Colorado University Athletics
Buffaloes Look For Redemption Against #14 Oklahoma
ON TAP: Colorado (15-9, 11-6 Big 12) will travel to Norman, Okla., to take on #14 Oklahoma (23-5, 14-3) on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. The Sooners are third in the Big 12, while CU is two games behind at fourth.
TAKING DOWN GOLIATH: The Colorado Buffaloes defeated top-ranked Nebraska on Saturday, Nov. 11, for the first time since Oct. 28, 1997. The victory marked the first time CU has ever defeated a No. 1 ranked opponent in its 21-year history. The Buffs won in a five-game thriller.
NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Colorado senior setter Ashley NuGÇÖu was named the Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week for her performance in two Colorado victories last week. NuGÇÖu led the Buffs to a three-game win against Kansas and a five-game upset of the top-ranked and undefeated Nebraska Cornhuskers. Colorado earned its first win over a No. 1 ranked opponent for the first time in school history.
The Aurora, Colo., native handed out 107 assists in eight games, including all 62 of CUGÇÖs assists against Nebraska. She averaged 13.38 for the week. The Buffs hit .241 against the Jayhawks and .162 against the Huskers to average a .195 attack percentage. NuGÇÖu also added nine kills, an ace, 15 digs, two blocks and hit .400.
NuGÇÖu directed CU to its first win over Nebraska since Oct. 28, 1997 in front of a Coors Events Center record crowd of 4,111. The loss for NU was just its second conference loss in three seasons and its first loss since falling in the NCAA Championship match in 2005. Prior to the victory, the highest ranked opponent CU had defeated was fourth when the Buffs beat the Huskers in 1997.
In the match against Kansas, NuGÇÖu moved to fourth on CUGÇÖs all-time career assists chart. She is currently 165 assists from third on the list. With 1,068 assists this season, she is 15th on the single-season assists chart. She is also seventh (1,448) and 13th on the list (1,146).
For the week, NuGÇÖu averaged 1.12 kills, 0.12 aces, 1.88 digs, 0.25 blocks and 1.38 points per game. She was also named Big 12 Volleyball Player of the Week for the second time in her career. She was also selected on Oct. 31, 2005 after Colorado knocked off eighth-ranked Missouri in five games at Columbia.
NuGÇÖu is ColoradoGÇÖs first Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week since Nov. 8, 1999 when Kelly Campbell, also a setter, earned the honor. The Buffs have only received this national honor three times. The other Buff to be named was Sarah Lodge on Oct. 13, 1997. Allie Griffin earned national recognition last season and was the first Buff to be named the Collegiate Volleyball Update National Player of the Week on Oct. 18.
ABOUT THE BUFFS: Colorado is 15-9 overall and 11-6 in the Big 12. The Buffs are currently fourth in the league standings with one match up on Iowa State.
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.
The Buffs went 6-4 in the first half of the conference season. They recorded a huge win against then-17th-ranked Missouri and included victories against Texas Tech, Kansas, Texas A&M, Kansas State and Baylor. CU fell to #1 Nebraska, #5 Texas, Oklahoma and Iowa State.
CU started the second half of the Big 12 season off with a sweep of Texas Tech and then a five-game win over Texas A&M before falling to No. 8 Texas in three. The Buffs rebounded with a win against K-State, but then fell to Missouri. The Buffs swept Kansas and upset top-ranked Nebraska to improve to 11-6 in the Big 12.
Senior Ashley NuGÇÖu has tallied 1,068 assists to average 12.42 per game, which ranks fifth in the Big 12. In league only matches, she is averaging 12.62 assists, which is sixth. 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 .225 on the season; sixth in the league. In conference matches, CU is hitting .222, which also ranks sixth.
Colorado has averaged 15.74 kills per game this season, which ranks fourth in the conference. Junior Amber Sutherland leads CU with 4.34 kills per game, which is good for third in the league. Sutherland is averaging 4.50 in Big 12 contests, which is tied for second. Sophomore Mallori Gibson adds 3.19 kpg and is averaging a team best 0.31 aces per game.
On the right side, sophomore Alex Buth is averaging 2.05 kills per game. Buth is also averaging 1.98 digs and 0.58 blocks per game.
The Buffalo middles have been taking care of business in 2006. Senior Lara Bossow has averaged 2.02 kills per game. She adds 0.82 blocks per game and is hitting .243. Sophomore Lauren Schaefer adds a team-high 0.86 blocks per game (68 total), along with 2.41 kpg. She is hitting .311 overall and .323 in league contests (sixth). Senior Austin Zimmerman has recorded 1.78 kpg and is second in the team with 0.84 bpg and is hitting .325 (eighth in the Big 12). Zimmerman is seventh in league only matches at .323.
