Buffs To Face No. 9 UCLA and No. 2 Southern California In Los Angeles

BOULDER - The University of Colorado volleyball team is heading to Los Angeles to take on No. 9 UCLA and No. 2 Southern California this week.

CU will face UCLA on Wednesday, Nov. 4. That match is scheduled for an 8:30 p.m. MT first serve. It will be broadcast on Pac-12 Network with Anne Marie Anderson calling the match and Amy Gant providing the color.

On Friday, Nov. 6, the Buffs will take on USC in another televised match on Pac-12 Network. Anderson will again call the match with Holly McPeak serving as the color analyst. The contest is set for a 9 p.m. MT start.

Colorado is 14-10 (6-6 Pac-12) after going 1-1 last weekend. The Buffs started the weekend with a 3-2 win over Oregon State before falling 3-2 to Oregon. The Buffs are tied for fifth in the Pac-12 standings with Arizona State.

Senior Alexis Austin leads the Buffs with 4.02 kills per set (fifth in the Pac-12) and is also attacking at a .254 clip. Sophomore Gabby Simpson ranks second on the team with 3.42 kills per set, while sophomore Anna Pfefferle is hitting a team-best .325. She has recorded 173 kills and 41 errors on 406 attacks this season. Senior Nicole Edelman is directing the team to a .233 hitting percentage, the sixth best in the Pac-12. Edelman is averaging 9.62 assists per set (seventh in the Pac-12).

Defensively, junior Cierra Simpson is averaging 4.12 digs per set, which is seventh in the conference. She also ranks second in league only matches, averaging 4.76 digs per set. Edelman is second with 2.06 digs per set. At the net, the Buffs are led by freshman Naghede Abu who is averaging 1.23 blocks per set, eight in the conference. Pfefferle is second on the team with 1.02 blocks per set.