Sunday, November 12
Indianapolis, Ind.
12:00 PM
Creighton University
22-5, 15-1BE
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at
2
Butler
21-7, 11-5BE
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2
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5
F
Creighton
21
38
25
25
15
3
Butler
25
36
19
27
11
2
Photo by: Mark Kuhlmann
Champions! Volleyball Clinches Share of Fourth Straight BIG EAST Title
11/12/2017 2:30:00 PM | Volleyball
Bluejays have two chances to make it an outright title next weekend
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The No. 14 Creighton Volleyball team clinched a share of its fourth straight BIG EAST Conference title on Sunday with a hard-fought 3-2 victory at Butler. The Bluejays will have two opportunities to make it four outright titles in a row next weekend on a road trip to Villanova and Georgetown.
Scores of the match in favor of CU were 21-25, 38-36, 25-19, 25-27, 15-11. Creighton's 124 points in the match are tied for sixth-most in NCAA history for a five-set match since the move to 25-point sets in 2008.
Butler led nearly the entire first set before Creighton took its only lead at 20-19 after three straight points that were capped by a block from Marysa Wilkinson and Taryn Kloth. Butler would answer with a 6-1 surge to end the set and take a 1-0 lead on CU.
The second set was, simply put, one of the most competitive in program history. The frame featured 29 ties and 13 lead changes before Creighton ultimately prevailed, 38-36. Creighton didn't win it until its ninth set point chance, but not until saving five Butler chances to take a 2-0 lead in the match. Down 36-35, Wilkinson had a kill to tie the score and consecutive attack errors by the Bulldogs gave CU the victory. The set was the highest scoring set in CU history since the shift to 25-point sets in 2008, surpassing a 34-32 fourth set win over South Dakota on Sept. 20, 2014. Playing for South Dakota that day was Sydney Dimke, the sister of current Bluejay setter Lydia Dimke.
"It was epic," said Creighton coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth. "I don't think I've ever played or coached in one that long. It was awesome. Both teams were playing so clean. It wasn't a matter of teams making errors. It was both teams stepping up, and that was impressive to see. Both teams had opportunities, but that was the difference in the match because if we go down 0-2 we're in a world of hurt."
Creighton used the momentum of the second set to win the third frame, racing to a 20-9 lead to claim a wire-to-wire 25-19 win.
Creighton went ahead 8-4 early in the fourth set, only to see Butler rally to claim a 16-15 lead for its first advantage since 36-35 in the second frame. CU squandered match point chances at 24-23 and 25-24, and the Bulldogs would win a 27-25 set to force a winner-take-all fifth set.
Creighton trailed 6-4 early in the fifth set, only to score the next six points on Brittany Witt's serve to take control. Butler saved three match points before the clinching point came via a Jaali Winters kill.
"The match was so back-and-forth, anytime you had an opportunity score a couple points, you had to seize it," said Booth. "We were fortunate in the fifth game that happened for us. Brittany came out of the timeout to hit a serve that fell in on the baseline, and had that gone differently, things could have changed quickly."
Kloth had season-highs with 19 kills and five blocks, hitting .395 while adding five digs. Winters (16 kills, 16 digs) and Dimke (61 assists, 18 digs) provided double-doubles, and Wilkinson (14) and Megan Ballenger (13) also had double-figure kills. Witt led the defense with 24 digs.
Creighton had 76 kills, seven aces, 80 digs, 10 blocks and hit .283 for the day.
Butler was led by 17 kills and 17 digs by Anna Logan, while Bri Lilly added 16 kills on .448 hitting. Also posting double-doubles were Makayla Ferguson (60 assists, 12 digs) and Whitney Beck (15 kills, 17 digs). BU had 72 kills, five aces, 79 digs and nine blocks on .238 hitting.
Creighton next plays at Villanova next Friday at 6 pm Central on BEDN.
