BOULDER?The University of Colorado volleyball team swept the University of Oklahoma 30-24, 30-28, 30-25 here today at the Coors Events Center in front of 420. The Buffs improved to 9-7 overall and are 5-6 in the Big 12, while Oklahoma fell to 4-16 and 0-11.
With the win, the Buffs earned their first three-game victory since August 27 when they defeated St. Peter's and American at the American University Classic. CU has now won three straight matches for its longest win-streak of the season.
Colorado started off the first game with an ace by Lara Bossow and got out to a 5-1 lead causing the Sooners to use their first timeout. Oklahoma got back within two points at 15-13, but the Buffs held their ground and maintained the lead. Alex Buth served up her second ace of the game at 22-17. OU used its final timeout at 24-18. Allie Griffin, the CVU.com National Player of the Week, pounded one down out of the timeout, giving CU a seven-point advantage. Colorado closed out the frame 30-24 with kills from Bossow and Griffin and two hitting errors by OU.
Oklahoma took control of the second game early at 7-4 and CU took a timeout. Bossow nailed one down for the Buffs to get CU back within two. OU extended its lead to 13-8, but three Sooner errors and a CU block got the Buffs back within one. Colorado tied it up at 15 with a block by Amber Sutherland and took the lead with an ace from Therese Vinal. Oklahoma can back with five straight points and took a 20-16 lead, forcing a CU timeout. Colorado evened the score at 24. The two stayed even for the next coupled of points until Griffin recorded at kill and a block to give CU a 28-26 lead. OU came back with the next two points. Griffin hammered yet another kill and brought the Buffs to game-point. Nicole Carr and Bossow teamed up for a block as CU won the game 30-28.
The third game started with each side exchanging points until Colorado took a 10-7 advantage. The Sooners took the next three points to even the score. A kill from Carr once again gave CU the lead, but OU answered back with a kill of its own. The Sooners took a 15-12 advantage, but Colorado went on a 5-1 run to take back the lead. The game was tied again at 22, but another Griffin kill put the Buffs back in front. CU didn't let go and finished off the match at 30-25 with a kill from Griffin.
“I think we did a good job tonight,” Colorado Head Coach Pi'i Aiu said. “I don't know that we played tonight as well as we have played in the last two or three matches. I think we worked real hard through the whole thing. We tried to work ourselves into that. Sometimes that's enough and tonight it was.”
“We thought if we were going to win one in three, this is the one,” Griffin said. ”And it definitely feels good because we've had five five-gamers in a row. So we're excited for a little break and excited to win one in three.”
CU hit .238 and held the Sooners to a .161 hitting percentage. Bossow hit a team-best .389 with 10 kills on 18 attacks. Griffin hammered a match-high 19 kills and hit .351. Colorado collected 49 digs and was led by Vinal. She picked up a career-best 19 digs.
Colorado will host Iowa State on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. at the Coors Events Center. The Buffs are currently receiving votes in the CSTV/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll.
