Colorado University Athletics
Top Competitions Countdown: No. 6, Volleyball Sweeps No. 5 Illinois
March 29, 2020 | Volleyball
BOULDER - CU shocked the volleyball world on Sept. 7, sweeping fifth-ranked Illinois at the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge in Iowa City.
It was just the second sweep ever for the Buffs against a top-five opponent, second top-five win away from Boulder, and the first top-10 victory for head coach Jesse Mahoney in his fourth season with the Buffs. As a result, it sits at No. 6 on our countdown of top competitions for 2019-20.
The win moved CU to 5-0 for just the third time in school history. Outside of a tight first set, it was a dominating victory for the Buffs, who won 30-28, 25-19, 25-20, as they hit .462 in the match, the highest team hitting percentage for the team since hitting .549 against Robert Morris in 2014.
Senior Justine Spann carried her share of the load offensively with 16 kills and a career-high .560 hitting percentage, while freshman Jill Schneggenburger put away 12 kills with a .611 hitting percentage. Setter Jenna Ewert set the tone for the team with 31 assists.
On the defensive side, the Buffs had six blocks with sophomore Meegan Hart having a part in five of those.
Injuries and the team's youth (Spann was one the only upperclassman in the team's top seven for kills on the season) eventually caught up with them when they hit Pac-12 play, finishing the season 13-17 overall. But the Buffs finished the year strong, going 5-5 in their final 10 conference matches with wins over No. 23 UCLA and No. 24 Cal.
It was just the second sweep ever for the Buffs against a top-five opponent, second top-five win away from Boulder, and the first top-10 victory for head coach Jesse Mahoney in his fourth season with the Buffs. As a result, it sits at No. 6 on our countdown of top competitions for 2019-20.
The win moved CU to 5-0 for just the third time in school history. Outside of a tight first set, it was a dominating victory for the Buffs, who won 30-28, 25-19, 25-20, as they hit .462 in the match, the highest team hitting percentage for the team since hitting .549 against Robert Morris in 2014.
Senior Justine Spann carried her share of the load offensively with 16 kills and a career-high .560 hitting percentage, while freshman Jill Schneggenburger put away 12 kills with a .611 hitting percentage. Setter Jenna Ewert set the tone for the team with 31 assists.
On the defensive side, the Buffs had six blocks with sophomore Meegan Hart having a part in five of those.
Injuries and the team's youth (Spann was one the only upperclassman in the team's top seven for kills on the season) eventually caught up with them when they hit Pac-12 play, finishing the season 13-17 overall. But the Buffs finished the year strong, going 5-5 in their final 10 conference matches with wins over No. 23 UCLA and No. 24 Cal.
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