Creighton volleyball opened its final weekend of nonconference play with a sweep of South Florida on Saturday afternoon, winning 25–19, 25–15, 25–23 to begin the Creighton Classic at D.J. Sokol Arena.
The Bluejays started fast behind senior outside hitter Ava Martin, who tallied six kills in the first set alone. Creighton built an 18–8 lead before closing on another Martin kill.
“Three very different sets,” assistant coach Brian Rosen said. “In the first, we built a huge lead and just had to hang on. The second was close in the middle before we went on a couple of runs. And the third, it was point for point almost the whole way—we just had to find a way to win it.”
Much of that came through the team’s improved sideout efficiency, which was above 70% in all three sets. Rosen noted that South Florida served tough and kept Creighton’s passing off the net, yet the Jays still found ways to terminate.
“For us to side out at that rate says a lot about our out-of-system setting and how well our pins handled those swings,” Rosen said. “I think we utilized the back row really well, too.”
Middle blocker Jaya Johnson took on an expanded role, playing all six rotations for the first time with outside hitter Destiny Ndam-Simpson sidelined by an injury. She finished with seven kills, six digs, and her first career ace.
“I felt confident because our coaches had me working on it since the spring and summer,” Johnson said. “It’s not something I do a lot, but my teammates were patient with me, and that made me more confident. With our passing and setting, it just felt like a whole-team thing.”
Early in the spring, Rosen had asked Johnson if playing professionally was a goal for her. When she said yes, the coaching staff deliberately incorporated more defensive reps and serving practice into her workouts, preparing her to be a more versatile player.
“To be a right side [hitter] at a professional volleyball level, you have to be able to play all the way around,” Rosen said. “We’re now training volleyball players to do more than just be a blocker or a hitter.”
Senior setter Anna Maeder, meanwhile, directed the offense with poise. She recorded 30 assists and mixed her locations to keep South Florida’s block guessing.
“Their serving pressure kept us off the net, so we had to go more pin-to-pin,” Maeder said. “I wanted to give Abbey [Hayes] more balls to build her confidence, and she converted really well. I’m proud of how she played.”
South Florida pushed hardest in the third set, leading 18–16 before Johnson tied it with a tip and followed with an ace. The Bulls stayed within a point until match point, when Johnson and Kiara Reinhardt combined for the block to seal the sweep.
For Creighton, it was the 13th sweep in its last 16 home matches, and another step toward sharpening things before conference play begins. The Bluejays will face Kansas tomorrow to wrap up their nonconference slate before turning to Big East action next week.
“We’ve talked all week about finishing nonconference [play] strong,” Rosen said. “Kansas is a great test to close it out, and it’s like a conference series where you’re facing a team for a second time. We’ll need to adjust, and that’s what makes it fun.”