Colorado University Athletics
Volleyball Heads To Texas A&M
ON TAP: Colorado (11-7, 7-4 Big 12) will travel to College Station, Texas, to take on the Texas A&M Aggies (10-9, 3-8 Big 12) on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 5:30 p.m.
All home contests can be watched over the Internet at CUBuffs.com through the webstreaming by BuffVision, as well as live stats which can be followed during the match.
ITGÇÖS TV TIME: The match on Saturday, Oct. 28 against Texas at the Coors Events Center will be televised live on Fox Sports Net-Rocky Mountain. The match has a 7 p.m. start time.
Prior to the match, CU student-athletes will be on the concourse of the Coors Events Center with a Trick-or-Treat Street from 6-7 p.m. Fans who wear Halloween costumes will receive free admission and will be first in line for the CU serving contest between games two and three.
ABOUT THE BUFFS: Colorado is 11-7 overall and 7-4 in the Big 12. CU started the year off with a victory against Denver, but fell to three top-10 teams in then #10 UCLA, #7 HawaiGÇÖi and #5 Florida at the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic. The Buffs bounced back with three straight sweeps at the Colorado Invitational to finish the nonconference schedule above .500 for the 18th straight season.
Colorado started the conference season with a huge win over the then-17th-ranked Mizzou Tigers. The Buffs won in five games on their home court. CU extended its win streak to five as the Buffs swept Texas Tech on the road.
The Buffs recorded their first conference loss against No. 5 Texas, but came back with a five-game win against Kansas. CU also recorded a three-game win over Texas A&M before falling to Oklahoma to land at 4-2. The Buffs came back with a win on the road against K-State for the first time since Nov. 13, 1999, before falling to Iowa State and Nebraska. The Buffs finished the first half of the Big 12 schedule with a win over Baylor.
CU started the second half of the Big 12 season off with a sweep of Texas Tech.
Senior Ashley NuGÇÖu has tallied 739 assists to average 12.11 per game, which ranks sixth in the Big 12. In league only matches, she is averaging 12.29 assists, which is fifth. Freshman Kaitlyn Burkett made her collegiate debut with one game against Florida. She has seen action in eight games this season, dishing out 33 assists to average 4.25 per game. Thanks to the direction of NuGÇÖu and Burkett, the Buffs are hitting .233 on the season; sixth in the league. In conference matches, CU is hitting .233, which ranks fifth.
Colorado has averaged 15.82 kills per game this season, which ranks fifth. Junior Amber Sutherland leads CU with 4.40 kills per game, which is good for seventh in the league. Sutherland is averaging 4.68 in Big 12 contests for second. Sophomore Mallori Gibson adds 3.05 kpg and is averaging a team best 0.34 aces per game.
On the right side, sophomore Alex Buth is averaging 1.98 kills per game. Buth is also averaging 2.05 digs and 0.59 blocks per game, while hitting .202.
The Buffalo middles have been taking care of business in 2006. Senior Lara Bossow has averaged 2.12 kills per game. She adds 0.73 blocks per game and is hitting at .280. Sophomore Lauren Schaefer adds a team-high 0.76 blocks per game, along with 2.33 kpg. She is hitting .332 overall (ninth in the Big 12) and .358 in league contests (fourth). Senior Austin Zimmerman has recorded 1.91 kpg and is hitting .342 (eighth in the Big 12). Zimmerman is fifth in league only matches at .350.
Junior transfer Kristen Karlik ranks first for the Buffs with 4.00 digs per game and ranks sixth in the league. She has also added 12 aces, including two against then-fifth-ranked Florida. Sophomore transfer Callie Webster has picked up 96 digs on the year to average 1.68 dpg in 57 games.
In other conference only matches statistics, the Buffs are fifth in assists (14.37), sixth in kills (15.32), sixth in opponent hitting percentage (.229) and are fourth in aces with 1.41.
ABOUT THE AGGIES: Texas A&M is currently 10-9 overall and 3-8 in the Big 12 and is tied for seventh in the league standings. The Aggies are 3-7 in their last 10 and are 2-4 in conference matches on their home court.
Mary Batis leads the Aggies with 3.75 kills per game and is hitting .201 on the season. Christi Hahn ranks second on the team with 3.40 kpg and has the best hitting percentage at .386.
The Aggies are hitting .225, ninth in the league, under the direction of Meghan Kainz and Courtnee Rhodes. Kainz is averaging 11.47 assists per game and Rhodes is averaging 8.64.
TAMU is picking up 16.10 digs per game, led by Zanny Castillo with 3.36 dpg. Batis is second with 3.30 and Lindsay Yon is recording 2.97 per game.
Kelly Stanton is the Aggies top blocker with 1.33 bpg. TAMU averages 2.62 per game.
THE SERIES: Texas A&M owns a 15-7 advantage over Colorado. The Buffs are 4-6 in the last 10 meetings with the Aggies. CU took the first meeting this season 3-0.
