Colorado’s Lily Dwinell spikes the ball against the University of Northern Colorado on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. (Remi Krupinski/CU Independent)
The No. 23 University of Colorado women’s volleyball team (19-3, 9-1 Big 12) found themselves in another dramatic five-set thriller against the University of Northern Colorado (9-13, 6-3 Big Sky), taking home the victory from Greeley, Colorado, on Oct. 28.
The Buffs dropped their last game in five sets against the Bears when they took to the court last year in Boulder.
The two teams looked even after first serve, tying seven times before the score read 8-8. The Bears had four consecutive kills on a 6-0 run to give them a 14-8 lead.
The Buffs were able to scratch back on a 5-1 run, capitalizing on two big Cayla Payne kills, bringing the score to 15-13.
Later in the set, Payne set off a 3-0 run to help close the gap even more, putting the Buffs within one at 21-20.
However, for all the good she brought the Buffs, her service error gave the first set to Northern Colorado, 25-22. This marks the seventh time the Buffs have lost the first set.
The Buffs and Bears traded the lead four times in the first half of the second set, before two kills from the Bears’ Isabel Bennett put Northern Colorado on a 3-0 run, giving them the lead 17-14.
Buffs star power shone as junior pin attacker Ana Burilović scored back-to-back kills to give the Buffs the lead, 22-21 in a set that they trailed by as much as three points.
Burilović proved pivotal as the second set went to deuce. With Colorado in full control, she slammed down her eighth kill of the set to give the Buffs the two point lead they were looking for to take the set 28-26.
The Buffs came out dominant in the third set, using a 13-2 run to lift them to an efficient 25-15 third set win.
Twenty of CU’s 25 points came off kills, with six different Buffs finding hardwood. Burilović led the way with another eight-kill set.
The dominance was short lived, however, as the fourth set saw the Colorado trail by as much as eight points as the Bears found their feet, taking the lead 15-8.
Despite their best efforts, Colorado didn’t hold a lead once in the fourth set, but did manage to tie the game, 21-21, before three kills and an ace helped Northern Colorado force a fifth set, 25-21.
The Colorado volleyball team huddles during their match against the University of Northern Colorado on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. (Remi Krupinski/CU Independent)
Burilović’s fifth-set hot streak continued as she put down three kills for the Buffs’ first five points, swinging the momentum back in their favor.
Colorado used two Sydney Jordan kills in a 4-1 run which helped swell the lead to 10-4.
Sophomore middle blocker Maria Spławska went on a tear, slamming a solo block, waiting patiently on a set to find the gap in the defense for a kill, and combining with Jordan on a block, all on consecutive plays, grinding the Bears’ 3-0 run to a halt.
Spławska continued to bring the heat as her seventh block of the match–enough for her 100th of her career–gave the Buffs their fifth five-set win of the season as they picked up their fifth win in a row.
Burilović starred in her second 30 kill performance of the season, while Payne added 12 and Jordan, 10. As a team, 72 of their 90 points came off kills–an excellent hitting performance from the Buffs.
While Colorado took home the win, a non-conference opponent halfway through Big 12 play gave them a new look.
“We’re in one mindset in conference, so we’re having to step out of it a little bit,” head coach Jesse Mahoney said. “I’m not sure we came out and gave them the respect they deserved–that’s a really good team we just played.”
Colorado’s next game will be at the CU Events Center as the Buffs host the No. 18 Baylor Bears (12-6, 6-3 Big 12) Friday, Oct. 31. First serve is 7 p.m. MT and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Jake Chau at jake.chau@colorado.edu.
