After Summer Overseas, CU Volleyball Standouts Simpson, Smith Ready For Season

BOULDER — Having a passport for international travel is not a requirement for playing volleyball for Jesse Mahoney's Colorado Buffaloes.

But it's still a very good idea to have one.

Every summer, it seems, at least a couple of Buffaloes are named to an all-star team or USA Volleyball squad of some kind. The honor usually includes a trip or two overseas, which means along with several weeks of high-level volleyball with some new faces and new coaches, it's also an educational experience.

This summer, Colorado's Gabby Simpson and Alexa Smith were the latest Buffs to have the opportunity to hone their skills and log some quality sightseeing on the side.

Simpson, a CU junior, actually played on a pair of summer squads. In late June, she played with a Pac-12 All-Star team that toured China. She returned home for all of 48 hours, then headed off to Italy, where she played in Italy and Croatia with a USA Volleyball Collegiate National Team in the Global Challenge.

Smith, a sophomore who transferred to CU from Purdue in the offseason, also toured and played in China with another USAV Collegiate National Team. By pure coincidence, the two even spent some time together in China when the two squads were training and playing in the same area.

"It was a great summer," Smith said. "Just being able to train with the USA Collegiate team in China was the experience of a lifetime. Things like getting the chance to see the Great Wall of China is something you never forget. Gabby was there at the same time, so having a teammate made it even better. Now we have a picture of two Buffaloes on the Great Wall."

Simpson's squad played several training matches against an Italian squad in early July, then participated in — and won — the Global Challenge in Pula, Croatia, later in the month.

"Having the chance to play with different coaches and players and playing at that high level consistently is a great experience," Simpson said. "You learn different styles and different strategies, which gives you new ideas to bring back into our gym."

Smith said the exposure to international volleyball also provides a different look at the game.

"When you jump in with a new team of people and coaches, it's not easy," Smith said. "But, it helps you in the long run because you learn to make connections with other players and coaches. International volleyball is a lot different than college, and getting that type of experience at such a young age is really valuable. The fact that I've been out of the country three or four times to play volleyball is something not all people can say, and I'm grateful to have had that opportunity."

Simpson tabbed the Great Wall and cliff jumping into the Adriatic Sea as her two two memories of the summer.

"The water was just so crystal clear, it was amazing," Simpson said. "We jumped off a 55-foot cliff and it was awesome."

But now that their summer "vacations" are over, the two are ready to create some new memories in their CU uniforms.

Mahoney's team opens the season Friday in Portland, Ore., vs. Texas Tech in the Portland State Invitational, where Colorado will also play host Portland State and Long Beach State.

A week later, the Buffs open their home schedule by hosting a portion of the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge at the Coors Events Center. The Buffs will face Penn State on Saturday, Sept. 3, in a 7 p.m. match and Illinois at 6 p.m. on Sunday. Other matches will see Stanford play Illinois on Saturday and Penn State on Sunday.

For Smith, it will mean her first opportunity to officially suit up in a Colorado uniform.

"This team has a lot of potential," she said. "We're just getting better and better each day."

For Simpson and all of her teammates, the season will be a chance for redemption after being left out — unfairly, in their eyes — of the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

"Oh, we're going this year," Simpson said. "There's no question we are going to make it to the tournament. It's happening. When you don't make it and you should have, it's a heartbreaker. This year, we're out for blood. This is our year."

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu