Saturday, August 25
Laramie, WY
7:00 PM
Colorado
2-1
2
at
3
Wyoming
3-0
1
2
3
4
5
F
Colorado
23
21
25
25
13
2
Wyoming
25
25
21
16
15
3
Senior Alexa Smith
Photo by: Mark Waldron
No. 15 Colorado Rallies, But Suffers Loss To Wyoming
August 25, 2018 | Volleyball
LARAMIE, Wyo. — Down 0-2 against Wyoming on Saturday night, the No. 15 University of Colorado volleyball fought back to take the following two sets to force a deciding fifth set, but was unable to complete the comeback, falling 15-13 in the final set.
The first two games were close, with Wyoming winning 25-23, 25-21. The Buffs came back and defeated UW 25-21, 25-16 in the third and fourth sets, respectively, to force the fifth game. CU was down 13-10 in the fifth and strung together three straight points to even the set, but the Cowgirls managed to side-out and closed out the match with the last two points.
The Buffs are now 2-1 on the season, while UW improved to 3-0.
WHAT HAPPENED: Despite the loss, several players shined for CU. Justine Spann recorded a career-high 16 kills to lead both teams and had five digs. Alexa Smith was just behind Spann with 15 kills of her own and added eight digs and three blocks.
The Buffs, who have been playing many new faces this season, saw many record career nights. Anyse Smith recorded a career-best 10 kills and also hit a career-high .562 with just one error on 16 swings. She also posted four blocks. Lillie Klemmer had seven kills, seven blocks and hit .455 (all career numbers). Rachel Whipple got in on the career-high action with 19 digs and freshman Jenna Ewert recorded her first collegiate double-double with 16 assists and 10 digs. Lauren Dorrell has a nice match with six kills and four blocks, while Brynna DeLuzio played a solid match with 31 assists and seven digs.
"Hats off to a very disciplined and well-coached Wyoming team," head coach Jesse Mahoney said. "They put pressure on us from the service line and their block and defense frustrated us early. I was pleased that our team responded after going down 0-2 to take it to the fifth set where we had our chances to win. Despite the loss, it was good to see young players like Anyse Smith and Jenna Ewert play well. Matches like this highlight how precise our execution needs to become and we will get back in the gym this week and go to work."
Across the net, a pair of Cowgirls both recorded 15 kills, Emily Lewis and KC McMahon. McMahon hit .458, while Lewis hit .387.
SET 1: The Buffs got out to a slow start in the first set as the Cowgirls took an 11-5 lead to start, causing Mahoney to take his first timeout. Wyoming was able to increase its lead to seven points at 16-9, but the Buffs were not going to let UW go that easily. CU cut UW's lead to four at 19-15, and this time UW needed a break. The Buffs kept the pressure on out of the timeout, taking the first point, before the Cowgirls were able to side-out. At that point, CU rallied with three straight points off kills from Anyse Smith and Danielle Price, as well as an ace from Alexa Smith, bringing the Buffs within a point (20-19). CU was able to stay close, but couldn't get past UW, falling 25-23.
SET 2: Colorado was able to get out to a better start in the second game, going up 10-8, but UW recorded a 4-0 run to regain its lead (12-10). The Buffs stayed close to the Cowgirls, but needed to take a timeout after UW took a 20-16 advantage late in the game. CU was able to get back within two points (22-20), but Wyoming answered with two straight points, forcing the Buffs to take their final timeout of the set (24-20). CU fought off the first set point with a kill from Price, but UW finished the game on the next point with a kill (25-21).
SET 3: The Buffs took an early 5-2 lead before the Cowgirls used a 7-1 run to take a 9-6 lead. CU took a timeout and scored three straight points out of the break to even the set. UW sided-out, but after the Cowgirls scored two straight, the Buffs used a 5-1 run to go up 14-12. At that point, Wyoming needed a break, but it did little as CU scored three of the next four points, causing the Cowgirls to take their final timeout of the set (17-13). UW was able to make a little rally, bringing the score within two at 20-18, but the Buffs gave themselves some breathing room by taking the next three points (23-18). CU was able to complete the set win a short time later (25-21).
SET 4: Wyoming led early in the fourth set (6-5), when the Buffs used a 6-0 run to take an 11-6 advantage, causing UW to use a timeout. The Buffs picked up where they left off, recording three more points to make it a 9-0 run, which gave CU a 14-6 lead. The Cowgirls took the next two points, but the Buffs responded with two more points of their own (16-8) to keep the eight-point advantage. UW was able to cut the Buffs' lead to five at 19-14, but CU answered with two straight kills from Alexa Smith and Spann to go back up by seven (21-14), causing UW to spend its final timeout of the set. The Buffs finished the game with a 4-2 run (25-16).
SET 5: CU needed to take a timeout after UW took a 5-1 lead in the set. At the side-change, UW led 8-3, but the Buffs did not give up. CU took the first point after the switch with a kill from Dorrell, and after another point for UW, the Buffs scored three straight to get within two (9-7), which meant the Cowgirls needed to take a timeout. The two sides would battle to the finish, and unfortunately the Buffs would fall just shy, 15-13.
TEAM STATISTICS: Wyoming had the edge in kills (69-58) and hitting percentage (.279-.263), but CU led in blocks (13.0-11.0) and service aces (4-2). The Cowgirls also recorded 16 service errors, while CU had just five.
NOTES: CU is 14-8 all-time against Wyoming and is 6-5 in Laramie…The last time CU played in Laramie in 2013, the Buffs also rallied back from a 0-2 deficit and fell in the fifth set (15-11).
NEXT UP: The Buffs head to Seattle for the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge. They will face No. 12 Illinois on Friday, August 31 and on Saturday, Sept. 1, they will take on Iowa. Both matches will start at 6 p.m. and will be televised on Pac-12 Networks.
