#12 Creighton Volleyball Sets BIG EAST Record

QUEENS, N.Y. -- No. 12 Creighton Volleyball set a BIG EAST record with its 46th straight regular-season league victory in a 3-0 win at St. John's on Friday night in Queens, N.Y. The victory also clinched at least a share of a 12th consecutive BIG EAST title for the Bluejays, with a chance to earn the outright title in Saturday's regular-season finale on Saturday at Seton Hall.

Scores of the Bluejays' fifth straight sweep over the Red Storm were 25-15, 25-13, 25-18. The 46th consecutive regular-season league win eclipses the previous conference record of 45 set by Notre Dame from Oct. 1, 1999 to Nov. 15, 2022. Creighton's current streak started on Oct. 7, 2023 at DePaul and has included 39 sweeps.

Creighton (22-5, 15-0 BIG EAST) won a pair of challenges in the first 10 points to take an early 13-8 lead and force the first St. John's timeout, and not long after an ace by Saige Damrow prompted the second timeout from Joanne Persico. The Bluejays never trailed and hit .414 in the opener as Annalea Maeder dished 12 assists and three Bluejays (Abbey Hayes, Ava Martin and Nora Wurtz) had three kills apiece. Wurtz had a pair of aces down the stretch to get CU to set point, and the Jays clinched the opener on a double-block by Maeder and Kiara Reinhardt.

CU never trailed in the second set either, pulling away from a 6-6 tie to move in front 14-8. The Bluejays hit .462 in the second set, owned 10 more kills than the Johnnies (16-6), and served three aces in their 25-13 romp.

The teams did trade six lead changes and there were six ties in the final set, but the Jays pulled away to dash any SJU upset hopes on Senior Night. CU's narrow 15-14 lead stretched to 20-14 on Maeder's serve and CU sealed the win on a Red Storm attack error.

Martin led Creighton in kills for the 20th straight match, finishing with 13 kills. The Bluejays served up nine aces in the contest, including three by Wurtz, and hit .412 on the evening. Wurtz matched her season-highs with six kills and five blocks. Creighton finished with 43 kills, 33 digs and eight blocks.

St. John's (9-19, 5-10 BIG EAST) paced by Ella Parker's nine kills and hit .091 for the contest. The Johnnies had 25 kills, 26 digs, four blocks and served up two aces.

The Bluejays close the regular-season on Saturday at 4 p.m. Central at Seton Hall in a match that will be televised by SNY.