Grow Omaha Sports

“Candid Coaches” is an annual series from CBS Sports that spotlights relevant topics and issues in men’s college basketball. The second installment of the 2025 survey was released recently, and one question posed to roughly 100 coaches was “Who is the best X’s and O’s coach in college basketball right now?” The top three answers were Purdue’s Matt Painter (19%), UConn’s Dan Hurley (18%), and Creighton’s Greg McDermott (16%). Of the more than 15 coaches receiving votes, none outside of the top three received more than 7 percent of the vote.

One direct quote from an anonymous coach offered high praise for McDermott, noting that “Year in and year out his teams run their offense with precision, pace and high-level execution. Having scouted against him and felt the pressure they put on the defense, it is hard to argue against that. Great after time outs. Great in-game adjustments. And puts players in great spots.”

Omaha Hockey begins its 2025-26 campaign this weekend against another set of Mavericks, No. 20 Minnesota State. Last season the two programs faced off for the first time in nearly 10 years, and Minnesota State swept the weekend series. The puck-drop at Baxter Arena is 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday.

Union Omaha continued its impressive lossless streak on Sunday, defeating FC Naples 2-1 to clinch its spot in the USL League One Playoffs. Union Omaha has three regular season matches remaining on the following three Saturdays (Oct. 11, 18 and 25). This Saturday, they travel to Greenville Triumph SC for a 1 p.m. match. Their final two matches will be played at Werner Park.

Omaha men’s basketball, the defending Summit League regular-season and tournament champions, was selected second in the 2025-26 Summit League Preseason Poll, revealed Tuesday at Summit League Media Day. The Mavericks, who received 13 first-place votes, trailed only St. Thomas, the projected No. 1 team in the Summit this season. St. Thomas received 17 first-place votes. Senior guards Tony Osburn and Ja’Sean Glover were named to the Preseason All-Summit First and Second teams, respectively.

Creighton volleyball seniors Ava Martin and Kiara Reinhardt earned a pair of weekly Big East honors after a 2-0 week that kept the No. 13 Bluejays undefeated in conference play. Martin was named Offensive Player of the Week after averaging 5.93 points and 4.86 kills per set. Both marks led the conference over the week. Reinhardt was named Defensive Player of the Week for the second straight week, posting nine blocks over two matches. Reinhardt is on a historic pace with her seventh career Big East Defensive Player of the Week honor. Per Associate Athletic Director Rob Anderson, in Creighton program history, only libero Brittany Witt (8) has more. The Bluejays are on the road this weekend, facing Georgetown on Friday at 6 p.m. and Villanova on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Former Creighton softball standout Tara (Oltman) Higgins was named to the DI Softball All-Quarter Century Team last Thursday, Oct. 2. During her time at Creighton, Oltman was a 13-time Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week and set school and league records in wins (118), strikeouts (1,086), innings pitched (1,064) appearances (187), starts (143) and complete games (128). Joining Oltman on the All-Quarter Century Team was former Bluejay assistant coach and Drake star Nicole Newman.

Athletes Unlimited Volleyball continues this weekend at Liberty First Credit Union Arena. Captains Jordan Thompson, Natalia Valentin-Anderson, Morgan Hentz and Claire Hoffman selected their teams for the second week of the 2025 AU Pro Volleyball Championship season during Tuesday morning’s draft.

The four teams begin Week Two tonight, Thursday, Oct. 9. Team Hentz and Team Valentin-Anderson open the doubleheader at 5:30 p.m. before Team Thompson faces off with Team Hoffman in the nightcap at 8 p.m. There will then be two games each Sunday and Monday to round out play in Omaha.

Upcoming Games

• Athletes Unlimited Volleyball | Thursday, Oct. 9 | 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• #13 Creighton volleyball at Georgetown | Friday, Oct. 10 | 6 p.m.
• Omaha Hockey vs. #20 Minnesota State | Friday, Oct. 10 | 7 p.m.
• Creighton women’s soccer at Providence | Saturday, Oct. 11 | 11 a.m.
• Omaha volleyball vs. South Dakota | Saturday, Oct. 11 | 12 p.m.
• Union Omaha at Greenville Triumph SC | Saturday, Oct. 11 | 1 p.m.
• Omaha men’s soccer vs. UMass | Saturday, Oct. 11 | 2:30 p.m.
• #13 Creighton volleyball at Villanova | Saturday, Oct. 11 | 6 p.m.
• Creighton men’s soccer vs. Xavier | Saturday, Oct. 11 | 6 p.m.
• Omaha Hockey vs. #20 Minnesota State | Saturday, Oct. 11 | 7 p.m.
• Omaha women’s soccer at South Dakota State | Sunday, Oct. 12 | 1 p.m.
• Athletes Unlimited Volleyball | Sunday, Oct. 12 | 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
• Athletes Unlimited Volleyball | Monday, Oct. 13 | 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• Omaha men’s soccer vs. UTRGV | Tuesday, Oct. 14 | 7 p.m.

Athletes Unlimited Volleyball will hold its first week of action on Oct. 3, 5 and 6 at Liberty First Credit Union Arena in Ralston. AU Volleyball is a four-week, pro league featuring games in the volleyball hotbeds Omaha and Madison, Wis. Rosters are redrafted each week, so teams shift constantly.

