2025 Creighton Volleyball

[WyoJays]

I do know that the relationship between MB and KBB wasn’t a match made in heaven.

That being said, I’m not buying that KBBs resignation has anything to do with Daniel/Marcus.

There are too many good coaching gigs out there for her to give up coaching all together becuase of rubs with admin.

I’ll never understand the Marcus hate on this board.

He’s led the athletic program through some pretty fun times. Most sports are seeing success they’ve never experienced before. Softball/baseball have new coaches and facilities. Golf just got new facilities on campus. T&F/XC is having successful years under his leadership.

Is he perfect? No. But let’s not act like he’s not helped Creighton athletics grow in sports not named MBB/WVB.

Feels like many in the Creighton community dislike Marcus simply because he’s not Bruce.

Great post. I also think Mac’s contract negotiations led to rumors that MB wanted to push him out, and that became part of the narrative. That pot also has been stirred by some who are bitter over who didn't get the job when Ras left and by Husker trolls.
Jeez, it's not like everything Ras did has been undone in the last 4 years.

Incredibly true. Been seeing some old CU Admin tweeting about this being 'clunky' and 'inappropriate'

[WyoJays]

She is headed to LOVB volleyball as a league admin.

One thing has been consistent, she has been a passionate advocate for the sport as a whole, and that transcends her HC role at Creighton.

Hopefully, we can put this MB shit to rest, now.

[#RollJays]

Happy to see KBB leave on her own terms. Hopefully, she gets to watch her daughters play their sports this fall now with a little more freedom.

[HandDownManDown]

She is headed to LOVB volleyball as a league admin.

One thing has been consistent, she has been a passionate advocate for the sport as a whole, and that transcends her HC role at Creighton.

Hopefully, we can put this MB shit to rest, now.

That won’t happen. Those that dislike Marcus and Father will just wait for the next time to agitate.

[D Jay Fan]

How many 'fans' who thought she was great went to matches (or donated) to show said admiration
Now support Flan

[JayPak]

How many 'fans' who thought she was great went to matches (or donated) to show said admiration
Now support Flan

Creighton VB has excellent attendance, and its own donor pool separate from and in addition to basketball and university fundraising. The support base is there, and plenty of fans exist, without the quotation marks. KBB had to know she was appreciated. I personally have not heard any criticism of her. Creighton fans and college VB fans in general have always appreciated her.

[JayPak]

Press conference highlights:

-Her daughters have become leaders from growing up around the women in Creighton’s program. They have missed out on her presence at their own games but also have gained from their mom’s job.

- One plus to going to pro is the pro season is opposite the high school and college season. Can watch kids play. New job is fluid and will have a lot of remote work from home.

- Best thing for family was to stay in Omaha, and it’s the right place from which to grow professional VB.

- Creighton was a startup job when she started, and LOVB is a startup.

- Last season was a special group on a wonderful journey and there were other wonderful journeys in previous seasons.

- Building wonderful women is the “why” for all the coaches in the program and that will continue.

- Rosen will continue the program philosophy that every player will be able to play VB while achieving academic goals. (Creighton is noted for its VB alums in nursing.)

- Biggest thing for young coaches is learning to communicate. Honesty, addressing things early, and communicating “the hard” is important for good leadership. Must come from a place of love. Communication with players was the coaching skill she improved the most on, since the start of her career.

- Angie does not aspire to HC, will stay, and KBB will miss working with her.

- Program is in an excellent place with staff, roster, facilities. KBB will help as she can but turned down the idea of being assistant.

- She is not leaving because of NIL/portal, she is not sick, and not running away from something. She likes fundraising and meeting with people and having to raise NIL and recruit transfers is not why she is leaving.

- Had been thinking of leaving over the Spring but process began two weeks ago to actually do it.

- Wanted Rosen because he is on same page with culture of program, including building women, importance of academics, family atmosphere, communication, growing the sport. He had been offered high level HC jobs and it was coming to a head. Rest of staff on board.

- Her best talent was hiring good people. She has learned from Giesselmann, Mendoza, Meek, Dyer, Rosen, etc, and of course Angie, as well as many coworkers, not only coaches but trainer, SID, facility manager etc

- Special thanks to Bruce Rasmussen and Terry Pettit who saw something in her at age 27 that she didn’t see in herself.

[KenoshaJay]

Press conference highlights:

-Her daughters have become leaders from growing up around the women in Creighton’s program. They have missed out on her presence at their own games but also have gained from their mom’s job.

- One plus to going to pro is the pro season is opposite the high school and college season. Can watch kids play. New job is fluid and will have a lot of remote work from home.

- Best thing for family was to stay in Omaha, and it’s the right place from which to grow professional VB.

- Creighton was a startup job when she started, and LOVB is a startup.

- Last season was a special group on a wonderful journey and there were other wonderful journeys in previous seasons.

- Building wonderful women is the “why” for all the coaches in the program and that will continue.

- Rosen will continue the program philosophy that every player will be able to play VB while achieving academic goals. (Creighton is noted for its VB alums in nursing.)

- Biggest thing for young coaches is learning to communicate. Honesty, addressing things early, and communicating “the hard” is important for good leadership. Must come from a place of love.

- Angie does not aspire to HC, will stay, and KBB will miss working with her.