"We're thrilled to have at least a share of the BIG EAST title," said Booth. "It's been a goal for the team, but we want to earn it outright and just as important, we want to put ourselves in a position with the opportunity to host in the NCAA Tournament. Each of these games are critical for that to happen."
NOTES: Creighton has now won five conference titles in the last six seasons ... The victory was the 50th five-set win under Kirsten Bernthal Booth at Creighton in 77 attempts ... Creighton has won 11 straight matches this season, tied for the fourth-longest streak in program history ... Creighton is now 9-1 all-time against Butler, with nine straight wins ... Creighton has won 18 straight matches in the Eastern Time Zone ... Creighton also defeated Butler in five sets earlier this year in Omaha, and is 2-1 in five-set matches this fall ... The winner of the first set has won every match Creighton has played in this year, with the exception of both contests vs. Butler ... Creighton has won 58 straight matches when hitting .250 or better ... Creighton has won 21 straight matches in November ... Lydia Dimke's double-double was the 25th of her career, which includes one at Purdue. Dimke also tied her season-high with seven kills ... Marysa Wilkinson moved into 10th in Creighton history with 1,117 career kills, passing former teammate Kelli Browning (1,104). Wilkinson also surpassed 400 career blocks today, and now has 404 ... Brittany Witt has had 10 or more digs in 12 straight matches, and her 24 digs today were the fifth time this fall she's had 20 or more scoops ... Creighton's 17 serving errors were its most since the 2015 season-opener vs. Miami (Ohio), when it had 18 ... Each of Creighton's last four titles have been won or clinched while a team is in Indianapolis. In addition to today's title, CU's volleyball team won the 2016 BIG EAST Tournament in Indianapolis, the 2016-17 women's basketball team clinched the regular-season title in Indianapolis and the 2017 baseball team won the regular-season title while in Indianapolis after its game at Butler was rained out and St. John's lost on the last day of the regular-season ... Creighton Volleyball's unofficial RPI jumped to nine after Sunday's win ... Creighton is the first team to win a share of four straight BIG EAST volleyball titles since Notre Dame won seven in a row from 1999-2005 ... The only other program in Creighton history to win four straight league titles was Creighton men's soccer, which won five straight MVC titles from 1992-96.
Scores of the match in favor of CU were 21-25, 38-36, 25-19, 25-27, 15-11. Creighton's 124 points in the match are tied for sixth-most in NCAA history for a five-set match since the move to 25-point sets in 2008.
Butler led nearly the entire first set before Creighton took its only lead at 20-19 after three straight points that were capped by a block from Marysa Wilkinson and Taryn Kloth. Butler would answer with a 6-1 surge to end the set and take a 1-0 lead on CU.
The second set was, simply put, one of the most competitive in program history. The frame featured 29 ties and 13 lead changes before Creighton ultimately prevailed, 38-36. Creighton didn't win it until its ninth set point chance, but not until saving five Butler chances to take a 2-0 lead in the match. Down 36-35, Wilkinson had a kill to tie the score and consecutive attack errors by the Bulldogs gave CU the victory. The set was the highest scoring set in CU history since the shift to 25-point sets in 2008, surpassing a 34-32 fourth set win over South Dakota on Sept. 20, 2014. Playing for South Dakota that day was Sydney Dimke, the sister of current Bluejay setter Lydia Dimke.
"It was epic," said Creighton coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth. "I don't think I've ever played or coached in one that long. It was awesome. Both teams were playing so clean. It wasn't a matter of teams making errors. It was both teams stepping up, and that was impressive to see. Both teams had opportunities, but that was the difference in the match because if we go down 0-2 we're in a world of hurt."
Creighton used the momentum of the second set to win the third frame, racing to a 20-9 lead to claim a wire-to-wire 25-19 win.
Creighton went ahead 8-4 early in the fourth set, only to see Butler rally to claim a 16-15 lead for its first advantage since 36-35 in the second frame. CU squandered match point chances at 24-23 and 25-24, and the Bulldogs would win a 27-25 set to force a winner-take-all fifth set.
