Creighton volleyball was No. 6 in the NCAA’s first in-season rankings of the top 16 teams, released Sunday afternoon.
The Bluejays were fourth in RPI through Friday, the cutoff for what was considered in the rankings. Their only two losses are five-setters on the road at No. 1 Nebraska (second in RPI) and No. 4 Louisville (first in RPI).
“We were a little disappointed. I think there was a strong argument we could’ve landed at four,” coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth said. “We hope that the committee continues to watch us play and will make some judgments based on our resume a little differently in a month.”
The top 16 teams host the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, with the top four in a position to host the second if they advance. CU has hosted five times, including the past three seasons, but it’s never hosted the second.
Creighton went 9-2 against one of the toughest nonconference schedules in the country. The Jays improved 17-2, 8-0 Big East with Sunday’s sweep win of DePaul at Sokol Arena.
“I think we did everything that we could, other than — obviously, we needed to win one of those five-setters, is what they were telling us,” Booth said. “I feel like we have made a strong argument to the committee that we think we deserve that opportunity.
“We got a lot of season in front of us. A lot of good teams. We’re going to play some good teams on their home court. So we’ll have some challenges, and we just hope the committee watches.
