Colorado Volleyball Opens with North Texas Invitational

Friday, August 30

Denton, Texas

6 PM

Colorado

North Texas

Colorado Volleyball Opens with North Texas Invitational

August 26, 2024 | Volleyball

VB Match Notes 8/26/24

By: Malala Pyle, Assistant Director of Athletic Communication

BOULDER – The Colorado volleyball team (0-0) opens the 2024 season against Noth Texas (0-0), Miami (0-0) and Rutgers (0-0) this weekend at The Super Pit in Denton, Texas. All three Colorado volleyball coaches are entering their ninth season, including head coach Jesse Mahoney, who has led the Buffaloes to a 128-109 (.540) overall record.

Senior setter Taylor Simpson, a returning starter for the Buffaloes and Colorado's only true senior, is approaching a major milestone in assists, ending last season with a 1,979-career total. Simpson is on track to reach 2,000 assists this weekend, as well as 100 career blocks, having ended the 2023 season with 96.

THIS WEEK
NORTH TEXAS INVITATIONAL
The Super Pit • Denton, Texas
TV/STREAM: ESPN+/ESPN+/No Stream

MATCH #1 • Friday, August 30 • 6 p.m. MT
Colorado (0-0) vs. North Texas (0-0)
SERIES RECORD: CU Leads, 1-0 (1.000)
LAST MEETING: W 3-0 (August 27, 2023 • CU Events Center)
STREAK: Won 1 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 1-0
OPPONENT WEBSITE: MeanGreenSports.com

MATCH #2 • Saturday, August 31 • 3 p.m. MT
Colorado (0-0) vs. Miami (0-0)
SERIES RECORD: First Meeting
OPPONENT WEBSITE: MiamiHurricanes.com

MATCH #3 • Sunday, September 1 • 11 a.m. MT
Colorado (0-0) vs. Rutgers (0-0)
SERIES RECORD: CU Leads, 1-0 (1.000)
LAST MEETING: W 3-1 (September 7, 2013 • Neutral, Syracuse, NY)
STREAK: Won 1 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 1-0
OPPONENT WEBSITE: ScarletKnights.com

FIRST SERVE (TL;DR)

CU is led by ninth-year head coach Jesse Mahoney, who has led the Buffs to a 128-109 (.540) record as CU's fifth head volleyball coach. Coach Mahoney has been extended through 2027 and has led the Buffs to three NCAA appearances.
Upon their return to the Big 12, the Buffs were picked to finish 10th in the Big 12 Preseason Poll.
Sr. S Taylor Simpson returns as the only consistent starter from the 2023 season after she led the Buffs in assists (9.54 aps) and totaled 1,068. She was named to the Big 12 Preseason Team on Aug. 7.
So. OH Lily Dwinell saw action in all 31 matches last season for the Buffs and started eight matches. She totaled 188 kills (1.65 kps) and 83.0 blocks in her time on the court, and she was selected to the 2023 Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.
So. OH Sydney Jordan played in 17 matches (started three) and totaled 26 kills. As a high schooler, Jordan was a MaxPreps, Prep Volleyball and AVCA All-American, as well as the second-ranked player in Texas.
So. MB Cayla Payne played in 27 matches (started 17) and totaled 106 kills (1.36 kps), 71 blocks (0.91 bps) and 13 digs. Payne had at least one block in all but four contests she saw action in and at least one kill in all but two matches.
Before the start of the 2024 season, So. OH Ana Burilovic played for Team Croatia in the 2024 Women's U20 Volleyball European Championships. Last season, Burilovic played in 25 games (83 sets), reached double figure kills in five matches and recorded two double doubles.
Jr. DS/L Sarah Morton is the Buffs' only transfer on this year's roster. Morton comes to CU from Auburn where she totaled 773 digs, 192 assists and 42 aces.
CU opens its 2024 season against North Texas, Miami and Rutgers this weekend in the North Texas Invitational at The Super Pit in Denton, Texas. All three teams will also face each other over the course of the weekend.

ROAM WITH THE BUFFS: The first two road matches against North Texas and Miami will be broadcasted by North Texas on ESPN+. Fans also can follow Colorado matches through live stats with links available at CUBuffs.com.

LAST TIME OUT: The Buffs won 16 matches in 2024 and finished seventh in the Pac-12 standings. Colorado fell to Utah, 3-2, in the final match of the regular season.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: In a nine-match span from Sept. 6 - Sept. 20, Colorado will play eight out of those nine matches times at home in CU Events Center. In all, Colorado will play 17 of its 30 regular season matches at Events Center and host both Buffs Classic (Georgia, Fresno State, Washington) Sept. 6 - 8 and Buffs Invitational (UC Irvine, California, Wyoming) Sept. 13 - 15 to open the fall. Between those two tournaments, the Buffs will host Northern Colorado on Sept. 11, and the annual home-and-home with nonconference rival Colorado State follows Buffs Invitational on Sept. 19 and 20.

THE BUFFS RETURN: For the first time since the 2010 season, Colorado will play volleyball in the Big 12 Conference. The Buffs are 146-154 (.487) in Big 12 conference play and had an 88-32 (.733) record in the Big Eight. Colorado's two conference championships came in the Big Eight in 1992 and again in 1993 when the Buffs defeated eighth-ranked Nebraska in a five-set thriller.

PERFECT 10: Colorado was picked to finish 10th in a preseason poll of Big 12 Volleyball head coaches. Last season, in the Pac-12, the Buffs were chosen to finish sixth and went 8-12 to take seventh place in the final standings. Colorado is 18-20 (.474) all-time in conference openers.

For more information on the Colorado volleyball team, please visit cubuffs.com/vb. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffsvb on Instagram, X, and Facebook.