Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Prepped To Host California and No. 6 Stanford
October 15, 2015 | Volleyball
BOULDER — The University of Colorado volleyball team will host California and Stanford this weekend. The Buffs will face California on Friday, Oct. 16, at 8 p.m., and on Sunday, Oct. 18, CU will take on No. 6 Stanford at 2 p.m.
Fans who bring their ticket from the CU football game against Arizona (from Saturday, Oct. 17), will receive $3 admission for the match on Sunday against the Cardinal. The Buffs will also host a free post-match clinic on Sunday for fans 12 and younger. Fans can RSVP by e-mailing CUPromos@colorado.edu.
Both contests will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Network. Chris Marlowe will provide the play-by-play and Elizabeth Moreau will be the color analyst for both matches. Live stats for the two contests can be found on CUBuffs.com.
Colorado is 10-8 (2-4 Pac-12) after dropping a pair of matches to top-ranked USC (3-2) and No. 12 UCLA (3-0) last weekend.
Senior Alexis Austin leads the Buffs with 3.97 kills per set (seventh in the Pac-12) and is also attacking at a .261 clip. Sophomore Gabby Simpson ranks second on the team with 3.41 kills per set.
CU has had the flexibility of choosing between a 6-2 and a 5-1 offense this season and most recently has gone with a 5-1. Senior Nicole Edelman is directing the Buffs to a .228 hitting percentage. She is averaging 9.34 assists per set (seventh in the Pac-12).
Defensively, junior Cierra Simpson is recording 3.84 digs per set, the sixth best average in the conference. At the net, the Buffs are led by sophomore Anna Pfefferle, who has posted 1.13 blocks per set, while freshman Naghede Abu, is averaging 1.02 blocks per set.
Cal is 6-11 overall this season, but has yet to win a Pac-12 match (0-6). The two teams have a mutual non-conference opponent in Air Force. The Falcons defeated Cal in five sets on Sept. 12, while CU swept AFA on Sept. 20.
The Bears are led by Lillian Schonewise. She is averaging 2.65 kills per set and has the team's best hitting percentage at .342, which is 10th in the Pac-12. Lara Vukasovic is second on the team with 2.61 kills per set. Cal is hitting .200 under the direction of Alyssa Jensen, who is averaging 9.82 assists per set (fifth in the conference).
Maddy Kerr leads the team with 4.11 digs per set (fourth in the league). At the net, Jenelle Jordan is posting a team-high 0.93 blocks per set, while Vukasovic ranks second with 0.91 blocks per set.
Cal leads the all-time series against the Buffs at 5-4, but the Buffs are looking to even the series this weekend. CU has won the last two meetings between the two teams, sweeping the series last year.
Stanford has a 10-4 record this season and is 4-2 in the Pac-12. The Cardinal is ranked sixth in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll. The Buffs and Cardinal both played at the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge earlier this season. SU defeated then-No. 6 Illinois (3-1), before falling to then-No. 1 Penn State (3-0).
The Cardinal has three players averaging 3.00 kills or more per set. Hayley Hodson leads SU with 3.71 kills per set, Lutz is second with 3.15 and Brittany Howard is third with 3.04. As a team, SU is averaging 13.50 kills per set (sixth in the Pac-12). SU is hitting .271, third in the conference and 18th in the NCAA. Merete Lutz leads the team with the Pac-12's seventh best attack percentage (.373). Madi Bugg ranks third in the league with 10.42 assists per set.
Defensively, Halland McKenna is averaging 3.38 digs per set, while Hodson is second on the team with 2.46 digs per set. Stanford is third in the conference in blocks, averaging 3.02 per set. Two of its players are in the league's top-10. Ivana Vanjak is third with 1.40 and Lutz ranks seventh with 1.26.
Stanford leads the all-time series against CU 14-0.
Season tickets for the Buffs' home matches can still be purchased and start at just $25 for general admission. Reserved seats are $40 for the season. New this year is the Volleyball VIP Package which gives fans a reserved seat, access to VIP parking, pre-match chalk talks with the coaches, special entrance access and admission to the volleyball banquet. These are available for $500. Fans interested in the VIP Package, please call 303-492-8130.
Single match tickets are also available. General admission seats are $5 and reserved seats are $8. Kids 12 and under are free.
Fans can also purchase the Women's Sports Pass, which is new this season and supports women's basketball, soccer and volleyball. For just $125, over 50 percent off the single game box office price for those three sports, the Women's Sports Pass allows for seating in general admission areas at each venue for three of the most successful programs at CU. Once you purchase the pass, you will be mailed season tickets for all three sports.
