Pages 1-15 - Creighton University Bluejays

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The only coach in Creighton’smodern volleyball history to reach100 wins, Kirsten Bernthal Boothenters her eighth season with aneven brighter future, thanks to fourreturning starters and a spectacularon-campus facility.After back-to-back secondplacefinishes in the Missouri ValleyConference resulted in near-missesto the 2007 and 2008 NCAA Tournaments,Booth and her staff haveonce again assembled a top-notchschedule while challenging the bestthat college volleyball has to offer.Best of all, the Bluejays can hostthese matches at the D.J. SokolArena inside the Wayne and Eileen Ryan Athletic Center. The on-campus facilityopened in 2009 to rave reviews and hosted six volleyball matches involvingranked teams in its inaugural year, including a win over No. 25 Wichita State.Booth enters her eighth year as head coach at Creighton with an impressivepast, both on and off the court.Under her direction, the program has attracted two crowds of more than12,000 while ranking in the top-40 nationally in attendance the past four years.Creighton has gone 120-89 while averaging 1,139 fans per home match inBooth’s tenure, compared to a 77-113 mark and 223 fans per match average theseven years before her arrival. All of Booth’s teams have qualified for the MVCTournament, with the last four of those squads reaching the semifinals.Booth’s .574 winning percentage and 120 wins are best in Creighton volleyball’smodern history. Added with her 112 wins in three years at Kirkwood CommunityCollege, Booth owns 232 career victories, an average of more than 23 winsper season.In seven seasons, Booth has coached 10 first-team and six second-team all-MVC picks, while also recruiting and coaching seven MVC all-Freshman Team honorees.Booth’s teams have also included 20 members of the MVC Scholar-AthleteTeam in that time, including 2006 Academic All-American Emily Greisch.The 2008 Bluejay squad finished in sole possession of second place for thefirst time in program history after going 15-3 in league play. Playing the most difficultnon-conference schedule in program history, Creighton finished 18-9 overalland had the second-best RPI of any team to not receive an NCAA bid.That club saw Korie Lebeda close her career as Creighton ’s all-time assistleader, while Jessica Houts was named MVC Defensive Player of the Year andearned AVCA Honorable-Mention All-America accolades. Joining Lebeda andHouts on the all-MVC First Team was Omaha product Amanda Cvejdlik, whilelibero Bianca Rivera was a second-team all-Valley selection.Creighton’s 2007 team finished 21-10 and tied for second in the MVC with a14-4 record. The Jays became the first team in history to rally from an 0-2 deficitto win at UNI, and hosted a record-setting crowd (13,081) at Qwest Center Omaha.Lebeda set a Creighton record for career assists, Rivera a record for single-seasondigs, and Kelly Goc a season and career mark for hitting percentage. Goc wouldalso become the program’s first honorable-mention All-American on the court.Booth’s 2006 team won a school-record 21 matches, picking up in-seasontournament titles at Montana State and Middle Tennessee, and reached the MVCTournament semifinals. They also took a set from eventual national championNebraska and picked up three wins over long-time nemesis Illinois State as well asa victory at Wichita State.The 2005 campaign was highlighted by the program’s first-ever win atNorthern Iowa, a win over Big East power Marquette, and the title at the SanDiego State Invitational. The Jays would finish 16-14.Booth’s 2004 club won a then-record 18 matches while also picking up tournamenttitles at events hosted by New Mexico and Missouri. Creighton was alsothe only club in the MVC to beat the regular-season and tourney champ, WichitaState, in 2004.In 2003, Booth inherited a team that went 3-23 prior to her arrival andimproved that nearly identical squad to a 12-18 mark in her debut season atCreighton. That fall, the Bluejays helped pave the foundation for a promisingKirsten Bernthal Booth12The Kirsten Bernthal Booth File• Creighton University (Head Coach)Year W L Pct. Highlights2009 14 17 .452 Hosted MVC Tourney; Opened Ryan Ctr.2008 18 9 .667 2nd in MVC, first to reach 100+ wins2007 21 10 .677 Tie-2nd in MVC, became CU win leader2006 21 10 .677 Record 21 wins, MVC semi’s2005 16 14 .533 Record crowds, first win over UNI2004 18 11 .621 Record 18 wins, 2 tournament titles2003 12 18 .400 Record crowds, 9-win improvementTotal (7 yrs) 120 89 .574 All-Time Creighton Wins Leader• Kirkwood Community College (Head Coach)Year W L Pct. Highlights2002 39 11 .780 10-1 at home2001 36 18 .667 4th at NJCAA nationals2000 37 12 .755 2nd at NJCAA nationalsTotal (3 yrs) 112 41 .732 Two-time District Coach of the Yearfuture by signing five Nebraska products that composed