Colorado University Athletics
Colorado Hosts Baylor For Senior Night
ON TAP: Colorado (15-9, 11-6 Big 12) will host Baylor (18-13, 6-12 Big 12) in its final home match of the year on Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. It will be the final home match for four seniors: Lara Bossow, Amber and Ashley NuGÇÖu and Austin Zimmerman.
Fans are asked to bring a can of corn for the food drive and will receive $1 admission with the donation in honor of CUGÇÖs victory over top-ranked Nebraska on Nov. 11. The donations will benefit the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless.
ABOUT THE BUFFS: Colorado is 15-10 overall and 11-7 in the Big 12. The Buffs are currently tied for fourth in the league standings with 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 No. 21 Missouri. The Buffs swept Kansas and upset top-ranked Nebraska. CU dropped its next match to No. 14 Oklahoma and is currently 15-10 overall, 11-7 in the Big 12.
Senior Ashley NuGÇÖu has tallied 1,133 assists to average 12.45 per game, which ranks fifth in the Big 12. In league only matches, she is averaging 12.65 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 .222 on the season; seventh in the league. In conference matches, CU is hitting .218, which ranks sixth.
Colorado has averaged 15.66 kills per game this season, which ranks fourth in the conference. Junior Amber Sutherland leads CU with 4.25 kills per game, which is good for fourth in the league. Sutherland is averaging 4.37 in Big 12 contests, which is tied for third. Sophomore Mallori Gibson adds 3.28 kpg and is averaging a team best 0.31 aces per game.
On the right side, sophomore Alex Buth is averaging 2.06 kills per game. Buth is also averaging 2.01 digs and 0.56 blocks per game.
The Buffalo middles have been taking care of business in 2006. Senior Lara Bossow has averaged 1.99 kills per game. She adds 0.81 blocks per game and is hitting .241. Sophomore Lauren Schaefer adds a team-high 0.88 blocks per game (73 total), along with 2.33 kpg. She is hitting .300 overall and .309 in league contests (10th in the Big 12). Senior Austin Zimmerman has recorded 1.80 kpg and is second in the team with 0.82 bpg and is hitting .335 (sixth in the Big 12). Zimmerman is fourth in league only matches at .337.
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 18 aces which include two in CUGÇÖs upset of #1 Nebraska. Sophomore transfer Callie Webster has picked up 158 digs on the year to average 1.86 dpg in 85 games.
In conference only matches statistics, the Buffs are sixth in aces (1.27), assists (14.44), in kills (15.32), seventh in opponent hitting percentage (.239), ninth in blocks (2.37) and 10th in digs (14.58).
ABOUT THE BEARS: Baylor owns an 18-13 overall record and is 6-12 in the Big 12. The Bears are 5-5 in their last 10 matches and are 3-2 in their last five.
The Bears are hitting .232; while their opponents are being held to a .177 attack percentage. BU averages 15.01 kills per game. Nicole LeBlanc leds the squad with 3.31 kpg. Desiree Guilliard-Young adds 2.91 and hits a team high .345 (fifth in the conference) and Anna Breyfogle notches 2.77 kpg while hitting .316.
The later two also lead the Bears in blocking. Guilliard-Young puts up 1.55 bpg and Breyfogle adds 1.37. Guilliard-Young ranks second in the league and Breyfogle is sixth. BU averages 3.12 bpg to rank fourth in the Big 12.
Taylor Barnes has been directing the Bears all season. She has collected 1,251 assists this season and averages 11.37 per game for ninth in the league. Barnes leads the Big 12 in aces per game with 0.57 per game. She is the younger sister of former CU Buff Allison Barnes (2001-04).
Baylor averages 15.82 digs per game and is led by Kristen Schramek. She averages 4.06 per game and ranks sixth in the league.
THE SERIES: Colorado owns a 20-2 advantage over the Bears. The Buffs have won the last 12 meetings against Baylor. The last time BU won a match against the Buffs was on Oct. 4, 2000 in Boulder. That win is the only time the Bears have won at the Coors Events Center.
