Colorado University Athletics
Buffaloes Set To Face No. 12 Wildcats
THE MATCHES: The University of Colorado (6-19, 1-16) will be back in action on Saturday, Nov. 17 against No. 12 Kansas State. The match time has been changed from 6 p.m. to 6:30.
HEAD COACH PIGÇÖI AIU: PiGÇÖi Aiu (pronounced P-E I-U) is in his 11th season as ColoradoGÇÖs head coach sporting a career record of 186-135. He became the all-time winningest coach on Sept. 7 with a win against UCF (182). The 1997 Big 12 and District V Coach of the Year, Aiu has led the Buffs to nine NCAA Tournaments in 10 seasons, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 1997. Under his guidance, the Buffs have sported four All-Americans, 11 All-Region, and 24 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 121-96 record in Big 12 matches, is joined on the bench this season by eighth-year associate head coach Jil Thomason and fourth-year assistant and USA Olympian, Erik Sullivan.
Aiu 9-12 against Kansas State.
ABOUT THE BUFFS: Colorado is 6-19, 1-16 (Big 12) in the 2007 season.
The Buffs got out to a rough start, dropping their first two matches at the All-State Sugar Bowl Classic to Tulane and Furman. The Buffs were up 2-0 in both matches, but were unable to close out the match and dropped the final three games in each.
Colorado won three straight at the CU Invitational and improved to a 3-2 record. CU defeated UNC Wilmington and Central Florida at its tournament, but ended the weekend with a huge win against then-No. 11 California. All three wins were three-game sweeps.
The Buffs headed north to Fort Collins, for the Hilton Classic. They dropped the first match to Colorado State in three, but rebounded to sweep both Winthrop and Miami (Ohio).
CU started out the Big 12 season with a five-game loss to Texas Tech in Lubbock and a pair of five-game losses at home against Baylor and No. 16 K-State. The Buffs led at the side change in the fifth game, but were unable to convert in both. CU hit the road with the same result, losing in five to then No. 25. Texas defeated the Buffs in three to close the road swing.
The Buffs returned home, but still had the five-game curse, dropping a match to Missouri in five. Top-ranked Nebraska swept CU the following Saturday at home.
The bad luck continued for the Buffs as they dropped the next two matches on the road in four games. They fell to Kansas and Texas A&M. Colorado closed out the first half of the conference season with a five-game loss to Iowa State.
Colorado started the second half of the conference season with another five-game loss to Baylor and dropped matches against OU and UT at home. CU hit the road for a match against Iowa State, but was unable to get the victory.
The Buffs ended their losing streak on Nov. 3 with a four-game win over Texas Tech. It was the first four-game win of the season for CU.
Colorado dropped the next two matches to No. 2 Nebraska and Kansas.
The Buffs are hitting .220, which ranks seventh in the league. Sophomore Kaitlyn Burkett has dished out 1,176 assists (12.00 apg). Junior Lauren Schaefer leads the Buffs with a .360 hitting percentage and ranks seventh in the Big 12.
Sophomore Mallori Gibson is the team leader in kills with 3.17 per game (298). Junior Alex Buth is close behind with 3.04 kpg (301). Schaefer is third with 3.11 kpg. The Buffs average 14.63 kills per game and rank ninth in the Big 12.
Freshman Schylur Edelman leads the Buffs with 1.04 blocks per game (99 total).Schaefer is second with 0.83 and Buth is third with 0.70. Edelman has recorded 13 block solos to lead the Buffs. CU is averaging 2.21 blocks per game, which is 10th in the conference.
Junior Callie Webster is the team leader with 4.30 digs per game, which is third in the Big 12. Buth ranks second on the squad with 2.39 dpg and junior Ashley VenHorst adds 1.61. Colorado averages 13.81 digs per game and is 10th in the Big 12.
BUFFS AT HOME: Colorado will call the Coors Events/Conference Center home for the 19th straight season. The Buffs are 203-76 all time at the CECC for a winning percentage of .728.
ABOUT THE WILDCATS: Kansas State is currently ranked 12th in the nation. The Wildcats sport a 21-7 record and are 13-5 in the league, where they are third. KSU has won eight of that last 10 and six of the last seven.
K-State is hitting .263, which is fourth in the Big 12. Megan Farr leads the team with a .384 attack percentage. Stacey Spiegelberg is averaging 13.34 assists per game, third in the Big 12.
