From Sweet 16 to the Elite Eight in fashion! That is precisely what the Creighton volleyball team just did, and fans were left stunned. Having beaten Ole Miss comfortably to book a place in the Sweet 16, Creighton got their biggest challenge yet, in the form of two consecutive champs, Texas. And oh boy, they didn’t just arrive; they arrived and delivered! A spectacular 3-1 win at the Regional Semifinals held at Penn State saw the sixth-ranked, second-seeded Bluejays book their place in only their second-ever Elite Eight. This was their 25th successive victory, and they won the sets 24-26, 25-19, 25-21, 25-20. Talk about a statement! The Texas Longhorns finished the season with 20-7, but what happened with Creighton? They are still dominating the league with 32-2 records.

Kendra Wait was on fire, making records! She set a record of 317 NCAA Tournament assists, surpassing Lydia Dimke’s 274. She has also scored her 20th double-double this season and took her career double-doubles to 73. Oh, and don’t forget her streak—double-doubles in nine straight Top 25 games and 17 of her last 19 college matches. Also, Ava Martin established herself as Creighton’s record holder of 10 career NCAA Tournament aces. At the same time, Norah Sis played her 100th career match with 10+ kills. And the real highlight? Coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth spilled the tea on a locker room pep talk that fired up the team and sealed this epic win.

Creighton Volleyball’s secret sauce!

In a heartwarming post-game press conference, Creighton Volleyball’s coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth with Kendra Wait, Norah Sis, and Jaya Johnson revealed what went down in the locker room that led to this victory. As for the video, Booth was not shy about complimenting Texas, noting that they are “such a phenomenal team and program” and giving them major props for battling through ups and downs this season. But the magic moment came when she revealed what she told her players after dropping the first set: “It was grind.”

Coach Booth shared how the team’s mental toughness and refusal to quit became their superpower. She explained, “I told the players in the locker room after the first set, for them to come back and battle, I thought, you know I, we felt like we should have won the first set, so for them to have the resiliency and mental aptitude to just be like, okay, it’s the next one, I thought really showed what we’ve talked about this team all year is that they’re resilient.” She went on how the players rose to the occasion, Kendra Wait in particular, who ran a number of hitters, creating confusion for Texas. Sis and Martin were responsible for a lot in front and behind, but Booth had kind words to say to their “little freshman,” whose blocking was the highlight. Standing opposite Texas star Skinner, whom Booth described as “just phenomenal,” the freshman did not back down and showed that she was capable of handling pressure.

Madisen Skinner played her last match for the Longhorns and led the team with 23 kills. Now that’s how you end a show! From one of the most imposing presences on the court to one of the most successful players with three national titles. But coming back to Creighton, Booth couldn’t hide her pride, wrapping it all up by saying, “really proud of this group love them a lot and I’m excited to continue to play.” With such grit and heart on full display, it’s clear Creighton volleyball isn’t just winning games—they’re winning hearts too! And guess what? With this win, Creighton Volleyball didn’t just punch their ticket to the Elite Eight—they also packed it full of milestones and magical moments!

Bluejays’ big day sees them hit milestones!

Oh yes, you heard it here first: Creighton Volleyball clinched their place in the Elite Eight, and the court was their very own arena of record-breaking! The Bluejays won their 25th game in a row and improved their season record to 32-2, which is the longest current winning streak in the nation. Oh, and did we mention it? 32 of those wins are program records, which puts them at the top of the national leaderboard along with Pittsburgh. But hey, with Penn State, Nebraska, and Dayton still to play, the Bluejays are keeping that lead warm.

This win wasn’t just a game; it was a history-making masterpiece. Coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth added Texas to her ever-growing list of conquered programs, now boasting victories over 101 different schools during her legendary Creighton tenure. Also, Creighton dominated the defending national champions and won their second game against the title holders and the fourth in the top 25 this season. Oh, and neutral floors? That’s more like it for Creighton, which has gone 20-2 in the past four seasons.

As the Bluejays gear up for their first regional final since 2016, they’re flying high with confidence and a sparkling NCAA résumé. The senior class has accumulated 119 wins in the past four years, which is only behind Pittsburgh. Even better, they’ve now claimed a 3-7 record against the top 16 national seeds in the NCAA Tournament. Oh, and sorry, Texas, but your 14-match NCAA winning streak has just been derailed by the Creighton Express.