COLLEGE STATION, Texas ?The University of Colorado (8-7, 4-6 Big 12) volleyball team recorded its second straight victory over a top-25 team in less than a week by upsetting No. 24 Texas A&M (9-8, 2-6 Big 12) 20-30, 25-30, 30-26, 30-28, 15-11 at G. Rollie White Coliseum in front of 1,243 at College Station, Texas. The win was also a school-record fifth straight five-game match and seventh overall this season. Colorado is 5-2 in five-game contests.
Texas A&M took a 15-10 lead in first game before Colorado called its first timeout. The Aggies tacked on two more points before CU got back on the board. The Buffs got within back within six, but were unable to close the gap and fell 20-30. CU hit just .194, while TAMU hit just under .500 at .472. TAMU's Laura Jones collected 10 of the Aggies 21 kills in the game. Lara Bossow collected four kills and hit .800 for CU.
The Buffs scored the first two points in the second game before the Aggies tied it up. TAMU took its first lead at 4-3 but a kill from Allie Griffin tied it up. The Aggies increased it to 10-6. CU tied things up at 12 with another kill from Griffin. The Buffs took the lead at 14-13. The two teams went back and forth for the next couple of points until Colorado took at 19-17 advantage. The Aggies came back to tie it up and eventually took a 24-22 lead. TAMU extended its lead and finished off the set at 30-25.
Colorado took at 4-2 lead in the third game, but the Aggies came back. The Buffs regained the lead at 13-12 with an ace from Therese Vinal. CU extended it to 17-13. TAMU got back within two at 18-16, but Griffin hammered one down for the Buffs. Colorado kept going and forced the Aggies to call a timeout at 21-17, CU's largest lead of the frame. TAMU scored four straight points to even the score, causing CU to take a timeout. This time CU took a point after the timeout and extended its lead to 26-23 before TAMU took its final timeout of the game. Colorado finished the set 30-26. The Buffs hit .208 and held TAMU to just .068.
CU took an 8-4 advantage to start the fourth game, but TAMU tied it up. The Buffs continued to roll and took another four-point lead at 13-9 lead. The Aggies came back within one point at 16-15 and forced CU to use a timeout. Griffin knocked one down after the break. The Buffs continued to hold on to its lead and TAMU used a timeout at 22-19. The Aggies continued its pressure and forced CU to use its final timeout at 25-23. TAMU took the next two points, but the Buffs kept going and won the set 30-28.
The Buffs got off to a 4-1 advantage in the final game before the Aggies took a timeout. Colorado extended its lead to 8-4 and finished of the game 15-10 with a kill from Amber Sutherland.
Griffin recorded 21 kills, 14 digs and five block assists for the Buffs. CU is 6-2 when Griffin collectes 20 or more kills in a match. Sutherland recorded 15 kills and 16 digs and Lara Bossow notched 13 while hitting a team-best .276. Vinal picked up a career-high 17 digs. Ashley Nu'u tallied 60 assists and added 11 digs, four blocks and six kills.
Colorado will be back in action Saturday, Oct. 22, against Oklahoma. The match is scheduled for a 12:30 p.m. MT start.
