Creighton volleyball swept UConn in its annual Pink Out match Thursday, hitting .359 to the Huskies’ .119 and extending its Pink Out winning streak to 18 matches.
“We went on runs the entire time, and that’s something our team has struggled with,” head coach Brian Rosen said. “Today, we really limited [UConn’s] runs and went back, got two and three points every time back.”
Junior Texas transfer Ayden Ames started as a middle blocker after playing outside hitter for the past month. She hit an impressive .714.
“I’ve learned so much about myself and this team in the process,” she said. “I’m glad I can be there when needed, but if not, I’m glad Trinity [Shadd-Ceres] can come back healthy and step back into that role. We can find a rhythm in any offense.”
Ames added 10 kills to reach 500 in her collegiate career. The junior transfer emphasized that wouldn’t be possible without her teammates’ support, especially fifth-year setter Katie Dalton.
“I couldn’t do it by myself. There are three touches before I get a kill, so I’m just really grateful for the team that surrounds me.”
The Bluejays were also formidable behind the service line. Senior defensive specialist Sydney Breissenger went on 7-0 and 6-0 serving runs in the second and third sets, respectively.
“Our service pressure tonight was especially good,” Rosen said. “Every one of our servers went back behind the line with confidence [and] got them out of system a lot.”
Creighton followed Thursday’s win with another sweep Friday, defeating Providence to complete its weekend at home. The Friars challenged the Bluejays early with disciplined net defense led by freshman middle blocker Aubrey Easterwood and senior middle blocker Lyric Berry. Creighton’s pin-hitters had to fight to score, and the first set came down to the final points.
The Jays originally led 17-13 before Providence rallied to 19-18. They traded points late, with Providence reaching set point twice. Creighton responded with kills and a block from senior Eloise Brandewie and sophomore Ashlyn Paymal before taking the set 30-28.
After pulling out the opening set, the Bluejays settled in and played with greater confidence. In the second set, Creighton earned 23 out of its 25 points in a more consistent offensive performance.
“Early-season Creighton would not have handled that [pressure] very well. We were diligent on other teams to give us points, and I love that we were able to earn them ourselves today,” Rosen said.
The back-and-forth nature of the first set amped up the crowd as well as the team. Once the Bluejays adjusted to Providence’s blockers, they put together longer stretches of consistent play.
“It was a lot easier to be in a flow, find shots, and find ways to score in those second and third sets,” Paymal said.
The two sweeps gave Creighton a strong finish at home as the Bluejays continue their push toward another Big East title. With the postseason approaching, Rosen emphasized the importance of focusing on the next match.
“I asked our team to have a tournament mentality right now. If you want to put another trophy in the trophy case, you’re going to have to earn it one game at a time,” Rosen said.
After an away match against Marquette yesterday afternoon, Creighton will face DePaul this evening in Chicago. The match begins at 7 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.