Creighton Sweeps Marquette In Big East Semi Finals

MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- The No. 12 Creighton Volleyball team will play for a title at the BIG EAST Championship Presented by JEEP on Sunday after a 3-0 win at Marquette on Saturday. Scores of the CU win were 25-19, 28-26, 25-23, as BIG EAST Player of the Year Ava Martin had 24 kills for the Bluejays. Creighton is now 24-5 on the season after its 19th straight win, while Marquette is 17-10. Led by eight kills in 12 swings by Martin, Creighton hit .419 in the first set en route to a 25-19 victory. Wisconsin native Kiara Reinhardt put up a block on set point as CU won its 14th straight set in BIG EAST Tournament play, the longest streak leaguewide since Pittsburgh won 25 in a row from 1990-93. Creighton saved three set points to win the second set 28-26 and take control of the match. Martin, named BIG EAST Player of the Year on Friday, had 11 kills in the set, including three terminations to help CU continue the set. Creighton had 23 kills and hit .370 in the second set as Annalea Maeder dished 20 helpers and Sydney Breissinger had seven digs. The teams were tied at 15-all in the third set before a 5-0 Bluejay run that featured four attack errors from the Golden Eagles. The Golden Eagles tied the score at 23-all before a kill from Abbey Hayes got CU to match point and a block by Maeder and Nora Wurtz ended it. Martin's five kills made her one of four Bluejays with multiple kills in the finale. Creighton, which entered the match leading the country with 2.35 aces per set, had five service miscues without an ace in the finale before ultimately prevailing. Martin's 24 kills led CU and were one shy of Leah Ratzlaff's school-record for a three-set match. The senior hit .432, but the 24 kills were CU's most ever by one player in a BIG EAST Tourney contest. Reinhardt hit .500 and had nine kills while becoming the winningest player in program history, and Jaya Johnson celebrated her birthday with eight kills on .467 hitting. Maeder had 44 assists in the contest, CU's most ever in a three-set BIG EAST Tournament match. Creighton hit .327 for the match with 52 kills, 45 digs, five blocks and three aces. MU was led by All-BIG EAST performer Natalie Ring, who had 13 kills and hit .258. Hattie Bray and Elena Radeff each had six kills. The Golden Eagles had 35 kills, 37 digs, four blocks and three aces and hit .170. Creighton will play in its 12th BIG EAST Tournament final in the past 13 years on Sunday at 2 p.m. Central against the second semifinal winner between Xavier/Villanova. Sunday's contest will be broadcast on ESPN2.