Follow the Matches
The Omaha volleyball team begins the season with a pair of matches this weekend. The Mavericks open on the road at Creighton on Friday, Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. before hosting UNI on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 4 p.m.
Saturday's match will be played at Sapp Fieldhouse and closed to the general public. Due to COVID-19 protocols, attendance is limited to student-athlete pass-list attendees at this time. Links to live stats and video to both matches are available on OMavs.com.
Quick Hits
- Omaha finished 19-14 (10-6 Summit League) last season, falling to second-seeded Denver in the program's second appearance in the Summit League Championship Final.
- Anna Blaschko enters her senior campaign after leading the Summit League with a .390 hitting percentage last season.
- Following Blaschko in the Maverick attack, Sadie Limback and Claire Leonard return for Omaha after totaling 735 and 435 kills in 2019, respectively.
- Claire Mountjoy beings the season No. 8 all-time in program history with 1,458 career digs.
- The Mavericks were 10-3 in three-set matches and 7-3 in four-set matches in 2019.
- Omaha returns four starters from last year, including 10 letterwinners.
- Head coach Matt Buttermore is in his second season at the helm of the Maverick program.
Scouting the Creighton Bluejays
- Creighton opens the season ranked No. 15 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association DI Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll.
- The Bluejays advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and won their sixth consecutive BIG EAST regular-season title with a 25-6 record in 2019.
- CU was picked to win the Midwest Division of the BIG East Conference in its preseason poll.
- The Bluejays placed three returners on the Preseason All-BIG EAST team in Keeley Davis, Erica Kostelac and Jaela Zimmeran.
- Creighton returns four starters and 10 letterwinners from last year's squad.
- Head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth is in her 18th season at Creighton and holds a record of 371-71 with the Bluejays.
All-Time Against Creighton
Friday's matchup marks the 17th all-time meeting between Omaha and Creighton. The Mavericks hold a slim lead in the series, 9-7 over the Bluejays.
Creighton swept the Mavericks last season at D.J. Sokol Arena on Sept. 13, 2019 in the lone meeting between the two programs in Omaha's DI tenure.
Scouting the UNI Panthers
• UNI went 24-11 last season, capturing the Missouri Valley Conference title with a 17-1 mark in league play.
• The Panthers advanced to the program's fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, falling in the first round in 2019.
• UNI was selected as the league's favorite in the MVC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Sophomore Kaylissa Arndorfer was the only Panther to make the Preseason All-MVC Team after earning First Team All-MVC honors as a freshman last season.
• The Panthers return four starters from 2019 while adding five newcomers for this season.
• Head coach Bobbi Petersen enters her 21st season at the helm of the UNI program and has a record of 509-162.
All-Time Against UNI
Saturday's match is the ninth all-time meeting between the Mavericks and Panthers. The all-time series is locked up with four victories for each program. In their last meeting, UNI won 3-1 on Sept. 15, 2017 in Omaha, Neb.
