Junior outside hitter Maya Tabron attacks the ball during the game against ASU at the CU Events Center on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (Rachel Glazer/CU Independent)
On Sunday, Sept. 25, the University of Colorado women’s volleyball team beat Arizona State University. So far the team has seen a great start to the season, unbeaten at home and with two wins in a row. After a reverse sweep against rivals Colorado State University and a comfortable sweep of Utah to start conference play, Colorado faced their next challenge: the ASU Sun Devils.
For the first set, Colorado did not make the fiery start; however, they still played comfortably, eventually winning 25-18 against ASU. After trading points with ASU early in the set, Colorado soon took the lead as both teams settled into the game. A couple of highlights from the set included senior serving whiz and libero Savannah Perry’s four aces, three of them in a row, and some powerful attacks by outside hitter Lexi Hadrych, which lit up the smaller but hearty crowd of 1270 fans in an otherwise lukewarm game.
The University of Colorado Boulder’s women’s volleyball team huddles up before the the game against ASU. Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (Rachel Glazer/CU Independent)
“Conference games can be a buzzsaw at times, and every team we’re gonna play every weekend is very good,” said head coach Jesse Mahoney. “Arizona State came in after taking care of Arizona. With the talent that they have, I thought it would be a very good challenge for us, and obviously it was.”
As the game went on, Colorado’s play improved. The team looked much sharper in the second set, taking an early 8-4 lead. Colorado did not ever seem at their best offensively, but their defense played very well. They looked very organized and had some impressive digs: 60 for Colorado compared to ASU’s 39.
While the team stretched their lead out, ASU looked shaky, calling timeout after falling behind 16-10 to Colorado. It felt like just a matter of time before the set was closed. Though ASU still played well, Colorado never let them create any momentum during the match and eventually claimed it by a score of 25-15.
“So far, so good,” said graduate student and middle blocker Meegan Hart at the end of the second match. “This year we’re really excited. I feel like in conference play it’s kind of anyone’s title, so I think we’re really excited to see how it plays out.”
Sophomore defensive specialist Emma Torstenson makes an overhand pass during the game at the CU Events Center on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (Rachel Glazer/CU Independent)
The final set of the game followed the same trend. Colorado quickly pulled ahead, forcing ASU to take a time out, down 9-4. Hart continued her impressive run of form, hitting over .700 against ASU and over .500 for the season. Ahead of her return to UCLA, Hadrych leads the team with 14 kills. The final score came out at a comfortable 25-17, another sweep for CU. Colorado now sits alongside Washington and Oregon, the only other teams in the Pac-12 with a 2-0 record.
Next, Colorado will travel to Los Angeles to play the University of Southern California and the University of California Los Angeles, a game that Hadrych hopes will result in another win for Colorado.
The University of Colorado Boulder’s women’s volleyball team celebrate winning the second set of the game against ASU. Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (Rachel Glazer/CU Independent)
“I want to win,” Hadyrch said. “That would be very fun. It will be interesting to return to a familiar place, but LA is LA. I like Colorado.”
For their upcoming games, Colorado will play USC at 8 p.m. MST on Friday, Sept. 30 and UCLA at 1 p.m. on Sunday, October 2.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Vittorio Bongioanni at vibo8988@colorado.edu.
