THOMAS ZIEGLER/THE CREIGHTONIAN
Junior outside hitter Trinity Shadd-Ceres, sophomore outside hitter Abbey Hayes, and junior middle blocker Ayden Ames celebrate after winning a scrappy point against Nebraska on Friday.
Over the past few weeks, Creighton volleyball has held its spring matches to open up the 2026-2027 season. While facing off against the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri and previously No. 1 ranked Nebraska, the Jays have shown promise of a strong season ahead.
This past weekend, the Bluejays took on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in front of a sold-out crowd at D.J. Sokol Arena. The fans were excited to see Creighton volleyball back in action and the potential for what the lineup may look like in the fall.
With strong seniors such as outside hitter Ava Martin, setter Annalea Maeder and middle Kiara Reinhardt graduating, there are positions up for grabs on the starting roster. Here are five takeaways from the spring season that fans will be seeing for the Jays in the fall.
The new addition of outside hitter Trinity Shadd-Ceres
Coming from University of Wisconsin, the Ontario, Canada native has already made an incredible impact on Creighton’s offense even in her short time on campus. The 5’ 11” junior is looking impressive in both the outside hitter position and offensively out of the back row.
In the match against Nebraska, Shadd-Ceres had seven kills with a .267 hitting percentage. Her presence brings a new, exciting presence to the Bluejay team. With a 10’ 9” vertical according to the Joncast podcast out of Madison, Wisconsin, Shadd-Ceres is an athlete and force to be reckoned with.
“She may also be the best overall athlete in any sport to come through! Trinity is so explosive off the floor, has a great arm and ability to play six rotations,” head coach Brian Rosen said.
THOMAS ZIEGLER/THE CREIGHTONIAN
Junior Trinity Shadd-Ceres rises to lay down a tip in the match against Nebraska. Shadd-Ceres, a transfer, from Wisconsin had 10 kills on 21 attempts during her first match at DJ Sokol.
Freshmen impressed in their first match
The two freshmen who arrived on campus early have already made their impact. Setter Rayna Christianson, a Lakeville, Minnesota native ran a 6-2 along with veteran setter Ivy Leuck. Christianson looked promising putting up 14 assists along with two service aces in the match against Nebraska. She was also able to play a 5-1 in the fourth, running the offense by herself.
“Rayna did a really nice job running the offense in that fourth set which is something new for her at this level,” Coach Rosen said.
The second new recruit, Peyton Carlson, a defensive specialist, got her time on the court in the second and fourth sets. Going on an eight-point serving run in the fourth set, she propelled the Bluejays to a 25-15 set win.
Carlson began her volleyball career in high school as an outside hitter but committed to Creighton as a defensive specialist and libero. Both freshmen seem that they will be playing integral roles on the team come fall season as they continue to find their footing.
“I just noticed that I have to be a lot more open to change, [the] tempo is really different for me compared to my high school. I think I just want to be … more open to coaching and know that I have way more to improve on,” Christianson said.
Veteran liberos shape a polished defense
The back row appears to be a major strength. Senior Sydney Breissigner served as libero for the first two sets, while junior Saige Damrow took over for the next two, signaling that the Bluejays may rotate the role between the two throughout the season.
Last year, Damrow opened the season as a libero before moving to defensive specialist in late September against Kansas, with Breissinger handling libero duties for most of the year. Together, they form an impressive passing tandem. Both are also particularly skilled at serve receive, giving Creighton a strong defensive unit.
Middle blockers will dominate the offense
Creighton has always been a dominant middle blocking team, and this year will be no exception at that position.
Eloise Brandewie, who is entering her senior season, has continued to make an impact on the offense. Starting frequently last year, Brandewie blocks strongly on the other side of the net no matter who she is up against. In the Nebraska match, she earned herself a solo block against middle Andi Jackson, who is one of the best in the country.
Junior Nora Wurtz will also be returning for the Creighton offense. Wurtz who is known for her killer serve, earned an ace in the third set. Her height and float serve bring a new look to the team and make her serve nearly impossible to receive.
The newest middle for the Jays is junior Ayden Ames. Coming from the University of Texas, Ames led the Longhorns on their Elite 8 run with 109 blocks on the season. Against Nebraska, she finished the match with seven kills and experienced her first time in the Creighton atmosphere at D.J. Sokol Arena.
“Creighton fans really showed up, and our team had a great fight. It was just awesome to see the gym look like that,” Ames said.