Buffaloes Upset No. 8 Missouri

Saturday, October 29

Columbia, Mo.

5:30 p.m.

Colorado

Missouri

Photo by: CUBuffs.com

October 29, 2005 | Volleyball

By: Linda Sprouse, Assistant SID

COLUMBIA, Mo. ?The University of Colorado volleyball team knocked off the eighth-ranked Missouri Tigers 20-30, 30-28, 23-30, 30-27, 15-12 here today in Columbia, Mo. The Buffs improved to 11-7 overall and are 7-6 in the Big 12. The crowd of 2,571 was the fourth largest in Missouri volleyball history.

“It was a great match for us,” Colorado Head Coach Pi'i Aiu said. “The kills were spread out a little more even in the fifth game. It was an amazing win for us and a great win in game five.”

The Buffs are currently on a five-match win streak, with three of the wins coming against CSTV/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll ranked teams. All three of those wins have come in five games. CU is currently receiving votes in the latest poll.

The win marks the first time since 1997 that CU has beaten a team ranked in the top-10. The Buffs defeated No. 5 Nebraska on Oct. 8, 1997 in five games.

“It's a great confidence booster for us,” Allie Griffin explained. “We can get in the game and beat any team. It's a great feeling and it's an excellent place to be.”

Missouri took a 4-0 lead to start the first game, but CU came back to even it up at 5. The Tigers took the next five points and went on to take the game 30-20.

The second game was extremely close with 10 lead changes and seven ties. Colorado tied up the game at 22 with an ace by Ashley Nu'u. MU and CU battled back-and-forth before Colorado took a two-point lead at 28-26 which forced the Tigers to take a timeout. Missouri took the first point out of the timeout, but CU answered back with two if its own. The Buffs finished off the 30-28 with a MU service error.

The third game was tight until Missouri took a 16-11 lead. CU kept fighting and pulled within three points at 18-15, but MU didn't let go and finished the game 30-23. The Buffs hit .212 with 13 kills, while the Tigers collected 19 kills and hit .316.

The Tigers opened up the fourth frame with a kill from Na Yang, but CU pulled away with a 17-11 advantage. MU closed the gap and tied the game at 20. The Buffs fought back and pulled away with the game at 30-27.

The final game was all CU as the Buffs took the first point and never looked back. Colorado hit a match-best .467 as four different players hammered kills for the Buffs.

Griffin recorded 19 kills, eight digs and hit .205. Amber Sutherland notched a double-double with 16 kills and 12 digs for CU. Lauren Schaefer recorded a team-high five block assists while adding a career-best 13 kills and hit .455. Nu'u handed out 57 assists as she lead the Buffs to a .214 attack percentage. She added four kills, three digs and three blocks. Nicole Carr added nine kills, five digs and two blocks.

CU tallied eight aces in the win. Lara Bossow served up a career-high with five. It's the second time this season a Buff has recorded five aces in a match. Alex Buth recorded five aces against Oklahoma on Sept. 24.

Colorado travels to Lawrence, Kan., to the Kansas Jayhawks on Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 6 p.m. MT.