The annual in-state showdown in the volleyball state is set for Tuesday night as No. 1 Nebraska (8-0) visits CHI Health Center Omaha to take on No. 18 Creighton.
The Bluejays have faced a gauntlet of a schedule to this point and sit at 5-4 with three losses to top-five teams, a short-handed loss to another top-25 team and a win over a top-15 squad. Despite the record, Coach Dani Busboom Kelly is expecting a challenge in her first opportunity to lead the Huskers into the rivalry match.
“I haven’t been, obviously, back for eight years, but I’m really looking forward to this game because it is a big deal for the state, and it’s just a testament of how awesome volleyball is here with Creighton being so good and Nebraska, obviously, with all the tradition,” Busboom Kelly said. “Creighton’s a very, very good team, and they’re always a very confident team, so it’s going to be a tough game for us. Also, into that big arena just with a Final Four feel and I’m sure it’s not sold out, but it’s going to be packed.”
The match did indeed sell out, though tickets were available on the secondary market as of Monday afternoon.
Although Kirsten Bernthal Booth has handed the reins to Brian Rosen to lead the team forward, Busboom Kelly has a lot of respect for the program and the growth it’s seen over the past two and a half decades.
“It’s crazy,” Busboom Kelly said. “I remember when I was a recruit going to Creighton for a team camp, and they showed me around, and I was like, ‘What is this place?’ I think they weren’t winning any games, period, like zero wins, maybe, the season before, and then to see Kirsten just completely turn that around and turn them into a powerhouse where they’re in the mix for top recruits and they’re always knocking at the door of the Final Four. It’s just extremely impressive what they’ve been able to do.”
Creighton went 3-23 in 2002 when Busboom Kelly was a senior at Freeman High School in Adams, Nebraska. Last season, the Bluejays went 32-3 and fell 3-2 in the Elite Eight to a Penn State team that went on to win the title.
Creighton only returned three starters from that Elite Eight team, most notably third-team AVCA All-American Ava Martin. The 6-foot-1 senior outside hitter is averaging 3.91 kills per set on .235 hitting as teams load up against her. She’s also dangerous from the service line with 15 aces so far this season.
Rosen is still working to develop secondary hitting options as sophomore opposite hitter Jaya Johnson and the rotating outside hitter duo of junior Destiny Ndam-Simpson and freshman Abbey Hayes are all hitting below .200. As a team, Creighton has hit .220 against its tough schedule.
Sixth-year middle blocker Kiara Reinhardt is second on the team with 2.48 kills per set after posting a career-high 16 kills on .439 hitting against No. 4 Louisville last week. Cal transfer Annalea Maeder has stepped in at setter following the departure of program legend Kendra Wait and is averaging 9.97 assists, 2.52 digs and 1.03 kills per set. Wisconsin transfer Saige Damrow has succeeded Maddy Bilinovic at libero and is averaging 4.24 digs per set.
Creighton has had trouble closing out sets against top competition this season, but the Bluejays will be aggressive at the service line and look to test Nebraska’s passing, where the Huskers have shown some inconsistencies.
Tuesday’s environment won’t be anything new for the Cornhuskers, who have played in big arenas in three of their eight matches so far — two at Pinnacle Bank Arena and one at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
“I think that’s huge,” Busboom Kelly said. “Our players shouldn’t be shocked or feel surprised or feel overwhelmed. It feels like we’ve played half our games this preseason in big arenas.”
Creighton also has plenty of experience in big matches this season, facing five teams currently ranked in the first three weeks: No. 13 Penn State, No. 2 Texas, No. 17 Kansas, No. 19 USC and No. 3 Louisville.
The matchup features 10 Nebraska natives between the two teams (four for Nebraska, six for Creighton), including Norris product Maisie Boesiger who will line up across the net from former teammates Alivia Hausmann (Norris) and Sky McCune (Premier).
“I think it’s really cool growing up in Nebraska and being able to watch the Huskers and Creighton play,” Boesiger said. “It’s very special game, for all of Nebraska, honestly, because this is the volleyball state and it’s so important here. So I think it’s just a celebration of volleyball here, and it’s always competitive. It’s always a great game.”
Busboom Kelly said the quick turnaround for Nebraska’s first early-week match of the season played a part in her decision to sit multiple starters in Saturday’s win against Grand Canyon. Harper Murray, Rebekah Allick and others should be fresh for Tuesday’s showdown.
“Having a four-gamer last night, and then with Creighton being a quick turnaround, and we really only get one practice — well two, but you want to go live one of those days — so I wanted to make sure that the team felt really fresh to go pretty hard one of those days, whether we decided that tomorrow or Monday in Omaha,” Busboom Kelly said after the Grand Canyon win. “I thought this would set us up for better prep for Creighton.”
First serve on Tuesday is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on FS1.
