Buffs Stacked For 2020 Season

Photo by: Tony Harman

April 17, 2020 | Volleyball

By: Shaun Wicen, Assistant SID

BOULDER – Following an under .500 season, the University of Colorado women's volleyball team is poised to explode in the 2020 season with three additional upperclassmen additions and a plethora of young talent.

The fifth season under head coach Jesse Mahoney will be a turning point as the Buffs are loaded at all positions with a fine balance of youth with upperclassmen leadership. Take last year's squad and mix in a year of growth along with the return of Brynna DeLuzio and the first look at Leah Clayton at outside and that would already raise hopes that this team is set to return to the 'Big Dance.' Then mix in a sixth-year middle Rachael Fara that has a strong slide along with 6-foot, 6-inch redshirt freshman Alexia Kuehl and you have a cocktail of danger for the rest of the Pac-12.

"This may be the deepest team we have had since our staff came to Colorado," said Mahoney. "We were young and talented last season, but we redshirted three scholarship players making us a little thin. I'm excited to have those players available this season – along with some talented additions and all the experience our freshmen and sophomores gained from last year. We are primed for a great run this season."

With two returning All-Pac-12 setters in Jenna Ewert and DeLuzio, Colorado has a plethora of options that include the 6-2 offense that led them to the NCAA tournament in 2018. The team also has the option to explore running DeLuzio at libero, giving CU the opportunity to have two of the best set of hands in the Pac-12 on the court together nearly the entire match. Both are now juniors in eligibility after DeLuzio redshirted last year with a knee injury, setting the Buffs up for a dangerous 1-2 punch for the next two seasons. With four middles to sub in, Colorado will have all the needed defense up front. Five defensive specialists/liberos will be able to fill in for either a 5-1 or 6-2 with a setter in the back row, while two of the five outsides will most likely move in as a six-rotation player much like Alexa Smith and Justine Spann did in the 2018 season.

Bringing Clayton's ability to pound the ball will help at the outside along with Jill Schneggenburger and Elissa Alcantara who ended the season splitting a rotation. Those three along with Kelley Levaggi and freshman Maya Tabron will give Colorado plenty of diversity at the outside position. On the other side of the net, Sterling Parker is coming off a Pac-12 All-Freshman season at the right side with the addition of Emily DeMure as well as the potential additions of Tabron and middle Rachael Fara to give CU four solid options to fill the right side.

Up front is going to be a battle with a six-year middle, two juniors and a redshirt freshman all competing for playing time. Last season Meegan Hart was a solid offensive option and led the group as Dani Price suffered injuries in the middle to late half of the season. Kuehl is a big body with a year under her belt learning the system while Fara adds in an experienced one-foot slide to help Colorado in the dreaded two-attacker sets.

Another position that will be a battle is the libero position vacated by Rachel Whipple after two years of service. Juniors Zoe Neverdowski and Taylor deProsse will be competing with sophomores Savannah Perry and Katie Lougeay and freshman Morgan Riddle will add a fifth in a 6-2 option. Under a 5-1 option, DeLuzio would be a solid option for Colorado at libero and would set Colorado up to have two All-Pac-12 setters on the floor at the same time. Depending on the offense, Colorado could need to utilize anywhere from one to three defensive specialists along with a libero. The position will most likely be a trial by committee until someone rises as the favorite.

While the Buffs have nine different starters from the past two seasons returning, the abundance of talent at every position will make for an action packed, 'every day is a battle' season for Colorado in the 2020 year.

"We made some good progress the second half of last season and we are looking to build on that in 2020," said Mahoney. "We had an abbreviated spring with no outside competitions, so we are all excited to get back in the gym and get to work."