Photo Courtesy of Mark Kuhlmann
OMAHA, Neb.
– A turnout of 14,022, the largest volleyball-only crowd in NCAA Volleyball regular-season history, saw No. 14 Creighton push No. 7 Nebraska to the limit before dropping a five-set match at CHI Health Center Omaha on Thursday, Sept. 6.
Creighton (4-3) won the first two sets 25-22 and 25-19 before Nebraska (5-1) rallied back to win the match with 25-18, 25-22 and 15-10 victories.
Senior Taryn Kloth had a career-high 26 kills to lead CU, one more than her previous best 12 days earlier in a five-set match at No. 10 USC. Senior Jaali Winters provided a double-double with 18 kills and 18 digs, while Madelyn Cole dished 50 assists. Also making an impact were sophomore Alexa Roumeliotis, who had a career-high 16 digs, and freshman Jaela Zimmerman, who added a season-best 10 kills.
Two-time Final Four Most Outstanding Player Mikaela Foecke added a career-high 25 kills for Nebraska, the most by a Cornhusker since Kelsey Robinson's 29 in the 2013 season. Capri Davis entered the match with 16 career kills, but added 18 kills in 49 swings for NU. Kenzie Maloney dug a career-high 25 balls and freshman setter Nicklin Hames owned a double-double with 56 assists and 11 digs.
Creighton finished with 62 kills, five aces, 73 digs and 8.0 blocks on .207 hitting. NU collected 64 kills, 10 aces, 77 digs and 7.5 blocks on .258 hitting.
The first set featured 12 ties and four lead changes in what turned out to be the most competitive frame of the evening. Creighton broke free from a 20-20 deadlock with a kill from Winters and solo block by Kloth. The teams would exchange five straight sideouts as CU closed out the set on Kloth's eighth kill in 10 first set swings.
The lead never alternated in the second set, as CU quickly bolted to a 4-1 lead. The Cornhuskers answered to tie the score at 4-4 before a 3-0 run from Winters at the service line. The Bluejays stretched the lead to 15-7 with a 7-0 run on Cole's serve, and NU got no closer than four the rest of the set. Kloth and Winters combined for 13 kills on 27 errorless swings in the second set as CU hit .457.
The previous largest volleyball-only regular-season crowd in NCAA history had been 13,870 when UCLA faced Nebraska on Sept. 13, 2009.
Creighton hosts Iowa State on Friday at 6 p.m. at D.J. Sokol Arena to open play in the Bluejay Invitational.