Colorado Sweeps Iowa to Remain Perfect

IOWA CITY – The University of Colorado women's volleyball team remains unblemished with its third 3-0 sweep (25-22, 25-20, 25-23) of the season Friday evening against Iowa behind strong blocking and efficient hitting performances.

The Buffs (4-0) defeated Iowa (3-1) thanks to impressive hitting numbers that included a perfect second set with a .636 hitting percentage and no attack errors. Colorado committed just eight hitting errors all night long, the first time CU has had less than 10 errors since Sept. 2017. CU also dominated the net with nine total blocks, averaging three per set.

Individually, freshman Sterling Parker had a breakout match with 11 kills and a .450 hitting percentage. The rightside had just two errors and helped enormously in the second set with five kills. She was also a part of four blocks.

The CU hitting efficiency didn't stop with Parker, as freshman Jill Schneggenburger had eight errorless kills with a .444 hitting percentage. Justine Spann added 10 kills with a .161 hitting percentage.

In addition, setter Jenna Ewert had four errorless kills and a .429 hitting percentage, while Meegan Hart had four kills on six swings for a .667 hitting percentage. Colorado finished the match with a season-high .344 team hitting percentage.

Ewert recorded her third-straight double-double, dishing out 30 assists and leading the team for the third-straight match in digs with 12.

Defensively, Colorado's nine blocks was on par with the season's average blocks per set. Hart led the way with five block assists, followed by Parker's four. Danielle Price added three blocks along with Ewert, while Spann had a pair. All six front row players recorded at least one block assist.

Colorado returns to action tomorrow afternoon against No.5 Illinois at 3 p.m. MT. The Illini lost their first match of the season in a five-set affair against No.16 Washington today. Illinois (2-1) has played three-straight top-20 opponents and gone to five sets in every match this season.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Colorado jumped out to a quick 8-3 lead behind strong serving and blocking. The blocking continued with four at an 11-7 lead. Offensively, Spann got out quick with three kills in her first seven swings. The Buffs continued to hold a slight lead to 18-15 when Spann hit down her fifth kill of the set. Iowa called its second timeout of the set when CU hit a 20-16 lead. The break worked, Iowa came out and put down a three-point run forcing a CU timeout. Colorado regained its lead and pushed it to 24-21, finishing the set as it started with a block. The Buffs had four blocks in the set and led from 1-1 with a .290 hitting percentage. Spann had five kills with a .364 hitting percentage, while Schneggenburger had four kills on six swings for a .667 hitting percentage.

The second set started much closer with each team trading blows. Colorado trailed for the first time in the match at 6-5 but retook the lead two rallies later. CU continued to string together a four-point run, forcing an Iowa timeout. Following a challenge win by coach Mahoney, CU continued to push the lead 12-7. The lead narrowed as Iowa brought it back within one before Colorado called a timeout at 14-13. Colorado pushed back the lead behind a pair of Ewert kills, pushing to 20-15 after an Iowa timeout the play before. Colorado hit set point at 24-19, sealing the set victory off a Spann kill. Parker finished the set with five kills in the set.

Colorado trailed for just the second time after dropping the first point but jumped out to a 4-4 tie. The teams continued to go back-and-forth to an eight all tie. Iowa began to pull away with its first lead larger than one of the night at 13-11, and another point later CU called timeout trailing 14-11. Colorado slowly began to claw at the lead, retaking it finally at 18-17 behind a Parker, Hart block. The teams entered the final stretch tied 20-20, then an Ewert and Price block gave CU the 22-21 lead late. At match point, Ewert put the ball over and down but was called in the net. After a Mahoney challenge, the call was reverse and CU won the match for its third sweep of the season.

QUOTES:
Head Coach Jesse Mahoney
On remaining perfect
It feels great. More important than the winnings, I'm excited that we keep getting better. That was a really good match against a BIG TEN opponent on their home floor and to get out with a 3-0 win is good for where our team is in their development right now.

On Sterling Parker
Sterling started out a little tentative in set one. She can take big, high swings and she is super athletic. That kid is going to have a great career because she is no where near her potential right now and it is good to see her playing well because that is going to give her confidence to continue to do better.

On Jenna Ewert
Jenna's a stud. She is such an athletic setter. She delivers a really nice ball but she can also defend, she can block, she can attack, she had a ton of kills tonight. Even as a sophomore she is such a great leader for this team.

Concerns on service errors and middle attempts
We've been serving really well in practice, but we are getting a little amped up at game time and driving the ball long. We are still trying to find ways to get the ball to our middle. We know that in order to be the team we want to be we want to spread the ball around more.

On sharing the ball to hitters
I'm excited about our pins. Justine is doing a really nice job. She is maturing and taking care of the ball and making better choices than when she was a little younger, that is great to see. Our two other freshmen pins are only going to continue to grow. Once we can diversify our offense a little better I'm excited about what this team can be.

Freshman Rightside Hitter Sterling Parker
On her career night on the road
It definitely felt like a big step for me, but it was definitely something that helped me get into the mindset I need to be in getting farther into the season and just knowing I have a purpose on the team and a role to play to execute in order to make the team better. I struggled a lot in the first set, but just knowing that Jenna trusted me enough to keep setting me knowing that I can make a change was super uplifting and super motivating for my own confidence. Having her trust me and the team trust that I can make a change and do better, which I ended up doing I think, and I really thought that I stepped up so that was a huge confidence booster. I'm ready for tomorrow.

NOTES:
SCOUTING THE ILLINI

No.5 Illinois enters this weekend up one spot after defeating No.19 Tennessee in back-to-back five set matches last weekend. The home-and-home set up saw Illinois enter Knoxville to start the season rally from down two sets to none and win the match in a long 23-21 fifth set. Tennessee took the first two sets 26-24, 25-23, then surrendered a 25-22 third set, 25-17 fourth and the final 23-21 fifth. The Illini hit .246 compared to .218 from Tennessee. Outside hitter Jacqueline Quade put up an astonishing 31 kills in the effort, hitting .247.

In the second installment, Tennessee looked to return the favor after falling down two sets to none. After securing sets three and four, Tennessee dropped the fifth 15-8. Quade was the star again, this time with 21 kills, nearly twice as many as any other player. Ashlyn Fleming had 12 kills and nine blocks in the match, while Illinois hit .210 and held Tennessee to .129.

HISTORY
-Illinois and Colorado will play for the sixth-straight season, the longest running non-conference opponent for the Buffaloes. Colorado is 4-5 against the Illini all-time, including 2-2 in the past four times. Last season Illinois swept CU is Seattle, but the two seasons before that saw CU win a pair of five-set matches, one in Boulder and one on the road in Champaign.

-CU's 4-0 start is just the fifth time in school history the team has started a season with that mark.

-Colorado has a 5-2 record in the challenge under Mahoney.

-The Buffs are 0-9 against top-10 teams since 2016 but are 1-1 against Illinois when ranked in the top-10 in school history.

-The last top-10 win came against Stanford at home in 2015.

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Team Stats

Sterling Parker

Justine Spann

Jill Schneggenburger

Meegan Hart

Players Mentioned

Jenna Ewert

Meegan Hart

Sterling Parker

Danielle Price

Jill Schneggenburger

Justine Spann

Players Mentioned

Jenna Ewert

Meegan Hart

Sterling Parker

Danielle Price

Jill Schneggenburger

Justine Spann