Players accumulate points through team win points (set and match outcomes), individual statistical performance (kills, digs, serves), and MVP votes from players and fans. Each week, the top four scorers become captains and draft new teams, and at season’s end the athlete with the highest total is crowned champion. According to the league, it developed the scoring system “to highlight the individual performance of an athlete within the context of overall team performance.”

Nine total players from LOVB Nebraska and the Omaha Supernovas will compete in Athletes Unlimited. LOVB Nebraska is represented by three players: Gabby Blossom, Emily Thater and Jaali Winters. Six Supernovas will take part in the event: Sydney Hilley, Brooke Nuneviller, Elise Goetzinger, Morgan Hentz, Reagan Cooper and Sarah Wilhite Parsons.

Omaha Hockey and WoodmenLife are again partnering to show appreciation for military personnel at the Mavericks’ annual Military Appreciation Game against Air Force in an exhibition on Friday, Oct. 3, at Baxter Arena.

The Mavericks will wear specialty camouflage jerseys purchased by WoodmenLife and auctioned off online. The auction opened for bidding today, Thursday, Oct. 2, at 9 a.m. and closes on Friday, Oct. 3, at 11:30 p.m. The proceeds from the auction will be donated to the UNO Office of Military and Veteran Services. Visit OMavs.com/Auctions to bid.

Creighton Volleyball will host its 18th Annual Pink Out match on Sunday, Oct. 19th, and use the competition as an opportunity to benefit the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge Nebraska. This year’s auction features the opportunity to bid on each player’s match-worn pink jersey and an accompanying customizable warm-up top worn by the player pre-match, honoring a loved one who is, or formerly, battled cancer.

This year’s auction begins in a staggered format today, Thursday, Oct. 2nd at 6:30 p.m. and will remain open for 10 days. The auction will begin to close in a similar, 15-minute interval, staggered format at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 12th. To bid on items beginning tomorrow evening, visit gocreighton.com/pinkoutauction.

Creighton Volleyball moved up two spots in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association poll this week, coming in at No. 14 following two sweeps over Xavier and Butler. According to Assistant Athletic Director Rob Anderson, Creighton is one of 12 schools (along with Baylor, Florida, Kentucky, Louisville, Nebraska, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Stanford, Texas and Wisconsin) to have been ranked each of the last 68 polls. The streak began on Sept. 6, 2021, and is a program record.

To go along with their improved ranking, the Bluejays took home two weekly Big East honors. Annalea Maeder was named Big East Setter of the Week and Kiara Reinhardt earned Big East Defensive Player of the Week. Tonight, Creighton travels to Milwaukee to face Marquette at 6 p.m. The game will be nationally broadcast on Fox Sports 1.

Omaha men’s soccer forward Theo Klein was named the Summit League Offensive Peak Performer of the Week. Klein opened scoring in Omaha’s 2-0 win over St. Thomas on Saturday. It was his third goal of the season, tying Maguire Perkins for the team lead. Omaha will go for its second Summit League win in as many tries this Saturday as it travels to Kansas City to face UMKC. That match will kick off at 7 p.m.

Creighton men’s soccer goalkeeper Matthew Hudson was named Big East Freshman of the Week after posting his fifth shutout in the last six matches in a 2-0 victory over DePaul. It is Hudson’s second time earning the distinction this season. Tomorrow, the Bluejays head to Storrs, Conn. to take on the UConn Huskies at 6 p.m.

Union Omaha extended its win streak to two games on Wednesday with a 1-0 victory over Portland Hearts of Pine. The Owls have not lost since August 16 and have lost just two games dating back to August 2, exactly two months ago. In that span, they have seven wins, two losses and three draws. Union Omaha now sits at sixth place in league standings at 11-10-5 with four games remaining until the USL League One Playoffs, where the top eight teams will compete for a championship. This Sunday, the Owls will host FC Naples at 4 p.m.

Upcoming Games

• #14 Creighton Volleyball at Marquette | Thursday, Oct. 2 | 6 p.m.
• Omaha Volleyball vs. North Dakota | Thursday, Oct. 2 | 7 p.m.
• Omaha women’s soccer vs. Oral Roberts | Thursday, Oct. 2 | 7 p.m.
• Creighton men’s soccer at Connecticut | Friday, Oct. 3 | 6 p.m.
• Athletes Unlimited Volleyball | Friday, Oct. 3 | 5:30 p.m. & 8 p.m.
• #14 Creighton Volleyball at DePaul | Saturday, Oct. 4 | 1 p.m.
• Omaha Volleyball vs. North Dakota State | Saturday, Oct. 4 | 5 p.m.
• Creighton women’s soccer at Connecticut | Saturday, Oct. 4 | 5:30 p.m.
• Omaha men’s soccer at UMKC | Saturday, Oct. 4 | 7 p.m.
• Omaha women’s soccer at St. Thomas | Sunday, Oct. 5 | 1 p.m.
• Union Omaha vs. FC Naples | Sunday, Oct. 5 | 4 p.m.
• Athletes Unlimited Volleyball | Sunday, Oct. 5 | 5:30 p.m. & 8 p.m.
• Athletes Unlimited Volleyball | Monday, Oct. 6 | 5:30 p.m. & 8 p.m.
• Creighton men’s soccer at Missouri State | Wednesday, Oct. 8 | 6 p.m.