Junior transfer Kristen Karlik ranks first for the Buffs with 4.11 digs per game and ranks fifth in the league. In conference only matches, she is averaging 4.16 and ranks fourth. She has also added 17 aces which include two in CUGÇÖs upset of #1 Nebraska. Sophomore transfer Callie Webster has picked up 152 digs on the year to average 1.90 dpg in 80 games.
In conference only matches statistics, the Buffs are fifth in aces (1.34), sixth in assists (14.64), sixth in kills (15.54), seventh in opponent hitting percentage (.236), ninth in blocks (2.42) and 10th in digs (14.52).
ABOUT THE SOONERS: Oklahoma is currently 23-5 overall and is 14-3 in the Big 12. The Sooners are third in the conference.
OU has won its last three matches, including a five-game thriller at Missouri. The Sooners are hitting .259 and are directed by Rachel Jackson. Jackson is averaging 13.66 assists, which ranks second in the league.
Joanna Schmitt leads the Sooners with 4.26 kills per game and ranks fourth in the Big 12. Bridget Laplante is second in the squad with 3.17.
OUGÇÖs block ranks fourth in the league with 3.10 per game. Elaine Santos, who ranks third in the Big 12, is averaging 1.50 bpg. Laura Tomes also puts up 1.18.
The Sooners have held their opponents to a .168 hitting percentage. Anna Monsen leads OU with 4.80 digs per game (second in the Big 12). Schmitt adds 3.06.
THE SERIES: Colorado owns a 34-11 advantage over the Sooners. The Buffs are 8-2 in the last 10 meetings against OU.
A DECADE WITH PIGÇÖI AIU: PiGÇÖi Aiu (pronounced P-E I-U) is in his 10th season as ColoradoGÇÖs head coach sporting a career record of 177-113. 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 119-78 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 17-2 against Oklahoma.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME BETWEEN THESE TWO?: Amber Sutherland was ColoradoGÇÖs go-to-girl, recording 25 kills as CU (8-5, 4-2 Big 12) fell to Oklahoma (12-3, 4-1 Big 12) 30-22, 18-30, 21-30, 30-22 , 6-15 at the Coors Events Center on Saturday night in Boulder. It was the first loss Colorado has suffered on their home court as CU now owns a 7-1 record at the CECC.
The Buffs easily took the first game 30-22, but dropped the second and third game. CU fired back in the fourth game and got the crowd of 908 into the match. At 16-8 in the fourth game, Oklahoma Head Coach Santiago Restrepo was given a yellow card. CU won the game 30-22 to force the final set. The Buffs were unable to complete the upset by giving OU a 9-1 run in the fifth game.
Sutherland added 17 digs for her sixth double-double of the season. She put up three blocks, including two solos.
Ashley NuGÇÖu directed the Buffs to a .212 hitting percentage and recorded 61 assists. NuGÇÖu added nine digs and added a pair of blocks.
Lara Bossow added 11 kills for CU and hit .321. Mallori Gibson was also in double-figures as she tallied 10. Lauren Schaefer hit a team-best .375 with six kills on 16 errorless swings.
Colorado was putting up blocks, including seven solos, and recorded 15.0 in the match. Bossow notched six blocks assists and Alex Buth recorded five assists and one solo for a career-best.
Kristin Karlik picked up 16 digs for the Buffs and Callie Webster added a season-best with 11. Overall, CU notched 65, four more than the Sooners.
Amber NuGÇÖu tallied a season-high three kills in her first match back after missing eight contests this season.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Colorado (15-9, 11-6 Big 12) handed top-ranked Nebraska (23-1, 15-1 Big 12) its first loss of the season 19-30, 30-28, 15-30, 30-27, 15-12 here on Saturday night in front of a record crowd of 4,111 at the Coors Events Center. This marks the first time CU has defeated a No. 1 ranked opponent in its 21 year history.
The Buffs took their first game off Nebraska since Nov. 26, 2003. The Buffs took the second game in that match, but fell in four games. NebraskaGÇÖs loss to CU it just itGÇÖs second conference loss in three season. The win is the sixth overall for CU and is the first win for the Buffs over NU since Oct. 28 1997.
