It’s going to happen. I know it.

Creighton volleyball will make the Final Four one day. Maybe one day soon.

Like Sunday.

It’s going to happen because coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth has built that kind of program. The Bluejays are in their 13th straight NCAA tournament. They attract All-America caliber recruits and transfers.

If they keep knocking on the door, the Final Four will answer one day, because the Final Four has that kind of history.

There’s a long list of up-and-coming programs — schools outside the usual suspects — that kicked down the door.

There was Santa Clara in 2005, California in 2007, Kansas in 2015. Then Illinois and BYU in 2018, Baylor in 2019 and San Diego in 2022.

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Pittsburgh crashed the party in 2021 and hasn’t gone away. Now the Panthers are the No. 1 seed in the 2024 tourney.

More schools have caught the volleyball bug. They’ve sunk money into the sport, facilities, hired away good assistants from top programs. More school presidents and athletic directors care about volleyball. More TV execs, too.

The Jays seem poised to join that list. But the final step, the NCAA tourney, has been a doozie.

In Creighton’s 14 appearances, it lost three times in the first round and seven times in the second round. The Jays advanced to the Sweet 16 three times, including last year when they lost to Louisville in Pittsburgh.

The Jays got to the doorstep, the Elite Eight, in 2016. That’s when a team fueled by Lydia Dimke, Jaali Winters and Taryn Kloth — among the program's all-time best — was swept by Texas in the regional final.

A match played on Texas’ home court.

It’s never easy for Creighton volleyball. And that’s not always the Jays’ fault.

Take this team, 31-2, and set to play the second weekend at State College, Pennsylvania, on Friday.

It has three CU greats — Norah Sis, Kendra Wait and Ava Martin — plus senior transfers from elite programs Penn State and Kentucky.

The Jays went 20-0 in the Big East, including the league tournament in Omaha. They dominate the Big East every year.

The problem is the light Big East does nothing for the Jays’ NCAA résumé. So Booth upgraded her team’s nonconference schedule. They load up, maybe even overloaded.

This year, the Jays played five ranked teams: Southern California (20), Nebraska (5), Louisville (4), Purdue (6) and Kansas (10). The NU, Louisville and KU matches were on the opponent’s court.

So?

So Creighton won three of the five, including two top-10 wins while taking Nebraska and Louisville to five sets in their buildings.

Its reward? A No. 6 RPI and an overall No. 6 seed.

Until the Big East gets better at volleyball — or CU volleyball joins the Big Ten or Big 12 — this will be a recurring theme for Creighton. To get to the promised land, it likely has to beat a top-four seed on its home floor.

But sometimes you just can’t catch a break.

Texas has won the last two NCAA titles. But this year’s team, ranked 13th, is 20-6 and lost two matches at home. The Longhorns leveled off.

That was then. This is now: Texas has won eight straight and is on another heater — which is how the Longhorns smashed their way to the title last year.

If the Jays survive Texas’ best shot, they likely get Penn State. In front of a packed Penn State house.

Last year, if the Jays had beaten Louisville, they would have had to play Pitt on its home court to make the Final Four.

There's a theory that Creighton's two months in the Big East adds some rust that teams in power leagues don't get. Maybe. But everybody's ready in December.

And Creighton’s A game is good enough to compete with all the top names in volleyball. The Jays have to figure out how to finish the five-setters against Nebraska and Louisville.

Volleyball at the elite level has become such a game of inches, blocks that fall in, replays that go the other way.

The teams that make Final Fours and win national titles always seem to know how to turn up their game when it matters most. And get some breaks.

Creighton will figure that out, too. It’s going to happen. The players are too good. One year they will get on a roll, make all the plays and kick down the door.

Why not this year?

Photos: Creighton volleyball takes on Ole Miss in second round NCAA volleyball tournament

Creighton's Norah Sis (2) and Creighton's Maddy Bilinovic (22) celebrate after a point against Ole Miss during the first set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Creighton head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth talks to the Bluejays during the first set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Creighton's Maddy Bilinovic (22) celebrates after a kill against Ole Miss during the first set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Creighton's Maddy Bilinovic (22) and Sydney Breissinger (24) celebrates after a kill against Ole Miss during the first set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Ole Miss' Shayla Meyer (14) hits the ball against Creighton's Elise Goetzinger (13) and Kendra Wait (15) during the first set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Ole Miss' Emma Ammerman (18) celebrates after a point against Creighton during the second set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Ole Miss players celebrate after a point against Creighton during the second set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Ole Miss' Sasha Ratliff (11) celebrates after a point against Creighton during the second set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Creighton's Kendra Wait (15) and Kiara Reinhardt (5) go up to block against Ole Miss during the second set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Ole Miss' Sasha Ratliff (11) hits the ball against Creighton's Kiara Reinhardt (5) and Ava Martin (8) during the second set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Creighton's Norah Sis (2) goes up to spike the ball during the second set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match against Ole Miss at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Creighton's Maddy Bilinovic (22) tosses the ball before serving during the first set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match against Ole Miss at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Creighton's Sydney Breissinger (24) hits the ball during the first set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match against Ole Miss at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Creighton's Maddy Bilinovic (22) serves the ball during the third set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match against Ole Miss at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Ole Miss' Nia Washington (6) hits the ball against Creighton's Kiara Reinhardt (5) and Jaya Johnson (6) during the third set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Ole Miss' Cammy Niesen (2) serves the ball during the third set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match against Creighton at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Creighton players celebrate after sweeping Ole Miss to win their second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Creighton players celebrate after sweeping Ole Miss to win their second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

A look inside Sokol Arena during the third set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match between Creighton and Ole Miss in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Ole Miss head coach Bre Henry watches on during the third set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match against Creighton at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Creighton's Norah Sis (2) hits the ball against Ole Miss' Sasha Ratliff (11) and Mokihana Tufono (5) during the third set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Ole Miss' Cammy Niesen (2) hits the ball during the third set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match against Creighton at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Creighton's Ava Martin (8) hits the ball against Ole Miss' Payton Brgoch (4) during the third set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Creighton's Kiara Reinhardt (5) and Norah Sis (2) go up to block against Ole Miss during the third set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Ole Miss' Mokihana Tufono (5) sets the ball during the third set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match against Creighton at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Creighton's Jaya Johnson (6) hits the ball against Ole Miss' Nia Washington (6) and Payton Brgoch (4) during the third set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Ole Miss' Nia Washington (6) hits the ball against Creighton's Jaya Johnson (6) and Kiara Reinhardt (5) during the third set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Creighton's Ava Martin (8) hits the ball against Ole Miss' Sasha Ratliff (11) and Emma Ammerman (18) during the third set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Ole Miss' Nia Washington (6) hits the ball against Creighton's Jaya Johnson (6) and Elise Goetzinger (13) during the third set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Creighton's Ava Martin (8) hits the ball against Ole Miss' Emma Ammerman (18) during the third set of a second round NCAA volleyball tournament match at Sokol Arena in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.