The volleyball season ends in the Elite Eight at #2 Penn State

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The most successful season in Creighton Volleyball history came to an end Sunday night when the sixth-ranked Bluejays fell to second-ranked Penn State in five sets in the Elite Eight. Scores in favor of Penn State were 25-15, 16-25, 25-22, 20-25, 15-7.

Creighton had its school record 25-game winning streak snapped and ends the fall with a 32-3 record. Penn State improved to 33-2 with the win and will reach its first Final Four since 2017 and 14th overall.

Penn State never trailed in the first set and used a strong effort behind the service line to force the Bluejays into an early 16-9 hole after a 6-0 run on Camryn Hannah’s serve. The Nittany Lions dished out five aces in the opener in its 25-15 win. PSU hit .211 and had 21 digs in the first frame, including nine by Gillian Grimes, to hold the visitors to .081 hitting.

Creighton took its first lead of the night early in the second set on a three-point run at the service line by the freshman Alivia Hausmannleading 7-6. Creighton closed out the set on a 7-1 serving barrage after a six-point run Norah Sis and a set-clinching ace from Maddy Bilinovic. Creighton hit .500 in the second set, including five kills by Ava Martinwhile he also authored three aces.

Martin gave the Bluejays an 8-4 lead to open the third set, serving her 55th ace of the season to force Penn State into a quick timeout. Her second ace of the night in her next serve rotation helped CU to a 17-12 lead in the third frame. Down 20-17, the hosts used a 7-1 run to get to set point, taking a 2-1 lead in the match two points later on the sixth kill of the set by Jess Mruzik.

Creighton led for most of the fourth set, but once again Penn State rallied within one at 15-14. But kills from Jaya Johnson and Elise Goetzinger followed by an ace by Bilinovic returned the cushion to four (18-14) and led to Penn State’s second timeout of the game. A kill by Wait gave CU a 22-17 margin, but PSU countered with two straight points on Hannah’s serve before she gave CU a point by serving a long one. CU closed out the set with kills by Kiara Reinhardt and Jaya Johnson to close out the 25-20 victory and force a fifth set.

The teams traded six hits to open the fifth frame, but the Nittany Lions took control with an extended 6-1 surge to seize control and a 9-5 lead. After another kill from Martin, Penn State went on a 3-0 run to take a 12-5 advantage. A kill by Goetzinger and a block by Reinhardt and Wait closed the deficit to within 12-7 before Penn State secured the win with a block and a kill by Trammell. Penn State recorded nine kills in the set, hit .412 and held the Jays to -.053 hitting.

Martin led Creighton with 17 kills, while Sis, Johnson and Goetzinger each chipped in eight kills. Wait dished out 36 assists, nine digs and collected five blocks in the process Maddy Bilinovic recorded a team-high 16 digs out of the back row with Reinhardt notching a match-leading five blocks of her own. Creighton hit .141 and finished with 48 kills, 10 aces, 56 digs and nine blocks.

Mruzik led the Louisville attack with a match-high 20 kills and recorded eight digs, while Jurevicius added 11 kills on 24 swings. Izzy Starck tallied a 41 assist, 11 dig double-double, while Gillian Grimes dug a match-high 17 balls. The Nittany Lions tallied 56 kills, seven aces, 63 digs and 11.o blocks while hitting at a .226 clip.

With the win, Penn State advances to play third-ranked Nebraska in the national semifinals in a matchup between teams that ended the Big Ten regular season title.

NOTES: Tonight was the first-ever meeting between Creighton and Penn State … The Bluejays and Nittany Lions are two of the nation’s seven teams to play in the last 13 NCAA Tournaments … Creighton is the only school in the nation to reach the Elite Eight in women’s volleyball (2024), women’s basketball (2021), men’s basketball (2022) and men’s soccer (2022) since the start of the 2021-22 academic year … Creighton recorded a shutout for 939th consecutive game … Ava Martin had her 77th straight match with five or more kills and 18 straight with 10 or more kills, which is tied for the fourth-longest streak in program history … Penn State is now 73-3 all-time in NCAA Tournament matches played in Rec Hall … The Nittany Lions are now 14-7 all-time in the Regional Finals, while Creighton fell to 0-2 … Penn State’s has now won 24 consecutive home games (20-0 in the fall), the nation’s fourth-longest active streak … Creighton’s nine-game hitting streak in true road games, which set a school record, was snapped … Creighton is now 17-14 all-time in 14 NCAA Tournament appearances.. .Creighton had its school-record 25-game hitting streak snapped, which was the nation’s longest active hitting streak … Creighton’s 32 wins are a school record … Today’s loss ends the Bluejay’s career. seniors Maddy Bilinovic, Elise Goetzinger, Katie Maser, Abbey Milner, Norah Sis, Kendra Wait and Emma Ziegler … Creighton went 119-17 over the past four seasons, the nation’s second-winningest program in that span behind only Pittsburgh … All three teams that beat Creighton in the fall (Louisville, Nebraska, Penn State) are in this year’s Final Four.

More to come…