A DECADE WITH PIGÇÖI AIU: PiGÇÖi Aiu (pronounced P-E I-U) begins his 10th season as ColoradoGÇÖs head coach sporting a career record of 174-111. The 1997 Big 12 and District V Coach of the Year, Aiu has led the Buffs to eight NCAA Tournaments in nine seasons, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 1997. Under his guidance, the Buffs have sported three All-Americans, 10 All-Region, and 21 All-Big 12 performers. Aiu has been involved in the Colorado volleyball program in some capacity since its inception in 1986.
Aiu, who has led the Buffs to a 115-76 record in Big 12 matches, is joined on the bench this season by seventh-year assistant Jil Thomason and third-year assistant and USA Olympian, Erik Sullivan.
Aiu is 7-12 against the Aggies; however, Texas A&M only owns a slight lead in games over the Buffs at 37-32.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME: The Buffs swept Texas A&M at the Coor Events Center in Boulder on Sept. 27, 30-23, 30-28, 30-22.
Amber Sutherland led CU with 15 kills and 10 digs. Austin Zimmerman recorded 11 kills on 15 errorless swings to hit a match-high .733.
Ashley NuGÇÖu handed out 41 assists, helping CU to a .287 hitting percentage. She added four kills of her own and hit .500 on the night.
Kristen Karlik picked up nine digs; while NuGÇÖu and Callie Webster each totaled eight.
The Buffs held TAMU to a .173 attack percentage. The only Aggie to record double-digits in kills was Christi Hahn. Mary Batis tallied nine and Kelly Stanton recorded eight.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Amber Sutherland recorded 24 kills and led Colorado to a sweep of Texas Tech on Saturday night in the Coors Events Center. The Buffs recorded their seventh sweep of the season, using scores of 30-21, 30-27, 33-31 to secure the victory. CU improved to 11-7 overall and 7-4 in the Big 12; while TTU dropped to 10-10 overall and 3-8 in the Big 12.
The Buffs hit .265 on the night with 59 kills. Ashley NuGÇÖu dished out 50 assists, averaging over 16.00 per game. NuGÇÖu hit a match-best .500 with three kills on six errorless swings. Sutherland hit .341. Lauren Schaefer and Austin Zimmerman each hit .286. Schaefer, who has been on a roll the last few matches, hammered 10 kills. Zimmerman recorded five. Alex Buth notched 12 kills to hit .269.
Colorado picked up 58 digs, with 18 coming from Kristen Karlik. Sutherland added 11 for her eighth double-double of the season. NuGÇÖu tallied eight and Buth and Callie Webster each picked up seven.
The Buffs put up 6.5 total blocks, including two solos and two assists from Zimmerman. Sutherland also had three assists.
CU won the first game handily by a 30-21 margin, never trailing in the frame. The Buffs hit .371 and held TTU to a .156 attack percentage. Schaefer was a perfect four-for-four and hit 1.000. Sutherland hit .400 with nine kills. Sutherland also added seven digs in the set. NuGÇÖu handed out 17 assists.
The second game was much closer, but the Buffs took it 30-27. CU hit .267 and the Red Raiders hit .143. CU recorded 19 kills on 45 swings. Sutherland notched five kills (.154) and Buth added four. Zimmerman tallied three kills on five errorless swings to hit .600.
The final game went back-and-forth the entire way and needed extra points in order for CU to secure the victory. The Red Raiders had game point at 31-30, but the Buffs came back with three straight points to win the match 33-31. Sutherland hammered 10 kills in the game and hit .438 and NuGÇÖu dished out a game-high 20 assists in the frame. Karlik picked up 11 digs.
TAKING THE LITTLE APPLE: Colorado won its first match in Manhattan, Kan., since Nov. 3, 1999. It was also the first three-game victory over the Wildcats in Kansas since Nov. 19, 1994.
SUPER STAR: Amber Sutherland recorded a career-high 35 kills against No. 17 Missouri on Sept. 13. It was the third-most kills any CU player has recorded in a match (the most being 40 by Sarah Lodge in 1997). Sutherland also hit at a clip of .397, added four assists, four block assists and 14 digs. Only five other Buffs have hit 30 or more kills in a match. Sarah Lodge did it twice (40 and 36), as did Karrie Downey (34 twice). They are joined by current AVP standout Rachel Wacholder (32), Staci Wolfe (31) and Tina Murray (30). Sutherland
was also named Big 12 Player of the Week for her efforts.
BIG 12 OPENERS: The Buffs have won four of its five last Big 12 openers; including one in 2004 against No. 15 Kansas State. The only Big 12 opener CU has dropped in the last five years was in 2005 against No. 18 Texas in Austin.
