#14 Creighton Volleyball Downs DePaul
CHICAGO, Ill. -- The No. 14 Creighton Volleyball team scored the first nine points of the match on Saturday and picked up a 3-1 win over a DePaul team that entered the match unbeaten in league play. Scores of the Creighton's 28th straight win over the Blue Demons were 25-8, 27-29, 25-12, 25-17.
Creighton (11-5, 4-0 BIG EAST) dominated from the outset of the match, scoring the first nine points of the match and never being threatened in a 25-8 victory in the first frame. Abbey Hayes had four kills and Jaya Johnson added three blocks as CU held the Blue Demons to just three kills and -.211 hitting.
The Bluejays scored the first four points of the second set. DePaul (9-5, 2-1 BIG EAST) hung around and eventually tied the score at 24-all to force a CU timeout. The Blue Demons took their first lead of the match at 26-25 in the second set and won the set on its third opportunity, 29-27. Creighton had 20 kills and hit .283 in the second set, but it wasn't enough to overcome a Blue Demons squad that had 13 kills and hit .324. DePaul's Morgan Stewart had seven kills and an ace in the second set. The setback snapped CU's 22-set win streak over BIG EAST foes dating to a first set loss at DePaul last November.
Creighton never trailed in the third set, using a 5-0 run on Sydney Breissinger's serve to build an 18-10 lead. The Jays served up four aces in the third set, including a pair by sophomore Alivia Hausmann, and held the Blue Demons to -.032 hitting and only six kills.
DePaul had kills on its first six swings of the second set but still trailed 9-7 thanks to .700 hitting from Creighton. The Bluejays steadily pulled away from a 10-8 lead to a 20-12 advantage to earn the victory, finishing off the victory on a kill by Abbey Hayes. Creighton hit .353 and had 16 kills in the final game.
Kiara Reinhardt hit .688 with 12 kills in 16 swings, adding five blocks and three assists. Jaya Johnson had a season-high with 12 kills and added seven digs and four blocks, while Martin contributed 13 kills, 10 digs and six aces in her first double-double of the fall. Creighton finished with 54 kills, 54 digs, seven blocks and a season-best 14 aces on .290 hitting.
DePaul was led by 11 kills from reigning BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week Kendall Timme, who hit .152. The Blue Demons had 32 kills, 40 digs, eight blocks and six aces on .107 hitting.
Creighton is back on the court next Friday when it visits Georgetown at 6 p.m. Central.