Austin Zimmerman carried Colorado with nine kills and 10 blocks, four solo and six assists. The last time a Buff recorded 10 blocks or more was Lara Bossow against Kansas State on Sept. 15, 2004. Zimmerman also hit .269 and had the best hitting percentage for CU.
NuGÇÖu directed CU to a .162 hitting percentage. She handed out 62 assists in the match and added three kills and eight digs.
Colorado hammered 68 kills, just one less than the Huskers. Amber Sutherland led CU with 18 kills and 11 digs. Gibson recorded 16 kills and Alex Buth notched 14 in the win.
On defense, Kristen Karlik recorded a match-high 22 digs. Callie Webster and Buth each picked up 11. Nebraska had a slight edge, recorded 74 in the match.
Nebraska put up 23.5 blocks to 12.0 for CU. Behind ZimmermanGÇÖs 10 blocks, Sutherland added four and Gibson added three. Tracy Stalls, a Colorado native for NU, had 12 block assists to lead the Huskers.
Nebraska held CU to a .070 hitting percentage in the first game. Alex Buth led the Buffs with four kills and hit .667. Gibson added three kills. The Huskers used an 8-0 run in the middle of the frame to take control of the game and went on to take it 30-19. The Huskers also dominated the third game, holding CU to a .028 attack percentage.
The Buffs won the second, fourth and fifth games, hitting .308 in the fifth to close the game. CU recorded 10 kills in the fifth, with just two errors and put up two blocks to seal the match.
BETTER THAN LAST YEAR: Colorado is currently 15-9 overall and 11-6 in the Big 12. The Buffs have tied the number of wins from the 2005 season when they finished 15-13. CU has also bettered its conference record by one win with three matches left. the 2005 team finished 10-10 in the Big 12.
RECORD CROWD: A Coors Events Center Colorado volleyball record crowd of 4,111 saw CU upset top-ranked Nebraska in five games on Saturday, Nov. 11. The previous record of 3,685 was set on Nov. 16, 1994 and was also against Nebraska. The Buffs fell 3-0 in that match.
SET IT UP: Ashley NuGÇÖu recorded all of CUGÇÖs 62 assists against Nebraska (11/11). It was the first time a CU setter has handed out all of the BuffGÇÖs assists since Nov. 3, 1999 when Kelly Campbell recorded all 58 assists against Kansas State in Manhattan, Kansas in five games.
WEGÇÖLL TAKE FIVE: Colorado owns a 6-1 record in five-game matches this season for a .857 winning percentage. The only five-game contest the Buffs lost was on Sept. 30 against Oklahoma.
CAREER-HIGH ANYONE?: Four Buffs either set a career-high or tied a career-high in a five-game win against Kansas State on Nov. 1. Ashley NuGÇÖu recorded 74 assists, which ranks 14th in school history. Lauren Schaefer recorded 19 kills and Alex Buth tallied 17. Mallori Gibson tied her career-best with 18 kills.
CAREER-HIGH PART 2: CU had four Buffs record 15 or more kills in a match on Nov. 1 against KSU for the first time since Sept. 6, 2001 when Meghan Barkman (15), Kim Taskey (16), Sonja Russell (15) and Monique Gerlach (16) did it against BYU. Besides Schaefer (19), Buth (17) and Gibson (18), Amber Sutherland added 18.
TAKIN CARE OF BUSINESS: Colorado completed the sweep of K-State on Nov. 1 for the first time since 1997. The Buffs have now won four of its last six meetings against the Wildcats.
BRING OUT THE BROOMS: The Buffs swept the season series against Texas A&M for the first time in school history. CU defeated A&M in three games on Sept. 27 in Boulder and completed the sweep on Oct. 25 with a five-game thriller. The win also marked the second straight season the Buffs have defeated the Aggies on their home court.
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 8-2 at home and is 4-1 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...The Buffs swept the 2006 season series against Texas A&M for the first time in school history...CU also swept the series against K-State for the first time since 1997...Four Buffs (Lauren Schaefer, Amber Sutherland, Mallori Gibson, Alex Buth) recorded 15 or more kills in a match on Nov. 1 against KSU for the first time since Sept. 6, 2001 against BYU...CU played its first four-game match against Mizzou on Nov. 4...The Buffs defeated Nebraska for the first time since 1997 and handed the Huskers their first loss of the season...The match was played in front of a record crowd of 4,111 at the Coors Events Center...Ashley NuGÇÖu recorded all of CUGÇÖs 62 assists in the victory.
NCAA SELECTION SHOW: The NCAA Divisions Volleyball Championship selection show will be televised at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 26 on ESPNEWS.