The 22nd ranked Creighton Bluejays returned to the volleyball court Friday evening in the first match of the Radisson Classic hosted by USC. After a taking the first set, a marathon second set, and a come from behind third set, the Bluejays swept former MVC foes Northern Iowa. UNI falls to 2-2 on the year while the Bluejays improve to 2-1 by securing their second victory in a row.
After appearing in all four sets last match against Iowa State, freshman Megan Ballenger made her first career start for Creighton to lead all players in the match with 11 kills and played a crucial part in helping the Bluejays hold off the UNI team’s continued pressure.
Both sides came out strong in the first set. The set saw 12 lead changes before the Bluejays pulled off six straight points, while Ballenger served, to win 25-20. Although UNI slightly out hit Creighton .270 to .263, senior Jess Bird lead both sides with five kills. Bird also added four digs. True freshman libero Brittany Witt had seven of Creighton’s 20 total digs in the first set. She would end the night with 15 digs, second only to UNI’s Amie Held (16).
The second set started off as the first had ended, with Creighton quickly taking a 2-0 lead. After fighting back from down 9-5, UNI tied the set at 12-12. The remainder of the set was a high energy marathon as the sides traded points. Service errors down the stretch plagued both teams. Ultimately, the Bluejays were able to survive six UNI set points before closing out the set 32-30. Marysa Wilkinson and Ballenger added both pivotal blocks and vital kills. Following a pair of attack errors by the Panther’s offense, Jaali Winters added the finishing touch with a kill to seal the two set lead. This time it was the Bluejays who had the slight advantage hitting .250 compared to UNI’s .238.
As the teams returned to the court, UNI faced a must win set as they tried to extend the match. A 3-0 Creighton start quickly evaporated and the Bluejays found themselves facing their largest deficit of the night, down 11-6. A handful of unforced errors for the Panthers and some timely kills for the Bluejays, including two from setter Lydia Dimke, kept it anyone’s set to win. Creighton had to overcome one final UNI set point before closing out the match with a 27-25 third set win. The win was the first sweep for the Bluejays in 2016 after losing to Wichita State in five sets and beating Iowa State in four last weekend.
Jess Bird and UNI’s Bri Weber posted the only double doubles of the night, each with 10 kills and 10 digs. Setter Lydia Dimke ran the Bluejay offense and racked up 38 assists in the effort, but also struggled from the line with 4 service errors. Creighton ended with 50 kills on 42 assists and 50 digs. Ballenger had a strong showing in her first start with 11 kills, 6 digs, 2 aces, and a key block late in the second set.
The Bluejays will return to action tomorrow for a double header as the Radisson Classic continues. First, they will face the 23rd ranked Kentucky Wildcats at 2:00pm CST. The Bluejay’s trip to Los Angeles will then conclude with a match against the USC Trojans at 10:00pm CST. The Bluejays will be looking for redemption after USC knocked them out of the NCAA tournament last year.