Laurel Sanford and Megan Bober lead the way
Last season, the Creighton volleyball team opened the brand new Ryan Center and Sokol Arena at the Bluejay Invitational. Originally, the Jays weren’t scheduled to be the first team to play a match in the arena. But due to a surprise turn of events, Tulane had to pull out of the invitational at the last minute due to a mass illness at the school, thus re-arranging the schedule. The Bluejays opened up with a dominant 3-set win against Texas Tech and an electric crowd.
Things didn’t go as well for the Bluejays following their sweep of the Red Raiders. Creighton lost their next 5 matches (and 7 of the next 8), failing to get off to the start they wanted. Coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth says the Bluejays must get a good start out of the gates this season.
“Last year we were lousy at the beginning of the season and it would have been easy to cash it in, but they focused on improving and we always talk about playing in the moment,” Booth said. “There is no question that we lost a lot of really tight games last year; that can beat you down and you start to question the next time we get to 23-23 and say ‘Oh we lost it’ where in the past we always felt we could win it. As process oriented as I like to be, I know that winning is important to this group.”
The Bluejay Invitational offers Booth’s team the chance to host a great event and start the season with some success in front of the home crowd. All four teams (Creighton, San Francisco, Lipscomb, and Kansas) feel they can win the tournament, and the matchups should create some competitive games all weekend.
Friday, 6:30 p.m. — Creighton vs. San Francisco
The Bluejays opens their regular season Friday night against San Francisco. Similar to Creighton, San Francisco returns four starters from last season, finished 13-14 in 2009, and is picked to finish 5th in the West Coast Conference this season. These two teams have met just once previously, in 1996 at the University of San Francisco Invitational. The Bluejays lost in straight sets (before the change to rally scoring). Creighton looks to turn the tables this year.
If you can’t see the game in person at Sokol Arena, you can hear the game on KKAR 1290 AM in the Omaha area or stream it online. Kansas plays Lipscomb in the early game at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
Saturday, Noon — Creighton vs. Lipscomb
Saturday will be full of action, as all four teams will play two games each. The Bluejays will take on Lipscomb at noon after Kansas takes on San Francisco at 10:00 a.m. Lipscomb made the NCAA Tournament in 2009, a season during which they went 28-4. The Lady Bisons return four starters and their libero. With all that experience coming back, including two-time conference player of the year Alex Kelly, Lipscomb is expected to win the Atlantic Sun conference again this season. Creighton lost to Lipscomb in four sets last season in an early season tournament at Kansas, as Kelly beat up on the Jays with 22 kills.
Can’t make it to Sokol for the first CU game Saturday? Listen to the game on KOIL 1180 AM in the Omaha area or stream it online.
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. — Creighton vs. Kansas
The Bluejays finish play Saturday evening against Kansas. The Jayhawks went 16-14 last season. Like Lipscomb, KU defeated Creighton in four sets. Returnees Karina Garlington and Allison Mayfield dominated the Bluejays in that match, combining for 34 kills. Kansas finished 8th in the Big 12 last season and are expected to do the same again this season. Kansas is 3-0 all-time against Creighton.
If you can make it to only one of the games this weekend, make sure to pack Sokol Arena for the match against Kansas — it won’t be on the radio.
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Coach Bernthal Booth sees some great competition this weekend:
“The first tournament, all of us think we can win it. We will get an opportunity to gauge where we are very quickly.”
Quickly, indeed. After the invitational this weekend the Bluejays gear up for their first true home match against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Tuesday night. That game is sold out. This weekend is a great chance to check out the Bluejay volleyball team in action.