Colorado University Athletics
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Colorado State
Gibson Leads Buffs In Loss To Rams
September 06, 2007 | Volleyball
“I feel like Andy Roddick must have last night,” head coach Pi'i Aiu said. “We were in the match and battling but CSU was just a couple points better than us right now. I think they've got some kids who can make great plays for them right now. I think Jaime Strauss is one of the top outside hitters in the nation right now. She just does so much more than hit and I really have a lot of admiration for her.”
The Rams used their block to defeat the Buffs, putting up 14.0 team blocks. CU recorded 21 errors on the night.
“Obviously we didn't really have much of an answer for their middles and their middles kind of had their way with us all night and that is something we need to work on,” Aiu said. “One of our middles is a freshman and really young and I think she is just going to get better and better at reading that.
The Buffaloes, who were on a three-match win streak, fell to 3-3 on the year while the Rams improved to 3-3.
Gibson hit a .343 in the loss. She hit just six errors on 35 swings and added a pair of digs. Emilee Sisco hit a career-high 11 kills.
“I thought both of them had really good matches,” Aiu said. “And I think part of what they are doing is Kaitlyn Burkett. She is starting to set some balls from pretty far up and pretty off, in perfect spots to take swings. I think when setters can do that, the outside hitters are going to swing at good percentages.”
Burkett dished out 38 assists, helping the Buffs to a .214 attack percentage. CU recorded 48 kills, 35 digs and 5.0 blocks in the effort.
“I think we are pleased with almost everything that we are doing,” Aiu said. “We are putting ourselves in position to win these games and when it came down to it, CSU was just a little bit better. We are a young team and I am not making excuses. That is just something we have to learn to beat a team like CSU. To win Big 12 matches, you have to learn to close them because this is the type of match we will have in the Big 12.”
Each head coach received a yellow card in the third frame, just one point apart. CSU's Tom Hilbert's came at 23-21, while Aiu's was at 23-22.
This was the 31st meeting between the two schools with CSU leading with 20 and CU owning 11. The last time CU won at Moby Arena was Oct. 24, 1995, while the last time CU defeated the Rams was Sept. 10, 2002 at the
The Buffs will be back in action tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. at the Hilton Classic. The Buffs will face the Winthrop Eagles (1-5) for the second match of the Hilton Classic.
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