In Brian Rosen’s first match as head coach of Creighton volleyball, the 12th-ranked Bluejays got to measure themselves against the reigning national champions in No. 2 Penn State.
The match went the Nittany Lions’ way in straight sets on Saturday evening, but Rosen came way proud of his team’s effort while returning All-American outside hitter Ava Martin put the country on notice.
“I know there were some really good players on that court, but I’m just so glad that America got to see, I think, one of the top five outsides in the country, and I think she was the best player on the court all match,” Rosen said. “She played phenomenally.”
Martin posted a match-high 19 kills on .357 hitting, nine digs and one ace, continuing to find ways to terminate against a defense that did not present many cracks all night. The 6-foot-1 senior presented a terminal force for new setter Annalea Maeder, but the Cal transfer said her impact is far greater than what fans saw in the match on Saturday.
“More than having her out there on the court with me, or in big games, it makes an impact having her in practice,” Maeder said. “I think she’s a great leader and she really sets the standard for all of us. It’s just so easy to get better every day with her there. I think with every touch, she’s super intentional, and it shows in games … It’s really nice when you have a team of new players to have someone who’s been with the program, who is established. I feel very comfortable going to her in tight moments.”
Penn State topped Creighton 25-18, 25-22, 27-25 in front of a crowd of 10,438 at Pinnacle Bank Arena during the AVCA First Serve, an eight-team event featuring three days of double-headers in Lincoln and a fourth at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Rosen said the showcase was comparable to the Final Four in terms of talent, competition and environment.
“We talked about as a team when we came in for serve and pass even to make sure they continue to look around,” Rosen said. “Eight teams got to participate in this, and I would guess 300-something others wish they could be in this spot. How lucky are we to start the season in this kind of place? … To be with this team playing against Penn State in this kind of environment to start my coaching career at Creighton was pretty special. And although I’ve started 0-1, I feel like we’re in such a great spot and just really happy with where we are.”
Sophomore opposite hitter Jaya Johnson tallied nine kills while Ohio State transfer middle blocker Eloise Brandewie chipped in five kills on .455 hitting. Wisconsin transfer Saige Damrow donned the libero jersey and recorded 15 digs, tied for match-high honors. The rest of the team combined for six kills as Creighton hit .167.
Brian Rosen observes from the sideline during his debut as Creighton’s head coach at the AVCA First Serve. Photo by John S. Peterson.
“What a cool moment to show what our team is made of and who we are on such a big stage,” Rosen said. “I had to pull my phone out to figure out what the date was today and just remind them it’s August 23, and to be playing like this well and this fun and this free at this moment, against the returning national champ, No. 2 team in the country — what I told them was, if that’s the number two team in the country, how good are we? That’s my big thing to them, just them taking away from this that we’re a really good volleyball team.”
Florida transfer Kennedy Martin, a 2024 first-team All-American, earned AVCA match MVP honors with 14 kills on .344 hitting and nine digs. Alliance native Jordan Hopp added 10 kills on .562 hitting and three blocks for the Nittany Lions, who hit .294 and out-blocked Creighton 8.0 to 5.0.
Both teams got off to a blistering start, each hitting .500 or better heading into the first media timeout. Creighton maintained the pace until midway through the set, when the Nittany Lions began to pull away.
Ava Martin notched six kills on 12 errorless swings, but the rest of the Bluejays combined for six kills on .000 hitting. Kennedy Martin had six kills as well but her supporting cast contributed 10 more as Penn State hit .382.
Penn State flexed its muscles earlier in set two, using a 4-0 run to build a six-point lead before extending it to eight at 20-12.
Looking for a spark, Rosen sent freshman outside hitter Abbey Hayes in to serve, and she responded with an 8-0 run to tie it up, including two aces. Brandewie came alive with three kills during the run and five in the set after taking just one swing in the first set.
Hayes spent the whole offseason battling for a starting spot with junior Destiny Ndam-Simpson. Rosen decided to lean on the veteran’s experience for the first match, but he said he was proud of the freshman’s approach off the bench.
“It was so special for her to be able to come into a big moment … When we got into that timeout at the 20 mark, as a coaching staff, we decided to go with Abbey and see if we can just create some kind of momentum change,” Rosen said. “I told Abbey in that huddle, ‘Hey, come in and see if you can make an impact.’
“Her first serve, I’m pretty sure it was going to sail out by about four feet, but they touched it. We got the ace, and then I think she served seven straight points after that … That’s a really good team that she was playing against, and so for her to get this kind of experience — most freshmen in their first match don’t have to play against a Penn State-level team, and so it was really special for her.”
However, Kennedy Martin ended the run with a sharp cross-court kill and an ace, sparking a 5-2 finish to the set for the 2-0 match lead.
Ava Martin matched Brandewie with five kills in the frame, but Penn State out-hit Creighton .302 to .237 as the Nittany Lions’ stout defense and more balanced attack won out.
The third set was the most competitive of the day, featuring a fast start from Creighton and a strong finish from the Nittany Lions. The lead changed hands three times with nine ties.
Creighton led 22-18 late before a 4-0 Penn State run to tie it up. The Jays responded with kills from Ava Martin and Johnson to earn set point, but they couldn’t finish it off. The Nittany Lions saved three set points and closed the match on a 3-0 run as former Nebraska Cornhuskers Maggie Mendelson (two block assists) and Caroline Jurevicius (a block assist and a kill) closed it out.
Ava Martin tallied eight more kills and Johnson added five, but Penn State out-hit Creighton .214 to .116 thanks to three late attack errors from the Bluejays.
The road doesn’t get any easier for the Jays moving forward. Up next is a trip to Madison for the Opening Spike Classic where they’ll face No. 5 Texas and No. 14 Kansas.
“We’re just really excited for these opportunities to get to play against these teams in these big moments,” Rosen said. “We’re going to play in another basketball arena next week too. I’m hoping the Wisconsin fans, just like the Nebraska fans here, choose the root for us over Texas, so we’ll just keep winning over fans a week at a time.”
