Colorado University Athletics
Colorado and CSU Initiate ‘Golden Spike’ Trophy
September 09, 2019 | Volleyball
BOULDER – Thanks to the Colorado volleyball supporter club members, Colorado and CSU will play an annual match for the Golden Spike Trophy, beginning this season following Friday's home match.
This summer, CU volleyball supporter club members presented an idea to create a rivalry trophy between the two top teams in state. The idea was inspired by the final railroad spike from the Comanche Crossing in Strasburg where the site of the Kansas Pacific Railroad laid its final tracks to form the first continuous chain of rails from the Atlantic to Pacific Coast more than 149 years ago.
A vintage spike, donated by the Comanche Crossing Museum, has been painted gold and set in a trophy that will go to the winner of the annual CU and CSU volleyball match. In seasons like the current season where the two teams play a pair of matches, the second match will determine the trophy recipient.
The rivalry between the two teams goes deep in history and has sparked more recently with Jesse Mahoney, former associate head coach to CSU's Tom Hilbert, taking the reigns at CU. Mahoney became the first in-state coach to defeat Hilbert's Rams in Moby Arena in 2017. Hilbert is a combined 55-1 against the three NCAA Division I programs in Colorado at home.
Colorado has played CSU 37 times in its 33 year history. The Rams own a 23-14 record against the Buffaloes but haven't defeated the Buffs once under Mahoney. The only opponents Colorado has played more often are the original six from the Big 8; Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Iowa State, Nebraska and Oklahoma are CU's most played opponents with 57 matches in each series.
The two programs have combined for 50 NCAA Tournament appearances. The Rams have 30 berths, including 24-straight, the seventh-longest active streak in the country. The two have met four times in the tournament, the most against a single opponent in CU history. All four matches were played at Moby.
This summer, CU volleyball supporter club members presented an idea to create a rivalry trophy between the two top teams in state. The idea was inspired by the final railroad spike from the Comanche Crossing in Strasburg where the site of the Kansas Pacific Railroad laid its final tracks to form the first continuous chain of rails from the Atlantic to Pacific Coast more than 149 years ago.
A vintage spike, donated by the Comanche Crossing Museum, has been painted gold and set in a trophy that will go to the winner of the annual CU and CSU volleyball match. In seasons like the current season where the two teams play a pair of matches, the second match will determine the trophy recipient.
The rivalry between the two teams goes deep in history and has sparked more recently with Jesse Mahoney, former associate head coach to CSU's Tom Hilbert, taking the reigns at CU. Mahoney became the first in-state coach to defeat Hilbert's Rams in Moby Arena in 2017. Hilbert is a combined 55-1 against the three NCAA Division I programs in Colorado at home.
Colorado has played CSU 37 times in its 33 year history. The Rams own a 23-14 record against the Buffaloes but haven't defeated the Buffs once under Mahoney. The only opponents Colorado has played more often are the original six from the Big 8; Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Iowa State, Nebraska and Oklahoma are CU's most played opponents with 57 matches in each series.
The two programs have combined for 50 NCAA Tournament appearances. The Rams have 30 berths, including 24-straight, the seventh-longest active streak in the country. The two have met four times in the tournament, the most against a single opponent in CU history. All four matches were played at Moby.
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