- Program is in an excellent place with staff, roster, facilities. KBB will help as she can but turned down the idea of being assistant.

- She is not leaving because of NIL/portal, she is not sick, and not running away from something. She likes fundraising and meeting with people and having to raise NIL and recruit transfers is not why she is leaving.

- Had been thinking of leaving over the Spring but process began two weeks ago to actually do it.

- Wanted Rosen because he is on same page with culture of program, including building women, importance of academics, family atmosphere, communication, growing the sport. He had been offered high level HC jobs and it was coming to a head. Rest of staff on board.

- Her best talent was hiring good people. She has learned from Giesselmann, Mendoza, Meek, Dyer, Rosen, etc, and of course Angie, as well as many coworkers, not only coaches but trainer, SID, facility manager etc

- Special thanks to Bruce Rasmussen and Terry Pettit who saw something in her at age 27 that she didn’t see in herself.

Excellent summary. Thanks.

Go Jays!

[#RollJays]

How many 'fans' who thought she was great went to matches (or donated) to show said admiration
Now support Flan

Confused by this a bit... Vball matches are usually pretty full. At least to the conference games I have been to.

[JayPak]

From Terry Pettit on Facebook:

Kirsten Bernthal Booth is stepping down after twenty-two years as the Head Women’s Volleyball Coach at Creighton University. The three-time national coach of the year and 2024 President of the American Volleyball Coaches Association led her team to a 32-3 record this past season. The Jays won the Big East regular season and tournament championship and earned an NCAA tournament victory over the two-time defending National Champion Texas Longhorns in the East Regional.

Creighton's record for the last four seasons is 119 and 17 for a .875 win percentage. Those statistics will likely send a coach past GO and plant you firmly in the AVCA Hall of Fame. But that is not the primary reason why I will miss Kirsten on the Creighton sidelines.

In 2003, the Creighton AD, Bruce Rasmussen, asked me to recommend someone to consider as the next head coach of the Creighton women’s volleyball team. Creighton had just finished a 3 and 23 season and was playing their matches in a high school gymnasium, but Bruce wanted to build a competitive program.

I suggested he consider Kirsten Bernthal Booth, the head coach at Kirkwood Junior College in Iowa. Kirsten had led Kirkwood to a combined record of 112 and 41 in three seasons while also overseeing faculty and staff development. One other factor led to my recommendation.

Our older daughter Katherine was a freshman at Lincoln East when Kirsten was the senior captain. Katherine was focused on making the varsity but didn’t know whether the head coach, Myron Oehlerking, who had established a legendary program, would consider a freshman.

Kirsten found Katherine sitting on the bench after one of the preseason practices to determine which kids would make the varsity, junior varsity, and freshmen teams. Katherine shared that she desperately wanted to be on the varsity team and hoped she would be good enough. Kirsten responded: “Hey, you’re more than good enough. We need you!”

Think about how many seniors in high school would respond that way to a freshman. (Two years later, Katherine would say the same thing to a struggling younger player. Great leadership pays it forward.)

What has set Kirsten apart is not just her winning but her patience, her joy in the process, and her ability to meet people where they are in their development. She is a highly competitive person who won the state high school singles championship in tennis. She combines that drive to win with an emotional intelligence that is remarkable at any level of coaching.

Creighton carried nineteen players on the roster this past season. Not because all nineteen would contribute in matches. Not because of the need to meet a Title IX requirement. She had nineteen on the roster because she didn’t want to deprive a good person of the experience of being on an exceptional team. Read that last sentence again.

Kirsten has played an important role in elevating athletics for the Creighton and the State of Nebraska. When first hired at Creighton, Kirsten met with Nebraska Head Coach John Cook at a Whole Foods grocery. John said that Kirsten must have asked a hundred questions. In some areas of the country, you do not always find that level of cooperation among college coaches. John understood that everyone would benefit from Creighton developing a strong program.

The state of Nebraska doesn’t move to the forefront of women’s volleyball without a university in Omaha having consistent success. Nebraska-Omaha won a national championship in Division II under head coach Rose Shires’ before moving to Division I. Creighton has been a consistent top fifteen program for a dozen years, and one cannot underestimate the importance of having a strong female presence at the Division I level in the state of Nebraska. Former Jays Nora Sis and Kendra Wait play for Orlando and Omaha in the PVF. Jali Winters plays for LOVB Omaha, and Taryn Kloth competed in the Paris Olympics in beach volleyball.

Recruiting Coordinator and Associate Head Coach Brian Rosen will become Creighton's head coach. Associate Head Coach Angie Oxley will continue to do what she has done for the past twenty-two seasons by providing the technical training and attention to detail that has contributed to Creighton’s success. Why not Angie as the head coach? Because she embraces the role she is in. One of the signs of a strong culture is that everyone understands their talent and how to leverage it to give the team the best chance for success.

If Creighton’s athletic department prioritizes women’s volleyball, it will continue to be a great option for women who want to play at a high level at a more intimate private university.
Meanwhile, Kirsten Bernthal Booth will impact Omaha with her leadership in another adventure. Kirsten and her husband Erik will watch their daughter Reese play volleyball at the University of Northern Iowa, and Hayden and Berkley play volleyball for Elkhorn North. They will continue to do what this family does best: compete with compassion.