Kirsten Bernthal Booth’s Creighton volleyball squad is absolutely killing it this NCAA season, making some serious noise as they head into the regional semifinals! Their upcoming showdown against Texas on December 13th is sure to be intense. But before that, they’ve been on fire, most recently securing a dominant 3-0 win over South Dakota. This victory not only helped the team extend their winning streak to 23 straight matches but also marked a massive milestone for Booth—her 500th career win on the Creighton sidelines. The match scores? A dominating 25-10, 25-17, 25-14, showing just how unstoppable they’ve been.

The very next day, Creighton kept the momentum going, securing a hard-fought 3-0 win against Ole Miss in front of a packed crowd at D.J. Sokol Arena, pushing them into the Sweet 16. With Booth leading the way, the team is gearing up for even bigger things in the regional semifinals. So if you’re wondering who’s behind this powerhouse of a program, here’s everything you need to know about the incredible head coach who’s making it all happen!

Meet Kirsten Bernthal Booth and her volleyball star daughter from UNI

Kirsten Bernthal Booth, a three-time National Coach of the Year, has taken Creighton from the brink of losing its program and turned it into one of the best volleyball teams in the United States. She has been doing an incredibly good job not only in the court as a coach but also as the current President of the American Volleyball Coaches Association and a member of the Board of Directors.

During her tenure, the Creighton volleyball team has been ranked in the AVCA Top 25 for twelve consecutive years. The Bluejays have been to 13 of the last 14 NCAA Tournaments and have some very good runs some of them include 2015 NCAA Sweet Sixteen, 2016 NCAA Elite Eight and 2023 NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Oh, and there are those 10 straight BIG EAST regular-season championships, as well. But here’s the coolest part: Not only Kirsten is playing a pivotal role in shaping volleyball players, her daughter Reese Booth is out there dunking on the court too!

Reese, a freshman setter at Northern Iowa, got a little family reunion in September when Creighton took on Northern Iowa at the Cardinal Classic in Louisville. The Booths shared the court on opposite sides of the net, and Kirsten couldn’t help but laugh about their competitive spirit: “If we’re not winning, it won’t be fun.” I am sure she feels the same way,” she added. “We’re both pretty competitive,’” she said. And, while Kirsten’s squad won 3-0, Reese is gearing up for the next match against them. It’s always fun to watch the face-off between a mother and a daughter when they are on the volleyball court! For now, let’s look at all the epic things that Coach Mama Booth has accomplished!

Career highlights and major achievements of Mama Booth

In truth, Kirsten Bernthal Booth is quite much a volleyball sensation at Creighton. Since 2014, her team has been dominating with an almost laughably good 176-13 record against other teams in the conference. She has taken Creighton to 470 victories with average home attendance standing at 1,488 people for every match. All of her teams have gotten to the conference tournament and 10 of her last 12 teams have won the championship. Her winning percentage of .713 and 470 victories are both records at Creighton University. And don’t forget, she has 582 wins to her credit and averages 24 wins per season. Talk about a winning streak!

But wait, there’s more! Kirsten’s teams have been awarded 17 AVCA Team Academic Awards, while 10 of the women have been awarded Academic All-America honors. During her tenure, Creighton has been a national seed in the NCAA Tournament six times in the last nine seasons; only 11 schools can make that claim. Also, she has a win over a top-25 team every season for the past nine campaigns. If that does not say “boss” then I do not know what does.

In the same way, Kirsten’s unstoppable off the court as well. Being a voting member of the AVCA Board of Directors, she was elected as the President-Elect in 2022 and became the Board President in 2024. She is all about improving the sport across the board—from lobbying for better NIL legislation to bringing volleyball to kids of all backgrounds. She also wants to expand the sport, particularly for male players, and to campaign for more airtime on television so that volleyball can get the attention it deserves. Who can talk about a coach who is not only beating her rivals but also preparing the future for changes?