Creighton's Ava Martin Named to AVCA National Player of the Year Watch List

OMAHA, Neb. -- Creighton Volleyball senior Ava Martin is one of 30 women on the American Volleyball Coaches Association's Watch List for its 2025 Division I Player of the Year Award, presented by Nike Volleyball. The Watch List will include 30 players from 20 schools, with 10 names revealed today, Wednesday and Thursday. There is no order to which list players are on, except that all of a school's candidates will appear the same day. 

A senior outside hitter from Overland Park, Kan., Martin was a Third Team All-America pick a year ago when she helped Creighton to a 32-3 record and a return to the Elite Eight. She ranked second in the BIG EAST in aces per set (0.48), fourth in kills per set (3.66), fourth in points per set (4.29) and eighth in hitting percentage (.312).  Her 56 aces were second-most in the BIG EAST, second-most in Creighton single-season history, and ranked 20th nationally.

Martin will be one of 12 women named that was also on last year's preliminary Watch List of 36 candidates, with just seven of those 12 women representing the same school both years. Creighton will end up playing eight of the 30 women on the lists during its 2025 schedule.

The Preseason Watch List was compiled by the AVCA Division I Women's Volleyball Awards Committee.  They will also be the group working on this through the additional phases of the Player of the Year process, which include: (a) a midseason addition of players to the list [October]; (b) a list of semifinalists [November]; (c) the announcement of the finalists [likely Dec. 15], and (d) revealing the Player of the Year in Kansas City at the AVCA Awards Banquet on Friday Dec. 19.

Creighton opens the 2025 season on Aug. 9 with its Blue-White exhibition, and starts regular-season play on Aug. 23 against defending national champion Penn State at the AVCA First Serve in Lincoln, Neb. Today's 10-woman Watch List includes Penn State standouts Izzy Starck and Kennedy Martin.