University Park, Pennsylvania (WOWT) – Creighton volleyball, seeded second, is going to the Elite 8 for the second time in school history after defeating defending back-to-back national champions Texas in four sets.
Creighton will meet No. 1 Penn State on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. CT, broadcast on ESPN. The Nittany Lions upset No. 5 Marquette in four sets to advance to Sunday’s Regional Final.
Norah Sis and Ava Martin both had 15 kills in the win, while Kiara Reinhardt led the way with nine kills and eight blocks. Jaya Johnson, a redshirt freshman, produced in crucial situations, ending with nine kills and a hitting percentage of.667.
The Bluejays stormed out to an early lead, 11-5 and 20-15, before a Norah Sis service ace provided set point 24-22. Creighton squandered both set point opportunities, as Texas completed the period on a 4-0 run to win Set One 26-24.
Creighton regrouped to take a 3-0 lead into Set 2. Despite six kills in the set from Texas star outside Madisen Skinner, the Bluejays never trailed, closing with a 5-0 run to tie the match at one set each, 25-19.
While CU started the third set on a 5-1 surge, Texas began to settle in. Skinner added seven more kills in the third, with Marianna Singletary providing four. With the match knotted 17-17, Creighton responded with a 5-0 run capped by three Sis kills to grab a 22-17 lead. Kirsten Bernthal Booth called a timeout after a 3-0 Texas surge brought the game within 24-18. Out of the break, a Johnson strike gave the Jays a 2-1 lead, 25-21.
The Longhorns struck early in Set Four, taking a 3-0 lead. Creighton would tie the game at 10-10 before going on another 5-0 run to take the lead, 15-12, which they would never give up. A Reinhardt-Johnson block provided the match-winning point, sending Creighton back to the Elite 8 for the first time since 2016.