No. 18 Buffs Close Out Non-Conference Slate With The Omni Invitational

BOULDER — The Colorado volleyball team is set to host the Omni Invitational this Friday and Saturday, Sept. 16-17, at the Coors Events Center.

The No. 18 Buffaloes will host Chicago State, New Orleans and Colorado State for their final round of non-conference regular season matches. Chicago State and New Orleans will start the tournament off at 10 a.m. on Friday. The Buffs will host Chicago State on Friday at 7 p.m. in Boulder, while Colorado State will host New Orleans at 7 p.m. in Fort Collins, Colo.

The remaining three matches on Saturday will all be contested in Boulder. CU will host New Orleans at 11 a.m. and the match between Chicago State and Colorado State will take place at approximately 1 p.m. (after the conclusion of the CU/UNO match). The final contest of the tournament will take place between CU and Colorado State at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. It's the first regular season meeting between the two instate rivals since 2010 and is the first meeting for the two schools in Boulder since 2008.

Chicago State enters the weekend with a 1-8 overall record and is 0-3 in road matches. The Cougars started the season off with six straight losses before earning a 3-0 win against Savannah State on Sept. 9. CSU dropped its next two matches in four sets to Troy and Alabama State. Dzeni Hadzisehovic leads CSU with 2.81 kills per set and adds 0.77 digs and 0.45 blocks per set. As a team, the Cougars are hitting .082, while their opponents are hitting .214.

New Orleans has recorded a 3-7 mark this campaign. The Privateers earned wins against Louisiana Tech (3-1), Mississippi Valley (3-0) and Jackson State (3-0). They are 0-3 on the road this season. Jordan Yauch is the top hitter for UNO, averaging 2.58 kills per set. Blessing Dunn is second with 2.54 kills per set. The Privateers are hitting .166 compared to their opponents who are hitting .237.

Colorado State is 4-4 this season, which includes a 1-1 record on the road. The Rams started the season with four straight wins against North Dakota State, St. Mary's, Northern Colorado and Baylor before dropping their last four, including a pair of matches last weekend to Wichita State and No. 3 Texas in Fort Collins. The Rams are led by Jasmine Hanna's 3.00 kills per set. She also posts 0.77 blocks per set. As a team, CSU is hitting .256 and has held its opponents to a .209 hitting efficiency.

For the second straight week, the Buffs are the 18^th ranked team in the AVCA Coaches Poll with a 5-2 overall record. As a team, the Buffs are third in the Pac-12 Conference with 3.05 blocks per set, which also ranks 10th in the NCAA. CU also ranks fourth in the Pac-12 with a .297 hitting percentage, which is 13^th overall in the NCAA.

Individually, the Buffs are led by Alexa Smith, who is averaging 3.28 kills per set. At the net, the Buffs have three players posting over 1.00 blocks per set. Sophomore Naghede Abu is averaging the 15th best total in the country at 1.55 blocks per set, while junior Joslyn Hayes is second on the team with 1.31 blocks per set (53^rd in the NCAA). Junior Anna Pfefferle is also adding 1.00 blocks per set. Although she has not played since the first week of the season, another Buff, senior Katelyn Cuff, also averaged a mark above 1.00 at 1.23 blocks per set.

After missing the first three matches due to injury, junior Gabby Simpson is back in the line-up. She and senior Kiara McKibben, have been running a very successful 6-2 offense, as seen in CU's hitting efficiency. Gabby Simpson is averaging 5.50 assists per set, but also adds 1.81 kills per set. McKibben, through seven matches, is averaging 7.34 assists per set.

Live stats and a live stream for all of CU matches are available at CUBuffs.com.

PROMOTIONS

Fans are encouraged to wear black on Sept. 17 for the 7:30 p.m. match against Colorado State. The first 250 students will receive a free black CU volleyball shirt.
Approximately 30 minutes prior to the CSU match, CU head coach Jesse Mahoney will hold a chalk talk in the Coors Club room on the second floor of the CEC, located behind section 3.
The Buffs will also host autograph sessions on the concourse above section 4 following the Chicago State (Sept. 16) and Colorado State (Sept. 17) matches.

CLEAR BAG POLICY
In an effort to provide a safer environment for fans, the University of Colorado will be implementing a clear bag policy at the Coors Events Center for all CU volleyball matches, men's basketball and women's basketball games this season (2016).

Beginning this season, fans may bring one clear bag no larger than 12 inches x 6 inches x 12 inches, or a one-gallon reseal-able clear plastic storage bag, into the arena. Fans will also be allowed one small clutch purse, no larger than 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches.

Bags that will no longer be allowed into the CEC include backpacks, large purses, oversized tote bags, camera bags and binocular cases, diaper bags, fanny packs and printed plastic bags.

For more information check out the following links: http://www.cubuffs.com/news/2016/8/14/football-cu-to-implement-clear-bag-policy-at-folsom-field.aspx and http://www.cubuffs.com/sports/2004/8/15/folsom-field-policies.aspx#permitted.

TICKETS
Single match tickets for Sept. 16 start at $5 for general admission and are $8 for reserved seats. Tickets for Saturday's matches start at $8 for general admission and $12 for reserved seats. Tickets for kids 12 and under are still free.

Season tickets are also available and start at just $25 for general admission, while reserved seats are $40. Fans can purchase single match and season tickets online at CUBuffs.com or by calling 303-49-BUFFS.

And don't forget about the Women's Sports Pass. For just $125, the Women's sports pass gives you general admission seating for all volleyball, soccer and women's basketball home games.

No. 18 Buffs Close Out Non-Conference Slate With The Omni Invitational

Players Mentioned

Naghede Abu

Katelyn Cuff

Joslyn Hayes

Kiara McKibben

Anna Pfefferle

Gabby Simpson

Alexa Smith

Related Videos