No. 16 Creighton volleyball aims to play with ‘an edge’ as Jays head to No. 4 Nebraska

Kirsten Bernthal Booth’s memory, so long as she tells it, is emblematic of her 21 years as Creighton volleyball’s coach

Asked if the teams she’s composed in recent years have made CU volleyball more competitive in its rivalry with cross-state powerhouse Nebraska, she blanked on past teams. Questioned on whether this might be the most suited CU has been to threaten NU at this point in any recent season, she enacted amnesia.

But deep down, Booth knows she’s inched closer and closer almost annually. A 2-0 lead in 2018 that was eventually squandered. A near-reverse sweep this time a year ago.

Creighton has gotten as close as ever to knocking off the Huskers in recent years — ripples in hopes of putting a dent in NU’s flawless 19-0 all-time record vs. the Bluejays.

No. 4 Nebraska seemingly has things sorted out when this week approaches. No. 16 Creighton, typically a step behind, doesn’t resemble a team that can ruffle the other’s feathers until down the road.

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CU is in an interesting position, though. It’s not where it could be, but it’s also not where it was last weekend or the weekend prior. It’s been pushed perhaps as hard as any top-20 team to this point. It has sought an identity early on.

Could the Jays blend their experiences to finally push the Huskers off their pedestal?

“This is a very good Nebraska team, especially from a defensive standpoint,” Booth said. “… I do think we’ve continued to progress in each match. We’ve played a pretty rigorous nonconference schedule to prepare us. We’re looking forward to playing a top-five program.”

Creighton hasn’t played a team with as fearsome a block as NU. Few teams possess that, anyway. But CU currently leads the country in attacks per set and is second in kills per set behind monstrous arms Norah Sis and Ava Martin.

A pair of sets over this past weekend forced the Jays to score more than 30 points in a couple games. It helped them chew through endgame scenarios and realize what approach to take at different junctures of a match.

According to Martin and senior Ellie Bolton, they learned joy won’t win games. That “winning is joy.”

“I think we’re starting to find our identity a little bit,” Booth said. “I think we have to play with more of an edge. … That may not seem like a big deal, but it was in our locker room, and the way that we were talking to each other and our expectations for each other.”

Booth prepped her squad for a Big Ten environment with an opening weekend tournament at Purdue. But for a team that has zero players who’ve experienced the Devaney Center at this level, Wednesday’s match might be difficult to simulate.

If Creighton hopes to hurdle toward another national tier, it’ll have to look the part in a win Wednesday.

“We talk about resume builders, resume killers,” Booth said. “Well, this would be a builder. If we lose to Nebraska, it doesn’t hurt our resume. What it does is catapult our resume. … We’ve talked about a couple teams that way already this fall.”

If things go their way, maybe Booth and the Jays will leave Lincoln with a result she’ll remember.

Here is the Bluejays volleyball schedule for the upcoming season!

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