Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
Oklahoma
Buffs Snap Losing Streak With Win Over Sooners
October 04, 2002 | Volleyball
BOULDER - The Colorado Buffaloes volleyball team evened their conference record at 3-3 with a 3-1 win over the Oklahoma Sooners Saturday night at the Coors Events Center.
The win put to rest a three-game conference slide as Colorado had previously dropped consecutive matches to Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.
The Buffs (9-7, 3-3 Big 12) opened the match with a commanding 30-16 win in the first game and took the second 30-25 before faltering in the third.
Trailing by six at 25-19 in the third, the Buffs attempted to mount a comeback and had the score tied at 28 per side before dropping the match, 30-28.
"It was mental lapses," junior middle blockerMonique Gerlach said. "We were too relaxed looking at the scoreboard the first two games."
Colorado rebounded in the fourth to win the game 30-17 and send the Sooners (4-10, 2-4 Big 12) home with the loss.
"It was a good win for us," head coach Pi'I Aiu said. "We controlled about 60 percent of the match but that is not going to be good enough for Kansas State...Winning is a learning process."
Senior middle blocker Meghan Barkman added to her school record in blocks becoming the first Buffalo to reach the 500 plateau in the category. Coming into the match with 499, Barkman stuffed the Sooners seven times to drive her season total to 56 and her career total to 506.
Sophomore setter Allison Barnes had a career high in assists dishing out 48 in the winning effort.
Colorado will now turn its attention to Kansas State for a 6 p.m. match on Oct. 12 in Manhattan Kan.