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 177-114. 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 119-79 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 Baylor.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME BETWEEN THESE TWO?: Colorado barely escaped with a 3-2 win against Baylor on Wednesday night at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas. The Buffs won the first game handily at 30-16, but dropped the next two by scores of 34-36 and 26-30. CU rallied back to take the fourth game 30-27; forcing the fifth game. The Buffs won the final frame in exciting fashion at 18-16 and extended their win streak to 12 against the Bears.
Alex Buth had a career night, leading the Buffs to victory. Buth recorded a career-high 14 kills on 28 swings with just one error and hit a team-high .457. She recorded her second career double-double by picking up 11 digs. Buth also added 5 block assists and three aces.
Colorado recorded 69 kills and attacked at a .200 percentage. Ashley NuGÇÖu handed out 57 assists in the win. Amber Sutherland led CU with 22 kills and Lauren Schaefer recorded 14 kills while hitting .357.
After the Buffs dropped the second and third games, CU needed some fresh legs in the match. Austin Zimmerman entered and helped turn the game in favor of CU with two kills and four block assists. Her impact was especially felt in the fifth set as she picked up a dig, a kill and a block assist with Lara Bossow to seal the victory for the Buffs.
The Buffs recorded 71 digs. Kristin Karlik notched 20 for the third time this season. Sutherland picked up 12, NuGÇÖu added 11 and Callie Webster recorded nine.
Colorado also recorded 12.5 blocks, compared to 15.0 Baylor blocks. Besides the five assists from Buth, Schaefer put up 4 assists, Sutherland added one solo and two assists and NuGÇÖu added four assists.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Mallori Gibson recorded a career-high 24 kills and hit .320, but it was not enough to help Colorado as the Buffs dropped a five-game thriller to No. 14 Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., on Saturday night. The Buffs fell to 15-10 overall and 11-7 in the Big 12. CU is currently tied with Iowa State for fourth place.
This is the second time CU has fallen to Oklahoma in five games this season. It also marks the first time CU has lost back-to-back matches to the Sooners since 1988.
Ashley NuGÇÖu handed out 65 assists while the Buffs hit .169 on the night with 72 kills on 209 swings. Oklahoma hit .276 with 83 kills on 203 attacks. NuGÇÖu is now just 100 assists away from third on CUGÇÖs career assists chart with 4,096.
Austin Zimmerman played the final two games for the Buffs and hit a team and match-high .714. She recorded five kills on seven errorless attacks.
Amber Sutherland and Alex Buth each hammered 13 kills in the match. Buth hit .276. Lara Bossow added eight kills and hit .227. Lauren Schaefer and NuGÇÖu each tallied three kills in the effort.
The Buffs and Sooners each picked up 77 digs. Kristen Karlik led the Buffs with 21. It is the sixth time this season she has recorded 20 or more digs in a match. Sutherland and Buth each recorded a double-double, adding 18 and 13 digs, respectively. Bossow notched seven and NuGÇÖu and Webster also picked up six digs.
CU put up 9.0 blocks and was led by Lauren Schaefer with five assists. NuGÇÖu recorded one solo and three assists and Sutherland added four assists. OU recorded 19.0.
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 (11/6-11/12). 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.
BETTER THAN LAST YEAR: Colorado is currently 15-10 overall and 11-7 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 two 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 6-2 record in five-game matches this season for a .750 winning percentage. The only two five-game losses for the Buffs this season have come at the hands of 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.
WHAT A SCHEDULE: The Big 12 continues to be one of the best conferences in the nation, boosting three 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. Oklahoma moved up to 13th. Colorado, Missouri and Iowa State are all receiving votes this week.
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 198-68 all time at the CECC for a winning percentage of .744. CU is 10-3 at the CECC this season.
21st SEASON: The 2006 season will be the 21st for the Colorado volleyball program. Since debuting as a varsity program in the fall of 1986, the Buffs have an overall record of 387-245, including one conference title (Big Eight in 1993). CU has advanced to 15 NCAA Tournaments in 19 years, 14 of which have come since 1991. The Buffs are one of only 15 NCAA Division I programs with at least 14 appearances since 1991.