Ana Burilović receives the ball in the Colorado vs. Kansas women’s volleyball game at the CU Events Center in Boulder, Colorado on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (Linus Loughry/CU Independent)
The University of Colorado Boulder’s women’s volleyball team is now more than halfway through the season. After this week’s performance, their record stands at 10-11, following a three-game losing streak. The Buffs faced a challenging lineup, playing West Virginia University on Wednesday and Brigham Young University, currently ranked No. 21 in the nation, on Friday.
The top attackers of the week were Lily Dwinell, Ana Burilović, and Cayla Payne, each averaging 11 kills per game. Senior setter Taylor Simpson from California was a key asset, recording 30 assists against West Virginia and 37 against BYU. In the back row, libero Sarah Morton maintained her composure against BYU’s tall attackers but had to exit the first set against West Virginia after taking a hard shot to her neck. Emilea Stepaniuk replaced her for the remainder of that match.
Oct. 23: West Virginia
Wearing pink for their Breast Cancer Awareness game against West Virginia, the Buffs brought high energy to warm-ups that carried over into the start of the match. The young team stayed competitive for the first 20 plays but fell behind after a run by the Mountaineers. Stepaniuk entered early to replace Morton after her injury.
The Buffs lost the first set 25-20. In the second set, the Buffs held the lead throughout, gaining momentum with strong swings from Dwinell, Payne, and Burilović. However, after a service error at 24-21, West Virginia fought back to win the set 25-23. In the third set, both teams rallied back and forth, but the Mountaineers found more gaps in the Buffs’ defense, winning the set 25-17. The Buffs continued to battle in the fourth set but ultimately fell, losing 25-17.
Oct. 25: Brigham Young University
Starting at 7 p.m., the Buffs challenged the BYU Cougars. The game featured hustle plays and pressure points, but the Buffs ultimately lost to the team from Utah. After losing the first set 25-13, the Buffs fought hard in the second set. Freshman Maria Splawska from Poland made her debut, helping the team adjust against BYU’s aggressive style. The Buffs improved but lost the set 25-19.
In the third and fourth sets, the Buffs showed their strongest play of the match. They addressed previous mistakes, finding gaps in BYU’s blocks and targeting the Cougars with strong serves.
“We played some new kids tonight trying to get out of the hole we were in for the first two sets where we hit negative,” said head coach Jesse Mahoney. “For the most part, I thought that was a success.”
In the third set, the Buffs dug themselves out of a hole and applied pressure on the Cougars. Dwinell’s powerful swings helped secure the third set with an attack from Splawska. The Buffs stayed close with BYU in the fourth set, forcing both teams into timeouts. Despite a hard-fought effort, the Buffs lost 25-23.
“We are still making some mistakes we need to clean up if we want to win matches like that, but the last two sets were a step in the right direction,” said Mahoney.
