Creighton volleyball recovers from opening set loss, wins at Marquette

A few streaks were snapped Sunday afternoon at the Al McGuire center.

No. 5 Creighton volleyball dropped the opening set at Marquette, putting an end to its stretch of 31 consecutive set wins. That streak started against the Golden Eagles as well, as they avoided a sweep in an October loss to Creighton in Omaha.

Marquette had won each of its 12 matches since that defeat. Creighton had the last laugh in ending that run, winning 21-25, 25-12, 25-18, 25-13 on the road.

Norah Sis finished with 23 kills, while Ava Martin added 16. The Bluejays recorded eight aces and a hitting percentage of .356, while Marquette hit .146.

The opening set was tight throughout, the first real distance being discovered when a 3-0 Marquette run put the hosts up 20-15. Even as Creighton replied by trimming the deficit to a single point at 22-21, the Golden Eagles didn't relinquish their advantage and ripped off three more points in a row to seal the set win.

Creighton dominated the next set, working to a 14-10 advantage before ending on an 11-2 run. Martin came up with six kills as the Bluejays hit .696 to Marquette's .097.

Martin's heroics also marked a shift in the third set. A pair of 4-0 runs put the Bluejays up, but the Golden Eagles wouldn't go away this time, making it 15-13. Kendra Wait saved a ball near the net, sending it to the other sideline and, if it had not been touched, out of bounds on Marquette's side. Martin jumped and managed to tap the ball lightly, causing it to fall just in bounds for the point.

The play sparked a small run for the Bluejays to regain some distance, and their lead was hardly threatened through the rest of the set. Creighton closed the match with a one-sided fourth frame, sealing the regular-season sweep of Marquette.

With four matches left before the Big East tournament, Creighton now holds a two-match lead on Marquette and cannot finish lower than second in the league.