The University of Colorado Boulder’s women’s volleyball team celebrates a point in the game against The University of Central Florida at the CU Events Center on October 2, 2025. (Peter FitzGerald/CU Independent)
The University of Colorado women’s volleyball team had their Big 12 home opener against the University of Central Florida Knights Thursday night, completing the reverse-sweep comeback in a five-set thriller.
Junior pin attacker and reigning American Volleyball Coaches Association national player of the week, Ana Burilović was the difference maker, putting down a season and career-high 32 kills. Junior Sydney Jordan added another 18 kills in a new season-high for her.
Both teams were evenly matched, but the Knights came out the gate a bit stronger, holding an 8-5 lead after a Burilović service error.
The Buffs struggled to stop UCF as the Knights continued to build on their lead, eventually taking the first set 25-21.
Colorado did attempt to claw back with two Burilović aces on a four point run to bring the score to 24-21, but the Knights prevailed.
Colorado native Avah Armour had seven kills in the first set, setting up a battle between herself and Burilović.
The second set saw the teams go back and forth, sitting deadlocked 17 times in a set that went to extras.
The Buffs went up 7-5 with help from two Burilović kills before UCF scored points from four different players to go back up 9-7.
Burilović got back-to-back kills on a three point Buffs run and a Cayla Payne block and kill on consecutive plays helped elevate them above UCF 22-19 late in the second set.
The Knights’ Armour and outside hitter Skylar English accounted for three kills on a four point run to put UCF back up 23-22.
The Buffs and Knights were on set point eight different times before an Armour ace helped the set fall to the Knights 32-30.
Burilović helped the Buffs find their groove in the third set, coming out hot. Three kills and three aces helped put the Buffs out to a 12-3 lead, now down two sets to none.
The Buffs used the lead to cruise to a 25-17 third set win and keep themselves alive.
Armour was lights out to begin the fourth set with three kills and a block, helping the Knights to a 7-4 lead.
Burilović used back-to-back kills after a Jordan kill to tie the set back up 7-7.
The Buffs found Jordan much more during the fourth set, as she put down four kills and recorded two blocks to put the Buffs up 20-16.
English and Armour worked together for a combined nine kills in the fourth set. An Armour block pulled UCF back within one, 24-23, before Colorado head coach Jesse Mahoney called a timeout, forcing a service error from Armour, helping the Buffs force a fifth set, 25-23.
Junior pin attacker Lily Dwinell spikes the ball in the game against The University of Central Florida at the CU Events Center on October 2, 2025. (Peter FitzGerald/CU Independent)
Burilović and Jordan started to take over the fifth set, with Burilović putting up two blocks and two kills with Jordan tagging on an ace.
The Buffs’ defense was able to hold English and Armour off the scoresheet, as UCF called a timeout down 7-3 in the first-to-15 fifth set.
Despite a kill and a block from Jordan, English and Armour combined for four kills and an ace as the Knights tied the fifth set 10-10 while Mahoney called his timeout.
Sophomore Maria Spławska had a kill and a block on back-to-back plays, putting the Buffs up 12-10.
Junior Lily Dwinell put down a kill through two flying Knights, putting the Buffs just one point away from completing their comeback.
However, UCF’s Ella Chapman got kills on consecutive plays to tie the fifth set at 14-14, delaying the comeback.
On a ball that was ruled out, UCF head coach Matt Botsford challenged the call unsuccessfully, putting the Buffs one point away from the comeback, 16-15.
The two teams continued to battle before a Knights’ block gave UCF the edge, 20-19.
What was ruled a Jordan hit that went out of bounds sent the UCF bench into a frenzy, but Mahoney successfully challenged the call, bringing the score back to 20-20.
“It felt in to me, and it looked like it was really close,” Mahoney said. “So I was pretty confident.”
Burilović, who was already sitting on 30 kills, used the momentum to put down two more strong hits, completing the dramatic reverse-sweep comeback and ending the deuce set, 22-20.
Both teams were evenly matched and were tied 34 times across all five sets.
“It really just came down to one play here or there,” Mahoney said.
“For me, I’m a very emotional player,” libero Sarah Morton said. “But we remind each other that pressure is a privilege.”
“I just think about what I’m going to do next and how I’m going to win the next point,” Burilović added.
While the AVCA recognized Burilović as national player of the week, she was also named Big 12 offensive player of the week.
“I mean, it’s kind of the beginning of conference play, so it’s great, but, like, I don’t want to get it all over my head,” Burilović said. “It’s a team sport.”
Burilović, Dwinell, Jordan and Payne were Colorado’s top point scorers last season, all of whom returned this year.
“Our top four point scorers last year were sophomores,” Mahoney said. “Now they’re juniors, and they’re still our top four point scorers. They’re just a little bit better.”
This marks Colorado’s 12th win of the season, sitting just one win away from matching last year’s 13-17 season, in not even half the time.
“I’m happy that this team has grown from the experience that we had last year,” Mahoney said. “We certainly can’t rest on where we are right now.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Jake Chau at jake.chau@colorado.edu.
