LUBBOCK, Texas ? The University of Colorado volleyball team dropped a heartbreaker here Saturday evening, as a Buffalo rally fell short with Texas Tech winning the match in five games, 28-30, 25-30, 30-19, 30-26 and 14-16.
With the loss, the Buffs fall to 6-7, 2-6 in Big 12 Conference matches.
Texas Tech got off to a 9-5 lead in game one. The Buffs came back and tied the frame at 12 and took at two point lead. The Red Raiders came back to even the score at 14 and increased their lead to 19-15 before CU called its first timeout. The Buffs kept it close and called their second timeout at 26-27. After each team won a point, the Red Raiders called their first timeout. CU fought off the first game point, but TTU finished the game at 30-28. The Buffs hit .424 in the game with 17 kills, while TTU hit .361 with 19 kills.
The second game started off even, with each side exchanging points until TTU took control. The Red Raiders earned their largest lead of the game at 20-15, forcing Colorado to use a timeout. Senior right side Allie Griffin got the ball back for the Buffs at 16-22. CU kept fighting and pulled within three at 24-27. Texas Tech pulled away and finished the game 30-25. The Buffs hit .333 with 18 kills and the Red Raiders notched a .323 hitting percentage with 14 kills.
Colorado got out to a 5-3 lead in the third game, but TTU took the next four points. The Buffs tied it up again at 7 and took at 13-10 advantage. Texas Tech narrowed CU's lead to 20-19, but the Buffs took the next two points, forcing the Red Raiders to take a timeout at 22-19. CU took the next three points and extended the lead to 25-19, causing TTU to use its final timeout. Once again, the Buffs came out and dominated. CU took the next five points to close out the game 30-19. Colorado hit .303 in the game and held TTU to a .053 hitting percentage.
The Buffs got off to a 3-1 lead in the fourth game. CU continued to fight off the Red Raiders until TTU took the lead at 9-8. The Buffs regained control of the game and took at 12-9 advantage to make TTU take a timeout. Colorado took at 15-10 lead, but TTU tied the game up at 17. The Red Raiders took the lead at 19-18, but CU came right back with two points. The two sides continued to fight and the Red Raiders tied it up again at 23. The Buffs took the next three points and forced a TTU timeout at 26-23. Texas Tech took the next two points and Colorado took its first timeout of the game (26-25). CU finished off the game at 30-26. The Buffs hit just .273 in the game, but held Texas Tech to .121.
The final game started off with two points for the Buffs. CU extended its lead to 6-2 after TTU tied the game at 2. The Red Raiders tied the game up for the second time at 7 and took the lead at 9-8. The Buffs evened things out at 12 and called a timeout. A kill by Griffin gave CU a 13-12 lead and forced TTU to use its final timeout. The Red Raiders came back to win the game 16-14.
Griffin lead Colorado with 27 kills, eight digs, four blocks and hit .375. Sophomore Amber Sutherland recorded 22 kills and 19 digs, both career-highs. Junior Ashley Nu'u passed out 63 assists as she led the Buffs to a .329 attack percentage. She added three block assists, 11 digs and four kills. Senior Nicole Carr tallied a double-double with 11 kills and 13 digs.
Colorado is back on the court on Wednesday, Oct. 12, when the Buffs host the Kansas State Wildcats at 7 p.m. at the Coors Events Center.
