Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
11-5, 1-3
Oregon
13-0, 4-0
Buffs Fall To No. 2 Oregon Ducks
September 30, 2012 | Volleyball
EUGENE, Ore.- Â Junior Nikki Lindow recorded five kills and seven blocks but it wasn't enough as the No. 2 Oregon Ducks defeated the University of Colorado volleyball team 3-0 (25-11, 25-19, 25-16) on Saturday night at Matthew Knight Arena.
Lindow also had the best hitting percentage for CU at .400 with just one error on 10 swings. Freshman Alexis Austin had four kills in the effort and sophomore Neira Ortiz Ruiz added three for the Buffs. At the net, sophomore Ana Pantovic posted four block assists.
The Ducks held the Buffs to 17 kills while recording 39 of their own. UO's defense held CU to -.025 while its offense hit .256. Alaina Bergsma had a match-high 12 kills and hit .381 for UO.
With the loss, CU is now 11-5 overall and 1-3 in the Pac-12. The Ducks improved to 13-0 (4-0 Pac-12).
The first set was dominated by Oregon, which took a 16-3 lead. CU used a 4-1 run to get within 10 points at 17-7, but the Ducks answered with a 5-1 run to go back up 22-8. The deficit was too great for the Buffs to overcome and they fell 25-11. OU held the Buffs to a -.100 hitting percentage.
The Buffs played a better second set despite falling 25-19. CU was down 13-6 before taking a timeout and got within five points shortly after at (17-12). The Buffs continued to battle but weren't able to get any closer as the Ducks pulled back away to win. CU hit .120 in the set.
Oregon took a 6-1 lead in the third set, forcing CU to use its first timeout. The Buffs came back with a 5-2 run to cut UO's lead to a pair at 8-6, and this time it was the Ducks who called timeout; their first of the match. CU got within a point out of the timeout (8-7), but the Ducks used a 6-0 run to go up by seven (14-7). UO pulled away to win the set 25-16.
Colorado returns home to the Coors Events Center next weekend to start a four-match homestand. The Buffs will host Washington State on Friday, Oct. 5 at 6:30 p.m. and Washington on Sunday, Oct. 7 at 3 p.m. Both matches will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network. Tickets can be purchased for $5 (adults) and $2 (13 and under) for each match at CUBuffs.com or by calling 303-49-BUFFS.
