FILE PHOTO: CU’s Women’s Volleyball Team in the postgame huddle after the game against Iowa State at the CU Events Center on Oct. 25, 2025. (Aspen Doust/CU Independent)
On the biggest stage, you can’t start slow. That’s how Colorado came out against the Indiana Hoosiers on Friday, Dec. 5, during the second round of the NCAA Tournament, which ultimately led to their demise, getting swept in Wilkinson Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.
“Slow starts for us are kind of a little bit normal, so I think we know how to kind of turn it on after a first set,” junior Cayla Payne said after the Buffs’ loss to Arizona State earlier this season.
Colorado (23-9) started out with a 7-3 lead as junior pin attacker Ana Burilović put down two kills to begin the match.
Five first-set service errors eventually caught up to the Buffs as Indiana (25-7) went on a 13-3 run to go ahead 19-13.
While Burilović put on her motor with seven kills, the Hoosiers used their comfortable lead to cruise to a 25-20 first-set win.
Even though Colorado hit .300 in the first set, sophomore Maria Spławska had the only block for the Buffs as Indiana’s offense couldn’t be stopped.
The second set followed the same strokes, only that the Hoosiers’ defense rose to the moment, posting six blocks in the second set alone and holding the Buffs to just a .062 hitting percentage.
Junior Cayla Payne was a bright spot for the Buffs as she put down four kills for Colorado’s first six points.
Things looked up as a big defensive dive by Burilović and junior Payton Neal led to redshirt-senior setter Rian Finley winning the net-battle and putting down a kill of her own, putting the Buffs within one, 8-7.
But Indiana swung momentum quickly and efficiently, resulting in an 11-2 run to go ahead 20-13. This run included three blocks while senior Candela Alonso-Corcelles, who was the 11th overall pick in the Major League Volleyball draft, contributed four kills.
The Buffs attempted to put together a late run, but the engine sputtered, as they fell 25-17 in the second set.
A long rally tested the will of the Buffs early as Burilović dug out two Hoosiers’ attacks, setting up junior Sydney Jordan for a kill, putting Colorado in front 5-4.
FILE PHOTO: Junior pin attacker Ana Burilović spikes the ball in the game against West Virginia at the CU Events Center on Oct. 18, 2025. (Peter FitzGerald/CU Independent)
Seven kills and an ace from the Big 12 first-teamer, Burilović helped put the Buffs ahead 21-17 in the third set as they appeared to stop treading water.
However, Indiana soon came barrelling back as freshman Jaidyn Jager put down three kills in a 8-1 run that helped push the Hoosiers over the edge, taking the third set and ending the Buffs’ season, 25-22.
“Congratulations to IU, they played a fantastic match,” head coach Jesse Mahoney said. “It was a disappointing result for us. I don’t feel like we played our best match.”
Still, after being projected to finish 10th in the Big12 and being counted out, a fourth-place finish with a 12-6 conference record and second-round appearance is something to hang their hats on.
“No one but the people in [our] locker room expected us to make the tournament, much less the second round,” Mahoney said. “[We’re] not happy with this last result, but proud of our players and our season.”
Colorado lost three of their last four matches of the season. Seniors Rian Finley and Sarah Morton are the only two seniors on the roster as the Buffs will look to retain nearly all of their roster and reload for another step forward.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Jake Chau at jake.chau@colorado.edu.