one of the nation’s mostheraldedrecruiting classes.Booth has proven to be a popular coach among her players and within theOmaha community, which is a key factor in the team’s record crowds, rankingamong the top 40 nationally each of the last four seasons.On the court, Booth was an all-state setter in high school at Lincoln (Neb.)East and conference MVP in college at Truman State.Off the court, she earned Academic All-American honors, was named the1997 Missouri NCAA Woman of the Year, earned her master’s degree, and hastwice been named District Coach of the Year.Prior to coming to Creighton, Booth went a combined 112-41 in three seasonsat Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. All three of her teamswon at least 36 matches. Her first team reached the NJCAA finals before falling toSt. Clair College. Her second team placed fourth nationally and her final club won39 matches and had seven players earn academic all-conference honors.In addition to her coaching responsibilities, she served as the school’shuman resource coordinator, where she was in charge of staff development andwellness for all faculty and staff at Kirkwood.Booth served as a volunteer coach with the University of Iowa in the fall of1997, helping to run drills and scout opponents. The following spring, she servedas interim head coach while running practice and doing other assorted administrativetasks. She later earned her master’s degree in higher education administrationwith an emphasis in athletic administration from Iowa in 2000.As an undergrad, Booth’s teams at Truman State went 101-54 with her runningthe offense at setter. She was named the Mid-America Intercollegiate AthleticAssociation Freshman of the Year in 1993, and earned all-MIAA accolades herfinal three seasons as well. She capped off her career in 1996 by earning MIAAPlayer of the Year honors and setting new school records for assists in a season(1,662) and career (6,077), the latter of which ranked third in NCAA history at theDivision II level when she graduated. She remains among Truman’s all-time leadersfor digs (1,410), aces (127)and blocks (230).She was also a memberof the Student Senate at TrumanState, where she graduatedmagna cum laude with adegree in communications.Growing up, Boothexcelled in both tennis andvolleyball at Lincoln EastHigh School, where she is amember of the school’s AthleticHall of Fame. In tennis, she was a three-time All-American and two-time statechampion at #1 singles. She was also a second-team all-state volleyball player.Booth and her husband, Erik, reside in Omaha. The couple has two daughters:Reese (5) and Hayden (3).
What has the Ryan Athletic Center/D.J. SokolArena meant to your program?“For the first time since our staff’s been here wehave a home court advantage. First, the atmospherein the arena is truly awesome. Combine theband, dance team, Blue Crew and fans and it is atough place to play. Second, we get to practicethere and I think that’s been key to us from a servingand passing perspective and just a better comfortlevel for the players. Finally, winning begetswinning. I think our players have the expectationthat you protect your home court and our kids didthat, especially in the conference season.”Q & A With Kirsten Bernthal BoothWhat are you looking for from prospectivestudent-athletes interested in your program?“We have lots of kids on our team that turned downBCS schools because they felt Creighton was theperfect mix of academics and athletics. They are drivento be in a top-25 program. They chooseCreighton because they can feel the support fromthe administration on down. They want a degreethat when their career is up, will open doors forthem in life. And there’s no question a Creightondegree will provide great opportunities in thefuture.”You have some new faces on the staff. What doTom Mendoza and Amanda (Gates) Sjuts bringto the table?“I’m really excited about our staff this fall. I hadbeen fortunate to have the same staff for seven seasons,but at some point you need new blood, newideas, new energy, and I think Tom and Amandadefinitely bring that.Tom was an outstanding college player who hasplayed multiple positions and he’s very good fundamentally.His knowledge of the game is outstanding.He enjoys going out to recruit. When youare looking for key things for a great assistant, hehas all of those components.And we’re 1-for-1 when it comes to formerNebraska players in our program with assistantcoach Angie Oxley Behrens, who is about as goodas you can be. What I’ve been told by numerouspeople, including coach John Cook at Nebraska, isthat they don’t get any better than Amanda (Gates)Sjuts. That’s been our experience thus far with her.She wants to be a college coach and heavilyinvolved, not only in the training on the court but inthe office also. We feel fortunate to have someonewith her level of playing experience and character,and that’s key in my opinion and something elsethat attracted me to her.”Last year your team was third in the country inblocking. Is that a point of pride for you and thewomen in your program?