2 - Creighton University Bluejays

WNIT Teams
2007-08 Creighton Bluejays
2008-09 Creighton Bluejays
Back Row: Kelsey Woodard, Megan Neuvirth, Sara Cain, Kellie Nelson,
Kristina Voss, Sam Schuett, Katie Frank.
Front Row: Ally Thrall, Tyrai Bronson, Kelsey Crites, Michelle Kaus, Abby
Henry, Chevelle Herring.
21-12 Overall • 12-6 MVC (4th)
Creighton opened the year with a 7-4 mark against a tough non-conference schedule
– five of CU’s non-conference foes advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2008,
while two more joined the Jays in the WNIT. The Jays owned wins over eventual
conference champions Kansas State and UALR in non-conference play. The
Bluejays reclaimed their dominance at home, posting an 11-1 mark at the Omaha
Civic Auditorium. CU opened the WNIT with a road trip to Summit League regularseason
champion South Dakota State, where the Jays snapped the Jackrabbits’
12-game winning streak and 22-game home winning streak before falling in overtime
at eventual champion Marquette in the second round of the WNIT. The Jays
also snapped Illinois State’s 14-game winning streak on Feb. 2, notching their first
win over a top-25 opponent since 1999, and ended Evansville’s 10-game winning
streak on Feb. 17. UE and Illinois State would share the MVC regular-season title
with Drake. CU’s win over Indiana State on Jan. 31 was Flanery’s 100th career victory.
The Jays led the MVC with 40.7 rebounds per game, while establishing school
records with 892 defensive rebounds and 1,342 total rebounds on the year. CU
also led the MVC with 222 three-pointers, as its 6.7 3FG/game ranked 27th in the
NCAA. Ally Thrall was named first-team all-MVC after leading the MVC in minutes
played and finishing with a career-high 125 assists. Sara Cain earned second-team
all-MVC honors, while Kelsey Woodard was named to the MVC All-Freshman Team
and set a Valley record by earning league Newcomer of the Week honors six times
during her rookie season.
Back Row: Jasmin Corbin, DaNae Moore, Sam Schuett, Kellie Nelson, Kelsey
Woodard, Ally Jensen.
Front Row: Chevelle Herring, Megan Neuvirth, Kelsey Crites, Katie Frank.
2009-10 Creighton Bluejays
93
Back Row: Michelle Kaus, DaNae Moore, Kristina Voss, Kellie Nelson, Sam
Schuett, Kelsey Woodard.
Front Row: Chevelle Herring, Megan Neuvirth, Katie Frank, Kelsey Crites,
Stephani Rhoten.
22-12 Overall • 14-4 MVC (2nd)
Creighton logged its second straight 20-win campaign and fifth 20-win season in an
eight-year span. After a 2-6 start against an always challenging non-conference
slate, the Bluejays went 20-6 to close out the season, including an appearance in
the MVC Tournament title game and their sixth postseason appearance in eight
years. The Bluejays posted a 14-4 record in MVC play, good for a second-place finish.
CU managed success despite playing without two injured starters, as Sam
Schuett missed the entire season and Michelle Kaus missed all but three games.
The Jays were the top defensive team in the MVC, allowing 56 points per game to
rank 31st in the NCAA. CU’s league-leading 13.5 turnovers per game ranked eighth
in the nation and its MVC-best 6.6 three-pointers per game ranked 32nd in the
NCAA. An 11-game winning streak from Jan. 8 – Feb. 14 was the longest such
streak under Jim Flanery, the best by a Bluejay team since the 1991-92 season and
the longest MVC streak in CU history. Megan Neuvirth was named MVC Defensive
Player of the Year, leading the conference in steals and rebounds and topping the
team in assists and blocked shots. Her 325 rebounds established a school record
and tied for the eighth most in MVC history, while she was one of five players in the
NCAA to rank in the top-50 in steals and rebounds per game. Chevelle Herring
earned second-team all-MVC accolades and Kelsey Woodard, who led the league
with 88 three-pointers, was tabbed honorable-mention all-MVC. The Jays played
the first women’s game played at Qwest Center Omaha (vs. Drake, Feb. 27) and
logged 11 straight wins to close out their use of the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
21-11 Overall • 13-5 MVC (2nd)
Creighton enjoyed its first season in the new D.J. Sokol Arena and Ryan Athletic
Center by posting a 12-3 home record, including wins in its final seven home games
of the year. The Bluejays captured their third consecutive 20-win season, finished
second in the MVC regular-season for the second straight season and appeared in
the MVC Tournament title game for the second consecutive year and the third time
in a four-year span. The Bluejays led the MVC and ranked 21st in the NCAA with
7.3 three-pointers per game, making better than 200 threes in a season for the sixth
time in a nine-year span. Creighton repeated as the top defensive team in the
MVC, allowing only 58.9 points per game, while ranking 22nd in the nation with only
14.7 turnovers per game. Sam Schuett finished 18th in the NCAA by shooting 42.2
percent from three-point range, while she also made 40 consecutive free-throw
attempts to establish a school record during the season. Schuett was joined by
Megan Neuvirth to become the first Bluejay duo to be named first-team all-MVC in
the same season since 2005. Neuvirth, who was named MVC All-Defensive Team
for the third time, finished her career with school records for career games played
(130) and rebounds (929) – ninth in MVC history. Neuvirth, Chevelle Herring and
Kelsey Woodard became the first trio in school history to each surpass 1,000 career
points in the same season. The Jays played their 100th recorded on-campus game
against Indiana State on March 6.