OMAHA, Neb. –– All-Americans Ava Martin, Norah Sis and Kendra Wait had double-doubles to lead No. 6 Creighton Volleyball to a 3-1 win over rival Marquette on Tuesday night in front of a national television audience on FS1. Scores of CU’s victory were 25-20, 25-18, 23-25, 25-12.
Creighton is now 12-2 on the year and 3-0 in BIG EAST play after its fifth straight victory, while Marquette dropped to 6-6 overall and is 2-1 in league action.
Martin had 15 kills and 10 digs, Sis added 14 kills and 13 digs while Wait contributed 47 assists and 11 digs for the Bluejays, which also got huge efforts from Wisconsin natives Elise Goetzinger (12 kills, 6 blocks) and Kiara Reinhardt (9 kills, 5 blocks). Maddy Bilinovic’s first taste of the BIG EAST’s best rivalry saw the fifth-year libero collect 20 digs. Creighton finished the night leading the Golden Eagles in kills (60-38), hitting percentage (.278 – .116), assists (55-36), aces (9-8), digs (70-65) and blocks (13-5).
Goetzinger had two kills and a block in an early 5-0 run as the Bluejays took a 6-4 lead to open the match. CU would gradually grow its lead to 20-14, then held off a Marquette comeback that was too little, too late. Goetzinger had six kills and three blocks in the opener and Bilinovic upped eight digs.
Creighton raced to an 11-4 lead in the second set as Wait authored a 6-0 run behind the service line. The Golden Eagles again drew within three at 13-10, 17-14 and 20-17 but got no closer as the Bluejays closed out the 25-18 set win to take a 2-0 lead in the match. Sis had five kills and Reinhardt owned four kills and a pair of blocks as CU held the Golden Eagles to .098 hitting.
Marquette became the first BIG EAST visitor to win a regular-season set in Omaha since October 16, 2022 when it rallied for a 25-23 set three triumph, snapping CU’s 46-set home win streak in league play. The Bluejays were in control 22-19 and eyeing a sweep before the Golden Eagles closed the set with a 6-1 flourish to extend the match. Yadhira Anchante served a late 5-0 run, including an ace out of a timeout at 23-22, to lead MU. Creighton hit .281 in the set and had four blocks, but lost the service game by being aced five times and owning five service miscues itself.
The Bluejays wasted no time closing out the match, bolting to a 13-4 lead in the fourth frame and moving the lead into double-figures at 15-5. A kill from Jaya Johnson ended the match in just over two hours. Creighton hit .500 in the fourth set with 17 kills in 32 swings. Sis had six kills and five digs while Martin had five kills, two aces and a solo stuff to close out MU for the 23rd time in the last 27 meetings.
Marquette got nine kills each from Carsen Murray and Ella Foti, who also had 11 digs. Anchante had 32 assists and 12 digs and Jenna Reitsma owned four aces and 14 digs despite being held to -.133 hitting.
Creighton returns to action on Friday at 6 p.m. Central with a match at Butler.
