Cayla Payne jumps to spike 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 week of Oct. 30 the University of Colorado’s volleyball team visited Texas Christian University and Baylor University as where they lost to both schools. Coming off tough losses at home to West Virginia University and Brigham Young University, the Buffs jumped into another week of competition.
While their stats were lower compared to the previous week, Lily Dwinell, Taylor Simpson and Ana Burilović continued to be Colorado’s top players. Facing 17th-ranked and 18th-ranked teams in the league was a definite challenge, but the Buffs stayed strong, despite ultimately falling in three sets to both teams.
On Wednesday, Oct. 30, the team traveled to Fort Worth, Texas, to face TCU. The Buffs started strong and stayed close to the Horned Frogs throughout the match. Dwinell led the team with 10 kills. In all three sets, the Buffs kept up with TCU, yet the opposition managed to push ahead to win each set. The second set was particularly hard-fought, ending 20-25. Colorado fell again in the third set, 15-25.
Colorado then traveled just 90 miles to Waco, Texas, for a tough matchup against the 17th-ranked Baylor Bears on Nov. 1. Despite the Bears’ strong defense and offense, Colorado was able to serve successfully out of system 72% of the time. Ana Burilović, a sophomore from Croatia, led the Buffs with 10 kills and kept her composure under pressure throughout the game.
The first set was the Buffs’ strongest performance as they stayed neck-and-neck with the Bears. The set was tied at 24-24 until Baylor’s Elise McGhee secured the win for the Bears with a kill. The Buffs struggled in the second set, losing 16-25 as Baylor overwhelmed their defense. Despite the setback, Colorado came out strong at the start of the third set, taking a 14-11 lead. However, the Bears fought back to complete the comeback, winning 25-20 in the third.
The Buffs continue their season with only seven games remaining. Next week, the Buffaloes return home to the CU Events Center. They will face the University of Utah Utes on Nov. six at 6 p.m., followed by a match against the University of Cincinnati Bearcats at noon on Saturday, Nov. 9.
Contact CU Independent staff writer Izabelle Stewart Adams at izabelle.stewart-adams@colorado.edu
