ALLY SEEVERS/THE CREIGHTONIAN
No. 1 Nebraska claimed its 25th-straight victory over the Bluejays, sweeping No. 20 Creighton.
LINCOLN, Neb. — On Wednesday, No. 20 Creighton volleyball took on No. 1 Nebraska at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Coming off a tough loss to Rice, the Bluejays looked to prove they remain a Top 25 contender.
The Bluejays faced a challenging weekend at the Rice Invitational in Houston.
Creighton opened the tournament against Northern Iowa, a team it faced in last year’s playoffs. The Bluejays secured a 3-1 victory over the Panthers.
Their second match came against No. 5 Louisville. While Creighton put up a tough fight, the Bluejays ultimately fell 3-1 to the Cardinals. With one of the toughest nonconference schedules in the country, Creighton began to feel the fatigue of the weekend.
In its final matchup, Creighton faced tournament host Rice. The Bluejays dropped the first two sets, 25-21 and 37-35, before battling back with a 25-18 victory in the third. Creighton ultimately fell 27-25 in the fourth set, losing the match 3-1.
At Pinnacle Bank Arena for the Nebraska matchup, Creighton was greeted by a sea of red and an official attendance of 15,405, the largest indoor home crowd in Nebraska volleyball history.
The Bluejays got off to a slow start in the first set while the Huskers came out swinging. Creighton’s first point came from junior Trinity Shadd-Ceres, who has quickly established herself as a force on the team.
The Bluejays were plagued by errors early and were forced to call a timeout at 6-11 as they tried to combat Nebraska’s momentum.
“I just thought we played too soft in the first set. Our service pressure wasn’t good enough. They were in system the whole first set, and their middles just torched us,”Creighton head coach Brian Rosen said.
Senior Jaya Johnson recorded an impressive kill as the Bluejays tried to claw their way back from a seven-point deficit at 10-17. Nebraska proved too strong, however, taking the first set 25-13 on a kill by sophomore Virginia Adriano.
“All season our first sets have kind of been our worst, we have to be better early on,” Rosen said.
The Bluejays found their footing in the second set, with a kill from Shadd-Ceres putting them ahead 4-2. After a string of service errors, however, momentum shifted back to Nebraska.
The match was also filled with challenges, with the first going in favor of the Huskers and putting the Bluejays down 12-14. From there, Nebraska continued to pull away.
A kill from junior Ayden Ames put Creighton on the board at 14-19 as the Bluejays at tempted to start a comeback. Nebraska senior Harper Murray had other plans, recording two aces to put the Huskers ahead 23-14.
Murray ultimately sealed the set with a kill, giving Nebraska a 25-15 victory and a 2-0 lead.
The third set got off to a rocky start as the Bluejays struggled to defend Nebraska senior Andi Jackson’s block, falling behind 5-2.
“We have to be the aggressor early, whether it’s with our serving, whether it’s our attacking or whether it’s our blocking,” Rosen said.
A block by senior Eloise Brandewie kept Creighton within striking distance at 13-10. The Bluejays then cut the deficit to two with a successful challenge, making it 13-11. Creighton’s defense helped keep the team in the match, with the Bluejays making several scrappy plays.
“I thought we passed great tonight. … I thought we were in system a ton, so passing wasn’t really the concern,” Rosen said.
Even with the successful challenge, the Cornhuskers began to pull away, forcing Creighton to call a timeout at 17-11.
After the timeout, sophomore Ashlyn Paymal earned her fifth kill of the match, leading Creighton’s attack for the night. Paymal, a Nebraska native, said playing in Pinnacle Bank Arena was an experience she will cherish.
“I just remember at one point probably 10 years ago I was sitting in the section … looking down at all those players and now I get to be one of them. It seriously gave me chills,” Paymal said.
The Bluejays struggled to defend Nebraska’s back-row attack as the Huskers neared the finish. After a kill from Nebraska sophomore Kenna Cogill, Creighton faced match point.
Shadd-Ceres responded with a block to keep the Bluejays within reach at 24-19, but the match ultimately ended with another kill from Cogill, giving the Huskers a sweep.
“Our motto this year is leave nothing. … I just think it’s about all six of us on the court, all of our bench, and every single one of us needs to be united,” Paymal said.
Despite the loss, Creighton held Nebraska to a .202 hitting percentage, the Huskers’ lowest mark of the season. The Bluejays finished the match with a -.033 hitting percentage.
The Bluejays will return home this weekend to face undefeated Kansas State and reigning national champion Texas A&M at DJ Sokol Arena. First serve against Kansas State is set for 7 p.m. tonight.