sets, Marquette began reading Creighton’s tendencies. The Golden Eagles started funneling Martin’s powerful cross-court swing toward their back-row defenders and sending middle blockers to close her line. On the other side, Marquette’s improved passing let setter Elena Radeff speed up the offense, giving star outside Natalie Ring room to hammer quick swings before Creighton’s block could get set.
“There were two runs in that set that we’d want back,” head coach Brian Rosen said of the second frame.
Behind Ring, who finished with 23 kills, Marquette found its rhythm and a 2-1 lead. This left Creighton searching for a response.
“It’s easy to simulate being down 2-1 with your backs against the wall,” Rosen said. “It’s another thing to actually do it. I love the fact that they got out to an early lead at the start of that fourth set.”
That response began at the net. Martin opened the fourth with an ace to spark a 4-0 run, and sophomore Jaya Johnson and senior Kiara Reinhardt combined for a series of momentum-turning blocks. Rosen said the shift started with a defensive mindset.
“Blocking sets the tone for who we are as a defense,” he said.
Hayes, meanwhile, continued her breakout freshman season, finishing with 13 kills and 13 digs for her first career double-double. Her performance reflected why Rosen trusts her playing all six rotations.
“Her numbers get better every weekend, which comes with confidence,” Rosen said. “Her face never changes. She’s also so consistent, so poised … I love that we’re able to go to her in big minutes.”
Hayes said Martin has helped her grow comfortable in her role.
“She’s always my biggest supporter on the court, and I can always ask for advice about [the] back and front row,” she said.
By the fifth set, the Bluejays’ adjustments had caught up to Marquette. Martin and Hayes began targeting deep corners instead of swinging cross-court, and Creighton’s serve and receive held steady under pressure. Steady passing allowed setter Annalea Maeder to keep Marquette’s blockers guessing. The senior finished with 59 assists and 13 digs.
“She did such a good job distributing today,” Martin said of Maeder’s precision. “There were so many points where I was like, that was the perfect ball and the perfect decision.”
When rallies stretched long, Martin stayed ready and delivered in big moments.
“Some people just have this mentality of, ‘I want the ball right now. Set me,’” Rosen said of Martin. “Good set, bad set, or anywhere in between, we trust her to put the ball away.”
As match point neared, the crowd at D.J. Sokol Arena was on its feet. Each swing drew louder cheers until junior Sydney Breissinger’s final serve proved too tough for the Golden Eagles, earning an ace to seal the win.
Creighton now turns its attention to its final homestand of the season, hosting Villanova first today at 7:30 p.m. followed by Georgetown for senior day and the last home match of the season on Nov. 9. Both opponents remain in the hunt for Big East tournament spots.