A THREE-GAME RECORD: Colorado set a school record for hitting percentage in a three-game match against Central Connecticut State at .528 at the Colorado Invitational on Sept. 8. The Buffs recorded 56 kills on 89 swings and committed just nine errors. It is also the highest hitting percentage recorded in a match for CU.
THE NEWEST BUFFS: The Colorado volleyball coaching staff recently had two additions in the month of August. On Friday, August 11, Erik and Amanda Sullivan welcomed a baby boy, Cade Kian. The SullivansGÇÖ also have a daughter, Shaye (4). Jil and Chance Thomason added a baby girl, Matilda Jane, to their family on Thursday, August 31. She joins sisters Isabel (5) and Josephine (3).
A HELPING HAND: Andy Klussmann, a veteran volleyball coach, filled in for Colorado assistant coach Jil Thomason while she is on maturnity leave. Klussmann was the second assistant coach at Colorado State University from 2000-04. During that time, he was responsible for working with the middle blockers, travel, recruiting and scouting.
Klussmann played volleyball at UCLA from 1983-86 and helped the Bruins win back-to-back national championships in 1983-84. In 1984, the team went 38-0 enroute to the championship.
Klussmann has found his way back to coaching after making a remarkable recovery from a tragic car accident in 2004 that claimed his wife JannaGÇÖs life. This past club season, he coached the Norco 17 Black team. As for joining the Colorado volleyball team, Klussmann says, "IGÇÖm having a great time."
Klussmann has two stepchildren, Sarah and Seth and two young sons, Drew and Jackson and resides in Fort Collins, Colo.
BUFF BITS: Austin Zimmerman averaged 6.00 digs in the season opener against DU...CU played to a crowd of 7,071 against HawaiGÇÖi (9/2) in Honolulu...Alex Buth was the lone CU representative on the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic All-Tournament Team... Freshman Kaitlyn Burkett made her collegiate debut against #5 Florida and added seven assists and two kills...Ashley NuGÇÖu was named the Colorado Invitational All-Tournament Team MVP...Kristen Karlik and Amber Sutherland were also named to the team...Lauren Schaefer and Ashley NuGÇÖu recorded zero errors against Cincinnati (9/7). Schaefer hammered 11 kills on 16 swings (.688) and NuGÇÖu tallied six kills on nine swings (.667)...Kristen Karlik became the first Buff to record more that 20 digs in a match since 2003 with 21 against Cincinnati (9/7)...CU hit a school-record .528 hitting percentage in a three-game match against Central Connecticut State (9/8)...Seven Buffs hit above .400 against CCSU, with four hitting above .600...Kaitlyn Burkett dished out 17 assists in two games against CCSU (9/8)...The Buffs launched 10 aces against Southern Miss (9/9) for the first time since 2003...Amber Sutherland recorded 35 kills to become the sixth Buff to reach 30 or more kills in a match against Missouri (9/13). The 35 kills was the third highest total in school history...Kristen Karlik notched 26 digs against Mizzou, becoming the first Buff since 2003 to pick up 25 or more digs...The Buffs are on a five-match win streak...Amber Sutherland was named the Big 12 Conference Volleyball Player of the Week on Sept. 18...Mallori Gibson and Amber Sutherland each tallied 18 kills against Kansas (9/23)...Gibson was named the CU Athlete of the Week on Sept. 25...CU swept Texas A&M (9/27) for the first time since Nov. 11, 2000...Austin Zimmerman recorded 11 kill matches in back-to-back wins against Kansas (9/23) and Texas A&M (9/27)...Colorado is 7-1 at home and is 2-1 in five-game matches this season... The loss to OU in Boulder marked the first time CU has fallen to the Sooners on its home court since Oct. 13, 1988... Amber Sutherland recorded 25 kills against OU (9/30), recording the third-highest total in her career...CU recorded its first win in Manhattan, Kan., since Nov. 3, 1999 on Oct. 7...Amber Sutherland was the only Buff to reach double-figures in kills with 18 against KSU (10/7). Kristen Karlik was the only Buff with double-figures in digs at 17...Jil ThomasonGÇÖs first match back after maturnity leave was on Oct. 11 against ISU...CU rallied from a 1-2 deficit to defeat Baylor on Oct. 18 in Waco, Texas.
WHAT A SCHEDULE: The Big 12 continues to be one of the best conferences in the nation, boosting four teams in the 2006 CSTV/AVCA Division I Coaches Poll. Nebraska tops the poll for the second straight season, while Texas is the second-highest ranking Big 12 team at No. 8, followed by Missouri at 16th. Oklahoma moved up three spots from last weekGÇÖs poll to 20th.
Colorado already faced Florida, HawaiGÇÖi and UCLA during the second week in the season. All three of those teams were ranked in the top-10.
COORS SWEET COORS: Colorado will call the Coors Events/Conference Center home for the 18th straight season. The Buffs are 196-67 all time at the CECC for a winning percentage of .745. CU is 8-2 at the CECC this season.