The first two games were close, with Wyoming winning 25-23, 25-21. The Buffs came back and defeated UW 25-21, 25-16 in the third and fourth sets, respectively, to force the fifth game. CU was down 13-10 in the fifth and strung together three straight points to even the set, but the Cowgirls managed to side-out and closed out the match with the last two points.
The Buffs are now 2-1 on the season, while UW improved to 3-0.
WHAT HAPPENED: Despite the loss, several players shined for CU. Justine Spann recorded a career-high 16 kills to lead both teams and had five digs. Alexa Smith was just behind Spann with 15 kills of her own and added eight digs and three blocks.
The Buffs, who have been playing many new faces this season, saw many record career nights. Anyse Smith recorded a career-best 10 kills and also hit a career-high .562 with just one error on 16 swings. She also posted four blocks. Lillie Klemmer had seven kills, seven blocks and hit .455 (all career numbers). Rachel Whipple got in on the career-high action with 19 digs and freshman Jenna Ewert recorded her first collegiate double-double with 16 assists and 10 digs. Lauren Dorrell has a nice match with six kills and four blocks, while Brynna DeLuzio played a solid match with 31 assists and seven digs.
"Hats off to a very disciplined and well-coached Wyoming team," head coach Jesse Mahoney said. "They put pressure on us from the service line and their block and defense frustrated us early. I was pleased that our team responded after going down 0-2 to take it to the fifth set where we had our chances to win. Despite the loss, it was good to see young players like Anyse Smith and Jenna Ewert play well. Matches like this highlight how precise our execution needs to become and we will get back in the gym this week and go to work."
Across the net, a pair of Cowgirls both recorded 15 kills, Emily Lewis and KC McMahon. McMahon hit .458, while Lewis hit .387.
SET 1: The Buffs got out to a slow start in the first set as the Cowgirls took an 11-5 lead to start, causing Mahoney to take his first timeout. Wyoming was able to increase its lead to seven points at 16-9, but the Buffs were not going to let UW go that easily. CU cut UW's lead to four at 19-15, and this time UW needed a break. The Buffs kept the pressure on out of the timeout, taking the first point, before the Cowgirls were able to side-out. At that point, CU rallied with three straight points off kills from Anyse Smith and Danielle Price, as well as an ace from Alexa Smith, bringing the Buffs within a point (20-19). CU was able to stay close, but couldn't get past UW, falling 25-23.
SET 2: Colorado was able to get out to a better start in the second game, going up 10-8, but UW recorded a 4-0 run to regain its lead (12-10). The Buffs stayed close to the Cowgirls, but needed to take a timeout after UW took a 20-16 advantage late in the game. CU was able to get back within two points (22-20), but Wyoming answered with two straight points, forcing the Buffs to take their final timeout of the set (24-20). CU fought off the first set point with a kill from Price, but UW finished the game on the next point with a kill (25-21).
SET 3: The Buffs took an early 5-2 lead before the Cowgirls used a 7-1 run to take a 9-6 lead. CU took a timeout and scored three straight points out of the break to even the set. UW sided-out, but after the Cowgirls scored two straight, the Buffs used a 5-1 run to go up 14-12. At that point, Wyoming needed a break, but it did little as CU scored three of the next four points, causing the Cowgirls to take their final timeout of the set (17-13). UW was able to make a little rally, bringing the score within two at 20-18, but the Buffs gave themselves some breathing room by taking the next three points (23-18). CU was able to complete the set win a short time later (25-21).
SET 4: Wyoming led early in the fourth set (6-5), when the Buffs used a 6-0 run to take an 11-6 advantage, causing UW to use a timeout. The Buffs picked up where they left off, recording three more points to make it a 9-0 run, which gave CU a 14-6 lead. The Cowgirls took the next two points, but the Buffs responded with two more points of their own (16-8) to keep the eight-point advantage. UW was able to cut the Buffs' lead to five at 19-14, but CU answered with two straight kills from Alexa Smith and Spann to go back up by seven (21-14), causing UW to spend its final timeout of the set. The Buffs finished the game with a 4-2 run (25-16).
SET 5: CU needed to take a timeout after UW took a 5-1 lead in the set. At the side-change, UW led 8-3, but the Buffs did not give up. CU took the first point after the switch with a kill from Dorrell, and after another point for UW, the Buffs scored three straight to get within two (9-7), which meant the Cowgirls needed to take a timeout. The two sides would battle to the finish, and unfortunately the Buffs would fall just shy, 15-13.
TEAM STATISTICS: Wyoming had the edge in kills (69-58) and hitting percentage (.279-.263), but CU led in blocks (13.0-11.0) and service aces (4-2). The Cowgirls also recorded 16 service errors, while CU had just five.
NOTES: CU is 14-8 all-time against Wyoming and is 6-5 in Laramie…The last time CU played in Laramie in 2013, the Buffs also rallied back from a 0-2 deficit and fell in the fifth set (15-11).
NEXT UP: The Buffs head to Seattle for the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge. They will face No. 12 Illinois on Friday, August 31 and on Saturday, Sept. 1, they will take on Iowa. Both matches will start at 6 p.m. and will be televised on Pac-12 Networks.
Team Stats
COLO
WY
Kills
58
69
Errors
23
26
Attempts
133
154
Hitting %
.263
.279
Points
75.0
82.0
Assists
54
61
Aces
4
2
Blocks
13.0
11.0
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
16
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Kills
15
Aces
2
Blocks
3
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
7
Players Mentioned
S/L
/ Volleyball
OPP
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballMB
/ Volleyball
MB
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
DS/L
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