NEW YORK – The reigning BIG EAST Champions, Creighton, earned all 10 possible first-place votes for 100 points to lead the 2024 BIG EAST Volleyball Preseason Poll, as announced by the league on Tuesday. The BIG EAST Volleyball Preseason Poll and All-Conference selections were voted upon by conference coaches.

For the third consecutive season, Creighton outside hitter Norah Sis was elected Preseason Player of the Year. She led a team of 12 preseason all-conference honorees.

Last season, Creighton owned a 29-5 overall record with a 16-2 mark in conference play. Led by head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth and the BIG EAST Co-Coaching Staff of the Year, the Bluejays captured BIG EAST regular season and championship titles before advancing to their 12^th straight NCAA Tournament. After earning a first-round bye in the BIG EAST Tournament the ‘Jays swept DePaul and St. John’s to lock up the squad’s fourth Championship title in as many years.

During the NCAA tournament, Creighton returned to the national round of sixteen for the first time since 2016, knocking off Colgate (W, 3-0) and Minnesota (W, 3-0) without relinquishing a set. The Bluejay’s season ended in a hard-fought 2-3 loss to #7 Louisville in the NCAA Regional Semifinals. In mid-August, Creighton earned the No. 12 slot in the 2024 AVCA Preseason Coaches’ Poll.

Marquette was favored to finish second, earning one first-place vote and amassing 91 points. The Golden Eagles boasted a 21-11 overall record last season, highlighted by a 16-2 mark in BIG EAST competition. Following a semifinal departure from the BIG EAST Championship, Marquette earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, winning via straight sets in the first round over Eastern Illinois. Marquette ranked No. 24 in the 2024 AVCA Preseason Coaches’ Poll.

St. John’s locked up the poll's third spot, earning 80 points after advancing to the BIG EAST Championship match last season. Under the direction of AVCA East Coast Region Coach of the Year Joanne Persico, the Red Storm posted a 24-11 overall mark, going 13-5 in conference play.
DePaul (74) was tabbed to finish fourth after earning the program’s first BIG EAST tournament match last season. Butler followed in fifth (58), a three-spot improvement from last summer’s poll. Xavier took sixth (49) ahead of Seton Hall (40) in seventh and Villanova (39) in eighth. UConn was voted to finish ninth (33) followed by Georgetown in tenth (27) and Providence in eleventh (14).

Sis, a senior outside hitter from Papillion, Neb., is the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year for the third time in as many seasons. The 2022 BIG EAST Player of the Year added further accolades to her laundry list of accomplishments last year despite suffering a mid-season injury. She was recognized as a Volleyball Magazine Second Team All-American, a three-time BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week, and the 2023 Bluejay Invitational Most Valuable Player. On the year, she registered 302 kills while hitting .248, averaging 3.91 kills and 4.44 points per set – both good for second in the BIG EAST.

A unanimous selection, Sis is joined on the Preseason All-Conference squad by teammates Kendra Wait and Ava Martin. Wait, also a unanimous selection, was the 2023 BIG EAST Player and Setter of the Year after leading the league in assists (10.35/set) while contributing 396 digs and 90 total blocks. The senior earned AVCA Third Team All-American, AVCA All-Region, and Volleyball Magazine Third Team All-American accolades at the conclusion of last season. Martin, a junior outside hitter, was recognized as an AVCA All-East Region selection, AVCA Honorable Mention All-American, and a unanimous All-BIG EAST honoree in 2023.

Marquette led the league with four All-Preseason selections, headlined by unanimous choice Aubrey Hamilton. A redshirt senior, Hamilton is a two-time AVCA All-East Region recipient (2023, 2022) who has led the Golden Eagles in kills since joining the program in 2022. Yadhira Anchante, Hattie Bray, and Carsen Murray join Hamilton. The trio has earned regular season All-BIG EAST accolades the previous two seasons including a Setter of the Year nod for Anchante in 2022. Bray was a 2023 AVCA All-East Region honorable mention. In 2023, Murray produced a BIG EAST-best 1.12 blocks per set.

St. John’s earned two selections in unanimous choice Erin Jones and teammate Lucrezia Lodi. Jones earned AVCA East Coast All-Region accolades last season after leading the Red Storm in kills (446). Lodi is a two-time All-BIG EAST regular season honoree.

DePaul also boasted a pair of preseason selections in Jill Pressly and Rachel Krasowski. A unanimous pick, Pressly paced the conference in both kills (516, 4.45/set) and points (575.5, 4.96/set). Krasowski’s 553 digs (4.98/set) also led the league.

The 2023 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, Abby Harrell of Villanova, rounds out the preseason team. The outside hitter became the first Wildcat since 1998 to earn the award behind a standout rookie campaign that produced 389 kills, 256 digs, 40 total blocks, and 39 service aces.

BIG EAST Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
(first-place votes)

1. Creighton (10) 100*

2. Marquette (1) 91

3. St. John's 80

4. DePaul 74

5. Butler 58

6. Xavier 49

7. Seton Hall 40

8. Villanova 39

9. UConn 33

10. Georgetown 27 11. Providence 14

BIG EAST Volleyball Preseason Player of the Year: Norah Sis, Sr. OH, Creighton

All-BIG EAST Preseason Team
Ava Martin, Jr., OH, Creighton
Norah Sis, Sr., OH, Creighton*
Kendra Wait, Sr., S, Creighton*
Rachel Krasowski, Gr., L, DePaul
Jill Pressly, Gr., OH, DePaul*
Yadhira Anchante, Gr., S, Marquette
Hattie Bray, Sr., MB, Marquette
Aubrey Hamilton, R.S.-Sr., OH, Marquette*
Carsen Murray, Gr., MB, Marquette
Erin Jones, Jr., S/RS, St. John’s*
Lucrezia Lodi, Jr., OH, St. John’s
Abby Harrell, So., OH, Villanova
*unanimous selection