There’s more to life than volleyball for Creighton standout

Nora Wurtz, who turned 20 this week, may be familiar to those who follow college volleyball.

She is one of the best servers in the nation, playing for nationally ranked Creighton University. Last season, as a redshirt freshman, she set a Bluejays single-season record with 61 ace serves and was in the top seven in the NCAA in aces and aces per set.

Despite her and the team’s success last fall – Creighton advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament before losing to Kentucky – Wurtz can’t be defined solely by her on-court accomplishments.

She also stands out in faith, those who know her say.

For a dozen years, Molly Zach has served as religious education director at Valley’s St. John the Evangelist Parish. In that time, she has seen hundreds upon hundreds of children grow in their faith.

But Wurtz drew her attention. To this day, Wurtz has been “the poster for being the face of Jesus out in the world,” said Zach, who has known the former religious ed student since elementary school.

No matter the place or time, Wurtz has never been afraid to live her faith, Zach said.

“She lives her faith all day, every day,” according to the religious ed director. “She is very gentle but bold about it, if that makes sense. If anybody asked, she would very proudly say she is Catholic.”

“She has always been her own person and has stuck very true to that.”

Creighton volleyball coach Brian Rosen said he sees daily how faith and family have influenced his 6-foot-4 middle blocker.

“I know faith is really important to her,” he said. “I think she chose Creighton in part because of the strong faith values our team has.”

CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY

Wurtz grew up on the family cattle farm in Valley with her parents, James and Jessica, and siblings Cameron and Leah. Wurtz’s faith foundation was built on family and her parish’s religious formation program.

She won a Serra Club award for altar servers in eighth grade and took part in the parish’s first Steubenville Youth Conference in 2023 in St. Louis.  

Her mom said Nora “loves being Catholic. It’s always been a constant in her life.”

Nora Wurtz’s family, from left: her mother, Jessica; brother, Cameron; father, James; sister, Leah; and Nora. COURTESY PHOTO

It was that faith her daughter leaned on, Jessica said, when an injury forced her to miss her senior volleyball season at DC West High School in Valley, where she was the first Division I athlete in school history.

“I think her faith played a huge part in being able to realize there’s more to life than volleyball,” her mother said. “That was so important.”

Wurtz agreed.

“I think (I’ve) just grown in my understanding of the Catholic faith, learned more about it, and that’s made me want to continue to grow in it and deepen my relationship with God,” she said.

That relationship continues to deepen for the student-athlete at one of the most premier volleyball programs in the nation.

Earlier this year, Wurtz joined her mom at a Women’s Lenten Morning of Recollection at St. Robert Bellarmine Parish in Omaha.

“I was super excited about it because I had never been to anything like that, that catered to women,” she said. “I had heard all these things about Archbishop (Michael G.) McGovern being an amazing speaker, and it was all true – he was awesome.”

Since the gathering, she’s made a goal to improve her daily prayer life.

“That’s one thing I’ve really been working on,” she said, “and (getting) tips on how to improve it was so helpful.”

To that end, Wurtz began a 54-day novena on Ash Wednesday, committing to praying the rosary every day on the Hallow app. That her grandmother, Colleen Crnkovich, also prayed the novena made it all the more special.

Wurtz is shown with her grandmother, Colleen Crnkovich. COURTESY PHOTO

Wurtz has a special devotion to the Blessed Mother. “Knowing she’s always there for me and will intercede for me is just so huge.

“Just like I ask my friends to pray for me or I ask my friends what I can pray for them, that’s what Mary does for me.”

During Lent, Wurtz said, “I learned more about the rosary and really took the time to grow in my relationship with God and Mary.”

Now in the Easter season, Wurtz plans to continue praying the rosary every day, as well as staying active on Hallow, to contemplate the daily reflections found there.

Despite the rigors of being a student-athlete at a heralded program like Creighton’s, Wurtz keeps her faith front and center.

The marketing major participates in theology classes, a team Bible study, Sunday Mass and often a weekday Mass – typically at St. Mary Magdalene Parish in downtown Omaha, near the Creighton campus.

In the two years they’ve had together at Creighton, Rosen said, it’s clear to him Wurtz will leave a lasting imprint on her community and the world.

“There’s no doubt Nora will do that.”

CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY

Wurtz is pictured with her cow, Fancy, and her horse, Jack. She raised Fancy, who is now 12 years old. Jack has been a companion her whole life. COURTESY PHOTO

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