Nebraska Volleyball Preview: Creighton

The in-state volleyball rivalry between Nebraska and Creighton is reignited Tuesday night in Lincoln with a top 10 matchup.

Lindsay Krause celebrates a kill in the first set. / Amarillo Mullen

The No. 5 Nebraska volleyball needed a corrective lens after losing to defending AAC champion SMU last Tuesday in Dallas. NU hadn’t been beaten by an unranked opponent since 2017 and it also marked the first time a non-conference opponent had swept the Huskers since 2014.

Despite the jarring defeat, Nebraska took out its frustrations in consecutive victories, sweeping The Citadel and Montana State over the weekend to win the Husker Invitational. Sophomore Harper Murray was the only player to reach double figures out of the two matchups with 11 kills on a .400 hitting percentage against Montana State, highlighting the return to balance for NU. 

But now the stakes rise considerably. No. 9 and in-state rival Creighton is next. Nebraska is 22-0 against the Bluejays, a record that has been a consistent talking point when the two teams meet and exemplifies the chokehold Nebraska has with volleyball within the state. Although, with the Huskers looking the most vulnerable they’ve been since 2022 and CU already rolling with three key wins over power four programs, there’s a realistic shot Creighton earns its first win in program history over the Huskers. 

Here’s all you need to know for Tuesday’s in-state clash. 

How to Follow Along 

Matchup: No. 5 Nebraska (5-1) vs. No. 9 Creighton (5-0) 

Where: Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, NE 

Time: 7 p.m. CDT 

Watch: B1G Network

Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Creighton Scout

Head Coach: Kirsten Bernthal Booth | 22nd Season | 475-189 (.715) at CU | Winningest head coach in school history | 2024 AVCA President | 2023 BIG EAST Coach of the Year

2023 Record: 29-5 (16-2 BIG EAST, 1st) | BIG EAST Regular Season & Tournament Champion | AVCA 3rd Team & Honorable Mention All-American, BIG EAST Player of the Year, BIG EAST Setter of the Year, Four All-BIG EAST selections, One All-Freshman selection | Five-Set loss to No. 7 Louisville in Sweet 16

Record Against Nebraska: 0-22 (1980 First Matchup) 

Key Returners: Kendra Wait, S, Sr. | Norah Sis, OH, Sr. | Ava Martin, OH, Jr. | Destiny Ndam-Simpson, OH / OPP, Soph. 

Key Additions: Elise Goetzinger, MB, Sr. (Kentucky) | Maddy Bilinovic, L, Sr. (Penn State) 

Key Departures: Kiana Schmitt, MB (Eligibility) | Ellie Bolton, L / DS, Gr. (SMU) 

Outlook: Kirsten Bernthal Booth enters her 22nd year at Creighton with possibly her best squad, but her 2023 squad was dangerous, losing in five sets to No. 7 Louisville in the Sweet 16. With four of the five players who earned all-conference honors returning to Omaha, the Bluejays are loaded.

It all starts with 2023 BIG EAST Player and Setter of the Year Kendra Wait. An AVCA Third Team All-American last season, Wait led the BIG EAST in assists per set (11.00) for the third straight season while recording 18 double-doubles.

Wait sets a balanced offense, but it’s returning senior and Omaha native Norah Sis who typically gets the most kills. Sis missed 11 matches last season, including the match against Nebraska, due to an abdominal strain. However, once she returned to the front row on October 20th she averaged 4.31 kills per set on a .271 clip. She still tallied 3.92 kills per set last season and the only reason why she didn’t receive an AVCA honor was because she didn’t play enough sets to qualify. She has a 3.99 kills pet set career average in over three seasons and is one of the best hitters in the country. She’ll be looking to make up for lost time against the Huskers on Tuesday, especially when she takes on her best friend in Husker attacker Lindsey Krause. 

Creighton Bluejays Norah Sis (2) chases after the ball during the NCAA women s volleyball match against the Purdue Boilermakers, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, at Purdue University s Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind. Creighton won 3-0. / Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK

Junior Ava Martin and sophomore Destiny Ndam-Simpson round out a supremely talented hitter group for CU. Martin was an AVCA Honorable Mention and a unanimous All-BIG EAST selection last season. The Kansas native averaged 3.59 kills and 1.98 digs per set across 116 total sets, plus 33 blocks and 23 aces for 458 points. She even finished fourth in the BIG EAST and 75th nationally with 417 total kills while also hitting .280 for the season to be ranked 11th in the conference. Ndam-Simpson stepped into a big role as a freshman on both the pin and right side, especially when Sis went down with an injury. The Omaha Westside graduate earned BIG EAST All-Freshman honors. Ranked as the No. 21 overall recruit, per PrepVolleyball, Ndam-Simpson totaled 130 kills on the season, but her playing time diminished as Sis returned to the lineup. 

The Bluejays did lose all-time program great Kianna Schmitt due to graduation. A middle blocker for five seasons, Schmitt left Creighton with multiple school records including the single-season hitting percentage record (.379) as well as fourth on the career hitting percentage average with .330 on 1,726 total swings. Ellie Bolton played most of 2023 as the starting libero for Creighton, averaging 3.60 digs per set, which was her highest mark since her freshman season in 2020. She bolted and hit the transfer portal, landing at SMU. 

UK's Madi Skinner (2) and Elise Goetzinger (11) defend U of L's Aiko Jones (15) during their match at the L&N Arena in Louisville, Ky. on Sep. 15, 2021. Uofl Uk11 Sam / Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC

As a result, Booth went into the portal to bring in a pair of impact transfers. The biggest one was 6-4 middle blocker Elise Goetzinger from Kentucky. Goetzinger spent four seasons in Lexington, which included the 2020 National Championship for the Wildcats. Despite only playing five matches so far in 2024, Goetzinger is on pace for a career season with 2.69 kills and 1.19 blocks per set. She and Kiara Reinhardt hold down the middle for CU.

Booth also grabbed her starting libero from Penn State in transfer Maddy Bilinovic. The Ohio native averaged 2.27 digs per set last season at Penn State, but only made two appearances at libero. She’s taken over that role for the Bluejays and has dug out double-digit balls in three of her five matches for 3.88 digs per set. 

Tuesday night should be a war between the Bluejays and Huskers. Booth might have her most complete team and that’s shown with five quick victories to start out the season. That’s with three wins over Power Four opponents, including a four-set victory over No. 20 USC at last weekend’s Creighton Classic.

The Huskers took care of business in 2023 with a four-set win, but that was without Sis playing. Having the in-state showdown at Devaney for the second-straight year definitely helps NU, but this Bluejay team now knows what it’s like to play in Lincoln. This should be an instant classic.

However, it’s important to remember that Nebraska is 22-0 against CU and that record may play against them. It’s been publicly known that this Nebraska group struggles with the pressure of keeping undefeated streaks. With the Bluejays motivated more than ever to end that drought, Tuesday could easily see a five-set thriller. 

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