Creighton players celebrate after sweeping No. 10 Kentucky, the school's first ever sweep over a ranked team.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Creighton volleyball got the marquee non-conference win it desperately needed with an impressive 3-0 sweep of 10th-ranked Kentucky on Saturday night at the UNI Tournament in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
The win was Creighton's first in 23 all-time matches against top-10 teams, as well as CU's first 3-0 sweep over any ranked team.
Scores of the contest were 25-23, 25-17, 25-18.
Coming off a loss to UNI just four hours earlier, Creighton regrouped to play some of its most inspired volleyball of the young season to outlast the Wildcats in a taut set that included 12 ties and five lead changes. CU pulled ahead with three straight points to lead 16-15 and would not trail again, despite ties forced by UK at 16, 19 and 23. Jaali Winters had a kill to get CU to set point, and Winters then teamed with Lauren Smith for a block of Sara Schwarzwalder to give the Bluejays a 25-23 win.
Marysa Wilkinson had three huge kills down the stretch to lead CU with four kills in the frame, while Maggie Baumert had 12 assists in the first set during her initial start of the season.
Creighton took firm control of the match with a 25-17 win in the second set to take a 2-0 lead into intermission. Three aces from Ashley Jansen spurred a 5-0 run that helped CU to a 7-3 lead and CU did not trail again. UK made one run to draw within 10-9 but CU used another 5-0 spurt that included three blocks from Marysa Wilkinson. A kill from Jess Bird helped CU seal the set.