“Absolutely! We always want to get the opportunityto play defense and put up a good block. I thinkblocking is one component of success. You have tobe great behind the block defensively and then youhave to terminate. But there’s no question that ourplayers take a lot of pride shutting down hitters inthe front row.”Last year’s record was a little deceiving becauseof a tough start. Why will it be better this fall?“Experience. Obviously we lose Jessica (Houts) andSarah (Schulze), but I think we’ve got a lot of experiencereturning, particularly Megan Bober runningthe court as a setter. It was fun seeing her progressthroughout the year and she had a good spring.Hopefully she can make strides this season like shedid last season.Alicia Runge, who is a very talented athlete, reallyplayed well down the stretch last year. We don’tknow what position she’ll be at, but she’s an importantcog.Allie Oelke can do it all both offensively anddefensively.Laurel Sanford is in the middle and had a goodsophomore year in her first season as a significantcontributor.And Nayka (Benitez) is returning from a defensivestandpoint.The thing that I am very optimistic about this fallis that we have one of the best classes we’ve everhad. All five freshmen could potentially be on thecourt. We’ve got some kids who are raw, but we’lltry to get them ready early in the year. Who will beon the court is the biggest question at this point.”American Volleyball Coaches AssociationALL-AMERICAN HONORABLE-MENTIONKelly Goc - 2007Jessica Houts - 2008ALL-CENTRAL REGION FIRST TEAMKelly Goc - 2007Jessica Houts - 2008ALL-CENTRAL REGION HONORABLE MENTIONBianca Rivera - 2008Volleyball Magazine Player of the MonthKorie Lebeda - Nov. 2006 issueAll-Missouri Valley ConferenceFIRST TEAMAmanda Cvejdlik - 2008Kelly Goc - 2006, ‘07Jessica Houts - 2008, ‘09Korie Lebeda - 2006, ‘07, ‘08Leah Ratzlaff - 2004, ‘05SECOND TEAMBrittany Coleman - 2004Kelly Goc - 2005Jessica Houts - 2006Leah Ratzlaff - 2003Bianca Rivera - 2008Ashley Williams - 2003Awards & Honors Under Kirsten Bernthal BoothMVC All-Freshman TeamMegan Bober - 2009Brittany Coleman - 2003Carolyn Decker - 2004Kelly Goc - 2004Jessica Houts - 2005Korie Lebeda - 2005Allie Oelke - 2007MVC All-Tournament TeamKelly Goc - 2004, ‘06Jessica Houts - 2009Leah Ratzlaff - 2005Bianca Rivera - 2007, ‘08Ashley Williams - 2003MVC Player of the WeekAbby Baumann - Sept. 24, 2007Brittany Coleman - Nov. 1, 2004Kelly Goc - Sept. 18 and Oct. 2, 2006Kelly Goc - Oct. 1 and Nov. 19, 2007Jessica Houts - Oct. 13, 2008Korie Lebeda - Aug. 28, 2006Leah Ratzlaff - Oct. 4, 2004Leah Ratzlaff - Sept. 6 and Nov. 21, 2005Ashley Williams - Sept. 22, 2003MVC Defensive Player of the WeekCarolyn Decker - Nov. 24, 2008Jessica Houts - Oct. 26 and Nov. 16, 2009Allie Oelke - Nov. 9, 2009Bianca Rivera - Sept. 24 and Oct. 1, 2007Bianca Rivera - Oct. 13 and Nov. 17, 2008Laurel Sanford - Oct. 19, 200913MVC Freshman/Newcomer of the WeekLauren Bloemke - Nov. 20, 2006Megan Bober - Oct. 5, Oct. 19, Nov. 16 and Nov.23, 2009Amanda Cvejdlik - Nov. 14, 2005Carolyn Decker - Sept. 13, 2004Kelly Goc - Nov. 1, 2004Jessica Houts - Nov. 21, 2005Korie Lebeda - Oct. 17, 2005Allie Oelke - Sept. 17, Oct. 1, Oct. 29 and Nov. 5, 2007MVC Defensive Player of the YearJessica Houts - 2008MVC Freshman of the YearAllie Oelke - 2007MVC Scholar-Athlete TeamFIRST TEAMAbby Baumann - 2005, ‘06, ‘07Brittany Coleman - 2004Emily Greisch - 2005, ‘06Jessica Houts - 2008, ‘09Korie Lebeda - 2006, ‘08Allie Oelke - 2009Leah Ratzlaff - 2003, ‘04, ‘05Ashley Williams - 2003HONORABLE MENTIONKorie Lebeda - 2007Janeen Piller - 2003, ‘04Alicia Runge - 2009Ashley Williams - 2004Prairie Farms/MVC Scholar-Athlete of the WeekAbby Baumann - Sept. 27, 2007Brittany Coleman - Nov. 3, 2004Carolyn Decker - Nov. 26, 2008Jessica Houts - Oct. 15, 2008Korie Lebeda - Aug. 31 and Nov. 22, 2006Leah Ratzlaff - Oct. 6, 2004Leah Ratzlaff - Sept. 8 and Nov. 22, 2005Ashley Williams - Sept. 25, 2003CoSIDA Academic All-AmericanTHIRD TEAMEmily Greisch - 2006CoSIDA Academic All-District VIIFIRST TEAMAbby Baumann - 2006, ‘07Brittany Coleman - 2004Emily Greisch - 2006SECOND TEAMAbby Baumann - 2005Emily Greisch - 2005Leah Ratzlaff - 2004, ‘05Ashley Williams - 2004AVCA Team Academic AwardCreighton - 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
Page 1 and 2: Table of ContentsBluejay seniors Al
Page 4: D.J. Sokol Arena Timeline And Recor
Page 7 and 8: 2009 - The Year In PicturesThe team
Page 9 and 10: Bluejays In The ProsFormer Bluejays
Page 11: Roster and Quick FactsCreighton Qui
Page 15: Assistant CoachesAngie Oxley Behren

Pages 1-15 - Creighton University Bluejays

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