Colorado University Athletics
Colorado Faces #1 Nebraska, #4 Florida and Northern Colorado
UP NEXT: Colorado (14-10, 10-9 Big 12) heads to the road for a trio of matches this week. First, the Buffs will face top-ranked Nebraska (27-0, 18-0 Big 12) on Wednesday, Nov. 23 at 6 p.m. MT. CU will return to Colorado and drive down I-25 for a pair of matches at the University of Denver Thanksgiving Tournament. The Buffs will face fourth-ranked Florida (28-2) on Friday, Nov. 25 at 5 p.m. Colorado will cap off its regular season on Saturday, Nov. 26 with a match against Northern Colorado (14-14) at 5 p.m.
NCAA TOURNAMENT SELECTION SHOW: The NCAA Division I WomenGÇÖs Volleyball Championship 64-team bracket will be announced on ESPNNEWS between 12:30 and 1 p.m. (MT) on Sunday, Nov. 27.
Colorado has participated in the tournament 14 times.
ON THE SEASON: Colorado is 14-10 overall and is 10-9 in the Big 12. CU is currently fourth in the Big 12.
The Buffs are 7-3 in their last 10 matches.
CU has defeated three ranked teams this season; with two of those wins coming on the road. CU took two consecutive matches against ranked opponents for the first time since 1996 when the Buffs stunned Kansas State and Texas A&M on Oct. 12 and 16.
The first of the two consecutive wins against ranked teams came against No. 20 Kansas State. It was the first win over a ranked opponent this season for Colorado as the Buffs beat the Wildcats 30-14, 30-25, 25-30, 28-30, 15-5. CU followed it up with a win at 24th-ranked Texas A&M. The Buffs rallied back from a 0-2 deficit and won 20-30, 25-30, 30-26, 30-28, 15-10.
ColoradoGÇÖs most recent victory against a ranked team came on Oct. 29 as the Buffs shocked eighth-ranked Missouri 20-30, 30-28, 23-30, 30-27, 15-12 in Columbia, Mo. CU played in front of 2,571, the fourth largest crowd in MU history.
Five of ColoradoGÇÖs losses have come to CSTV/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 ranked opponents. CUGÇÖs first loss of the season came at the hands of third-rated and defending national champion Stanford. The Buffs fell in four to 18th-ranked Texas in Austin on Sept. 14 and then again on Nov. 9 in five when UT was ranked 11 and CU was 25. Colorado came back home to face its second and third consecutive ranked opponents in top-ranked Nebraska and eighth-ranked Missouri. CU fell in three to both opponents.
Senior right side hitter Allie Griffin is averaging 4.71 kills per game while hitting .286 on the year. She ranks second in the Big 12 in kills and is 15th in hitting percentage. Griffin has hit more than 20 kills in nine matches this season; including a career-high 29 against Kansas State on Oct. 12. She notched her 1,000th-career kill with her first kill in the fifth game against Kansas on Oct. 1. Sophomore Amber Sutherland is averaging 3.76 per game. Sutherland ranks ninth in the league in kills. ColoradoGÇÖs 15.87 kills per game is fourth in the Big 12.
Junior middle blocker Lara Bossow has four block solos and 76 block assists to lead the Buffs. Bossow is averaging 0.82 blocks per game. Freshman middle blocker Lauren Schaefer is second with 79 total blocks (10 solo and 69 assists) on the season. She is averaging 0.92 blocks per game. The Buffs are averaging 2.27 blocks per game and are 10th in the Big 12. Junior setter Ashley NuGÇÖu has passed out 1,282 assists this season to average 13.22 per game. She currently ranks third in the Big 12 and leads Colorado to a .260 attack percentage that ranks fourth in the league.
The BuffaloesGÇÖ defense is lead by Sutherland. She has picked up 254 digs this season and averages 2.65 per game. She is 15th in the league. Senior Nicole Carr has picked up 252 digs (2.60 per game) this season and has played five games as the teamGÇÖs libero. Carr notched her 1,000th-career dig on Oct. 1 versus Kansas. Sutherland is second with 242 digs (2.73 per game). Sophomore libero Therese Vinal has collected 206. The Buffs are ninth in the Big 12 with 13.41 digs per game.
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