After donning both red and blue during her college softball career, senior Ashley Smetter is looking to finish on a high note with Creighton softball in 2026.
The senior infielder from Lincoln is heading into her second year with the Bluejays after spending her first two seasons with the Huskers. She entered the transfer portal in 2025 but didn’t land too far from home.
“I just decided I wanted to play a little more, and just a new opportunity,” Smetter told Hurrdat Sports. “I chose Creighton because I wanted to stay close to home. I’m very thankful for Coach (Krista) Wood to give me the opportunity to stay close to home, because getting to stay close to home twice is pretty rare.”
Before committing to Nebraska, Smetter said that Wood attempted to recruit her to South Dakota State. At the time, she chose the Red Team instead, but the two reunited in Omaha and Smetter said it’s been “awesome”
“I love Coach Wood,” Smetter said. “She’s a very good motivator and she knows a lot about the game.”
During her junior campaign with the Jays, Smetter played in 32 games, starting 15 of them. She concluded the season hitting .191 with 13 hits and a .236 on base percentage.
Smetter attended Lincoln Southwest High School, leading the Silver Hawks to two Class A state titles while earning third-team NFCA honors.
In her senior season with the Silver Hawks, Smetter racked up 66 hits with a .493 batting average, 63 runs, 27 stolen bases, 18 doubles and three triples, recording a .590 on base percentage and an .873 slugging percentage.
The infielder said that the opportunity to stay local along with her parents’ ability to attend every home game made the decision to play for the Huskers all the easier. She gained valuable knowledge before heading to Creighton.
“I learned that I had to mature quickly,” Smetter said. “It’s definitely a different lifestyle, playing Division-I athletics. You have to be in a routine, the training, feeling the body, those are all really important things that might get overlooked in high school, so that was super important.”
In her two seasons at Nebraska, Smetter played in 27 games while starting three of them. She made two starts at second base and one as the designated player, scoring five runs as a sophomore and three as a freshman.
Last season, Creighton finished the year with a 30-25 overall record, advancing to the Big East Tournament but falling to No. 2 seeded UConn 18-4 in the championship game on May 10. The team is looking to use that loss as inspiration going into 2026.
“It was a great run for us,” Smetter said. “I think we went into the tournament being fourth or fifth seed, so I don’t think anyone had expected us to get to that title game. Just getting there and proving everyone wrong was something that was nice. Obviously, the game didn’t go the way that we had wanted, so it was not a great feeling, but I think it has pushed us this year, and it’s a really good motivator to have a different outcome this year.”
As a senior, Smetter said she’s taking on more of a leadership role this season. She plans on using her voice and experience to help the younger players grow.
“I hope that they learn from me how to be a great teammate and a great person, but also to be a hard worker and to give 100%,” Smetter said. ” I want to teach them that just working hard is going to help you be successful.”
Smetter said the ultimate goal for 2026 is winning the Big East. While she’s looking forward to every game during her final season, two games stand out to the senior.
“Obviously, I’m looking forward to the Nebraska game this year — playing my friends one last time, hometown kid, that’s always a game that’s on my calendar,” Smetter said. “The UConn game that’s on our calendar, we are excited for that one … I’m looking forward the most to just having fun with my friends. It’s my last year, so just going all out with no regrets, and finishing strong.”
Creighton opens its season against Central Arkansas on Friday at 1:30 p.m. CT.