Creighton trailed 6-4 early in the fifth set, only to score the next six points on Brittany Witt's serve to take control. Butler saved three match points before the clinching point came via a Jaali Winters kill.
"The match was so back-and-forth, anytime you had an opportunity score a couple points, you had to seize it," said Booth. "We were fortunate in the fifth game that happened for us. Brittany came out of the timeout to hit a serve that fell in on the baseline, and had that gone differently, things could have changed quickly."
Kloth had season-highs with 19 kills and five blocks, hitting .395 while adding five digs. Winters (16 kills, 16 digs) and Dimke (61 assists, 18 digs) provided double-doubles, and Wilkinson (14) and Megan Ballenger (13) also had double-figure kills. Witt led the defense with 24 digs.
Creighton had 76 kills, seven aces, 80 digs, 10 blocks and hit .283 for the day.
Butler was led by 17 kills and 17 digs by Anna Logan, while Bri Lilly added 16 kills on .448 hitting. Also posting double-doubles were Makayla Ferguson (60 assists, 12 digs) and Whitney Beck (15 kills, 17 digs). BU had 72 kills, five aces, 79 digs and nine blocks on .238 hitting.
Creighton next plays at Villanova next Friday at 6 pm Central on BEDN.
"We're thrilled to have at least a share of the BIG EAST title," said Booth. "It's been a goal for the team, but we want to earn it outright and just as important, we want to put ourselves in a position with the opportunity to host in the NCAA Tournament. Each of these games are critical for that to happen."
NOTES: Creighton has now won five conference titles in the last six seasons ... The victory was the 50th five-set win under Kirsten Bernthal Booth at Creighton in 77 attempts ... Creighton has won 11 straight matches this season, tied for the fourth-longest streak in program history ... Creighton is now 9-1 all-time against Butler, with nine straight wins ... Creighton has won 18 straight matches in the Eastern Time Zone ... Creighton also defeated Butler in five sets earlier this year in Omaha, and is 2-1 in five-set matches this fall ... The winner of the first set has won every match Creighton has played in this year, with the exception of both contests vs. Butler ... Creighton has won 58 straight matches when hitting .250 or better ... Creighton has won 21 straight matches in November ... Lydia Dimke's double-double was the 25th of her career, which includes one at Purdue. Dimke also tied her season-high with seven kills ... Marysa Wilkinson moved into 10th in Creighton history with 1,117 career kills, passing former teammate Kelli Browning (1,104). Wilkinson also surpassed 400 career blocks today, and now has 404 ... Brittany Witt has had 10 or more digs in 12 straight matches, and her 24 digs today were the fifth time this fall she's had 20 or more scoops ... Creighton's 17 serving errors were its most since the 2015 season-opener vs. Miami (Ohio), when it had 18 ... Each of Creighton's last four titles have been won or clinched while a team is in Indianapolis. In addition to today's title, CU's volleyball team won the 2016 BIG EAST Tournament in Indianapolis, the 2016-17 women's basketball team clinched the regular-season title in Indianapolis and the 2017 baseball team won the regular-season title while in Indianapolis after its game at Butler was rained out and St. John's lost on the last day of the regular-season ... Creighton Volleyball's unofficial RPI jumped to nine after Sunday's win ... Creighton is the first team to win a share of four straight BIG EAST volleyball titles since Notre Dame won seven in a row from 1999-2005 ... The only other program in Creighton history to win four straight league titles was Creighton men's soccer, which won five straight MVC titles from 1992-96.
Team Stats
CU
BU
Kills
76
72
Errors
23
27
Attempts
187
189
Hitting %
.283
.238
Points
93.0
86.0
Assists
69
68
Aces
7
5
Blocks
10.0
9.0
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
19
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Kills
16
Aces
1
Blocks
3
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Kills
13
Aces
1
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
MB/RS
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballMB/RS
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
DS
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