The City of Omaha will host a parade downtown this Saturday, September 27, at 10 a.m. to celebrate Terence Crawford’s historic victory over Canelo Alvarez. The parade will begin at 19th & Farnam Street and travel to 10th & Harney Street before culminating with a ceremony at Heartland of America Park at The RiverFront. The parade follows the same route as the victory parade held after Crawford’s historic 2023 win over Errol Spence. In that fight, Crawford became the first male to become undisputed champion in two weight classes during the four-belt era.

Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Championship is coming to Omaha next Thursday, October 3, as 44 of the world’s top players have been invited to compete in two of the nation’s premier volleyball hubs. Games will be held at Liberty First Credit Union Arena from October 3 to 13 in Omaha, and in Madison, Wis., October 23 through November 2.

The AU Pro Volleyball Championship will feature Athletes Unlimited’s innovative scoring system, with individual athletes earning points based on both team wins and individual performance, and the leaderboard changing constantly. In addition, teams change each week with the top four athletes in the standings serving as captains and drafting their teams. At the end of the five-week season, the player with the most points will be crowned the champion.

Creighton Volleyball improved to 7-5 to close its nonconference schedule with an impressive weekend at the Creighton Classic. The Bluejays won the round-robin with impressive sweeps over both South Florida on Saturday and No. 17 Kansas on Sunday. The latter was Creighton’s second ranked win this season, with the first also coming against Kansas. Creighton, the conference’s unanimous preseason pick to win the Big East, embarks on its journey this weekend. The now No. 16 Bluejays host a pair of home matches against Xavier (Friday, 6:30 p.m.) and Butler (Saturday, 6 p.m.) at D.J. Sokol Arena.

Creighton Volleyball’s Ava Martin was named Big East Offensive Player of the Week, league officials announced on Monday. Martin played perhaps her best match in the lone loss last week, Tuesday against No. 1 Nebraska, recording 16 kills and six digs. She didn’t slow down over the weekend, averaging more than 15 kills across two matches to become Creighton Classic MVP.

Omaha Athletics will induct five new members to its hall of fame this year, the 50th anniversary of its hall of fame. This year’s class features Diane Ninemire (softball), Abayomi (Taiwo) Onatolu (football), Rose Shires (volleyball head coach), Sami Spenner Richardson (track and field), and Dhafir (Roy) Washington (wrestling). The inductees will be recognized on-ice at Omaha Hockey’s October 24 game against UMass.

Riding a four-game win streak, Creighton men’s soccer earned a pair of weekly honors from the Big East Conference. Freshman defender Brian Edelman was named the Big East Freshman of the Week after holding Marquette scoreless while adding the lone goal in the 1-0 shutout last Friday. Goalkeeper Matthew Hudson was named to the Big East honor roll after posting his fourth shutout in the last five matches. Creighton travels to Chicago this weekend for a match against DePaul Saturday at 2 p.m.

The Omaha Storm Chasers played their final game of the season, a 3-1 loss at Columbus on Sunday. Omaha finished tied for second to last in the International League at 62-86 this season.

Creighton women’s basketball released its full 2025-26 schedule last week. Big East play will begin on December 4 at St. John’s, and Creighton’s home opener is against DePaul on December. 20. This season, the Big East returned to a 20-game round robin conference schedule, the same as what the men’s programs play. Creighton women’s basketball’s full schedule can be found on the Creighton Athletics website.

Single game tickets for Creighton men’s basketball exhibition games on October 17 and 25 against Iowa State and Colorado State will be available Friday September 26 at 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased on Ticketmaster.com or through the Creighton ticket office.

Upcoming Games

• Omaha women’s soccer at North Dakota State | Thursday, Sept. 25 | 6 p.m.
• Omaha Volleyball at South Dakota State | Thursday, Sept. 25 | 7 p.m.
• #16 Creighton Volleyball vs. Xavier | Friday, Sept. 26 | 6:30 p.m.
• Omaha Volleyball at St. Thomas | Saturday, Sept. 27 | 12 p.m.
• Creighton men’s soccer at DePaul | Saturday, Sept. 27 | 2 p.m.
• Creighton women’s soccer vs Marquette | Saturday, Sept. 27 | 4 p.m.
• Union Omaha at Chattanooga | Saturday, Sept. 27 | 6 p.m.
• #16 Creighton Volleyball vs. Butler | Saturday, Sept. 27 | 6 p.m.
• Omaha men’s soccer vs. St. Thomas | Saturday, Sept. 27 | 7 p.m.
• Omaha women’s soccer at North Dakota | Sunday, Sept. 28 | 1 p.m.
• Union Omaha vs. Portland | Wednesday, Oct. 1 | 12 p.m.
• Creighton women’s soccer vs. Xavier | Wednesday, Oct. 1 | 7 p.m.