This weekend, the No. 12-ranked Creighton Bluejays kick off their 2024 volleyball season by hosting the Bluejay Invitational, a tournament featuring teams with strong postseason goals. The event, held at the D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha, Nebraska, runs from August 30 to September 1 and includes matches between Creighton, Drake, Missouri, and NC State.
The tournament begins on Friday, August 30, with Drake facing Missouri at 3:30 p.m., followed by Creighton’s first match against NC State at 6 p.m. The action continues on Saturday, August 31, with NC State taking on Drake at 2:30 p.m., and Creighton playing Missouri at 5 p.m. The event concludes on Sunday, September 1, with Missouri versus NC State at noon, and the final match between Drake and Creighton at 2:30 p.m.
Creighton has organized special promotions for each day of the tournament. Friday is Fraternity & Sorority Life Night, where the fraternity or sorority with the most attendees will win a donation to their charity. Students can also grab one of 125 free hot dog vouchers. Saturday is a Camper Reunion, where the first 400 fans receive a Creighton wrist lanyard. Natalia Valentine-Anderson and Allison Whitten from the Omaha Supernovas will be available to sign autographs. Sunday is themed Rally in the Valley Day, celebrating Creighton’s history in the Missouri Valley Conference. Fans can participate in raffles to win a retro jersey from that era.
Fans who can’t attend the tournament can watch all six matches on FloSports, a subscription service. Those with a “@creighton.edu” email address can subscribe at a discounted rate of $6.99 per month, while others can sign up for $14.99 per month. Creighton’s matches will also have live commentary, with Noah Sullinger and Megan Epperson calling the game against NC State, and Jon Schriner and Kate Elman covering the matches against Missouri and Drake. Additionally, all three Creighton matches will be simulcast on 1180 The Zone (KZOT) and available online.
Live stats for each match will be available for free on Creighton’s StatBroadcast page, with links also provided on the Creighton Volleyball schedule page.
Creighton enters the season with high expectations, returning four starters from last year’s team, which went 29-5, won its 10th consecutive BIG EAST regular-season title, and made its 12th straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Bluejays are the preseason favorite to win the BIG EAST again, according to the league’s coaches. The team brings back three All-BIG EAST players, including Kendra Wait, the 2023 BIG EAST Player of the Year, who averaged 10.36 assists, 3.41 digs, and 1.14 kills per set last season. Also returning are Norah Sis, the 2022 BIG EAST Player of the Year, who was named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year for the third year in a row, and Ava Martin, who averaged 3.59 kills per set last season. Creighton has also added two notable transfers, Maddy Bilinovic from Penn State and Elise Goetzinger from Kentucky, along with four freshmen.
Their first opponent, NC State, finished last season with a 22-7 record but missed out on the NCAA Tournament despite a No. 43 RPI ranking. The Wolfpack struggled against top competition, winning only one of their five matches against Top 50 teams. Key returning players for NC State include Ava Brizard, who averaged 3.53 kills per set last season, and Amanda Rice, who had 3.25 kills per set with a .297 hitting percentage. NC State is predicted to finish eighth in the expanded ACC, which now includes 18 teams.
Missouri, another tournament participant, had an 18-13 record last season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before being eliminated by Nebraska. The Tigers are led by right-side hitter Jordan Iliff, who trained with the Women’s Collegiate National Team, and 2023 SEC Libero of the Year Maya Sands. Missouri also added several key players, including Oregon State transfer Mychael Vernon and top-five recruit Claire Morrissey. The team is projected to finish sixth in the SEC this season.
This tournament will be a strong test for Creighton as they begin their quest for another successful season, aiming to build on their dominant performance in the BIG EAST and make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
