OMAHA, Neb. -- The Creighton Volleyball team is up to No. 28 in this week's AVCA Division I coaches poll, the highest mark in program history. CU earned a best-ever 35 points, not far behind No. 25 Saint Mary's 81 points and trailing top also receiving votes teams from Tennessee (53) and Marquette (37).
The Bluejays are off to their best 21-match start in program history with an 18-3 record, and second in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 9-1 league mark. The start has helped the Jays receive votes in the AVCA Top 25 poll for the seventh time this season. This week's poll saw CU jump from 22 to 35 votes, good for 28th place. The previous high-water mark had been No. 32, which came on September 17th and again last Monday.
Creighton is also No. 34 in the NCAA's RPI, which is significantly higher than a No. 44 rank at a similar time two years ago (Oct. 25, 2010), when CU went on to earn an at-large bid and reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Statistically, sophomore Kelli Browning ranks second in the nation in blocking, averaging 1.71 blocks per set. Browning also ranks 24th nationally in hitting percentage at .386. The only other Bluejay ranked in the top-100 of any category is Kate Elman, who is 67th with 4.88 digs per set, a figure that ranks fifth-best among freshmen nationwide.
As a team, the Jays average of 3.13 stuffs per set ranks third nationally. Creighton is also ranked among the top-100 in winning percentage (18th, .857), hitting percentage (36th, .251), digs per set (45th, 16.94), service aces per set (98th, 1.32) and kills per set (98th, 13.23).
Creighton returns home this weekend with a pair of matches. The Jays take on Evansville on Friday at 7 pm and Southern Illinois on Saturday at 4 pm, both at D.J. Sokol Arena.
The Bluejays are off to their best 21-match start in program history with an 18-3 record, and second in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 9-1 league mark. The start has helped the Jays receive votes in the AVCA Top 25 poll for the seventh time this season. This week's poll saw CU jump from 22 to 35 votes, good for 28th place. The previous high-water mark had been No. 32, which came on September 17th and again last Monday.
Creighton is also No. 34 in the NCAA's RPI, which is significantly higher than a No. 44 rank at a similar time two years ago (Oct. 25, 2010), when CU went on to earn an at-large bid and reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Statistically, sophomore Kelli Browning ranks second in the nation in blocking, averaging 1.71 blocks per set. Browning also ranks 24th nationally in hitting percentage at .386. The only other Bluejay ranked in the top-100 of any category is Kate Elman, who is 67th with 4.88 digs per set, a figure that ranks fifth-best among freshmen nationwide.
As a team, the Jays average of 3.13 stuffs per set ranks third nationally. Creighton is also ranked among the top-100 in winning percentage (18th, .857), hitting percentage (36th, .251), digs per set (45th, 16.94), service aces per set (98th, 1.32) and kills per set (98th, 13.23).
Creighton returns home this weekend with a pair of matches. The Jays take on Evansville on Friday at 7 pm and Southern Illinois on Saturday at 4 pm, both at D.J. Sokol Arena.