Natalya Korobkova hammers 4.43 kills per game and Rita Liliom adds 3.56. The Wildcats are hitting 16.25 per game, third in the conference.
KSU is putting up 2.91 blocks per game. Three Wildcats are averaging more than 1.00 blocks per game. Korobkova has put up 1.42 and Farr adds 1.35. Liliom is slightly less at 1.15.
K-StateGÇÖs passing is lead by Angie LastraGÇÖs 4.90 digs per game, second in the Big 12. The Wildcats record 15.00 digs in a game.
THE SERIES: Colorado owns a 25-17 advantage in the series against the Wildcats. KSU has won six of the last 10 meetings, but CU has won four of the last seven. The Buffs fell earlier this season to KSU in five games.
THE STREAK IS OVER: CU ended the longest losing streak in its 22-year history on Nov. 3 against Texas Tech. The Buffaloes dropped 14 straight matches dating back to Sept. 12. Seven of the 14 matches went to five games.
FIVE UP: Colorado has played in 10 five-game matches this season. The school record for five-game matches in a season is 11, which was set in 2005. CU was 7-4 in those matches.
COUNTDOWN TO 400: The Buffs are just three wins from the programGÇÖs 400th overall win with 397. CU has averaged 18.62 wins per year over the last 21 years.
BLOCKING FEVER: Colorado recorded two school blocking records on Oct. 17 against Iowa State. The Buffs recorded 26.0 team blocks and 42 block assists. Three Buffaloes recorded 10 or more blocks. They were led by Lauren Schaefer with 12 (one solo and 11 assists), Schylur Edelman with 11 (two solos and nine assists) and Kaitlyn Burkett with 10 (one solo and nine assists). Alex Buth also tied a career-high with eight block assists.
30 IS THE NEW 20: Junior Callie Webster recorded 33 digs against Missouri (10/3) and became the first Buff since 1995 to record 30 or more digs in a match. Webster was one shy of tying the record for a five-game match (34) which is help by former Buff and current AVP standout Rachel Wacholder. The all-time record for digs in a match is 41, which is held by Karrie Downey (11/5/94 vs. ISU). Webster ties the fifth highest amount recorded in a match. She was also named the leagueGÇÖs defensive player of the week (10/1-10/7).
FIVE NOT SO KIND: The Buffs havenGÇÖt been able to win a five-game match this season, despite being up 2-0 in three matches. All five of CUGÇÖs victories have come when CU can close of the contest in three games.
THE HOUSE: Freshman Schylur Edelman recorded a career-high 12 block assists on Sept. 22 against Kansas State. It was the first time since Dec. 1, 2006 that a Buff put up 10 or more blocks (Austin Zimmerman, one solo and nine assists). It was also the first time since Sept. 15, 2004 that a Buff recorded 10 or more block assists. Lara Bossow put up 11 against K-State.
20/20: Junior Alex Buth recorded 21 kills and 23 digs on Sept. 12 against Texas Tech to become the first Buff since 2002 to record a 20-20 double-double. The last time a Buff recorded a 20-20 double-double was Nicole Carr on Sept. 13, 2002 against Texas-Arlington. She recorded 20 kills and 24 digs. This was the 23rd time in CU history a 20-20 or better double-double was recorded.
STARTING OFF ON A HIGH NOTE: CU hit a school record .534 (57k-10e-88att) against UNC Wilmington on August 31. The mark also ranks first in the Big 12 for the year.
KNOCKING ?EM OFF: The Buffs defeated then-No. 11 California 30-28, 30-25, 30-28 to win the CU Invitational on Sept. 2. CU recorded 52 kills, 41 digs and 2.0 blocks while hitting .228. Cal tallied 42 kills, 38 digs and 16.0 blocks while hitting .226. Cal was the first ranked opponent the Buffs faced in 2007.
ONE, TWO, THREE!: All five of CUGÇÖs non-conference wins came in three games. That included a win over then-No. 11 California. The Buffs were 5-2 during the non-conference season when taking the first two games.
ABOVE .500 AGAIN: CU finished its non-conference schedule above .500 for its 19th straight season, which means the Buffs havenGÇÖt held a losing non-conference record since its second season as a varsity sport in 1987.
FROSH IMPACT: Colorado has had to rely on several freshman during the 2007 season and the Buffs have not been disappointed. Schylur Edelman (Sterling, Colo.) has stepped right into her starting role in the middle and Ellen Henry (Long Beach, Calif.) has helped with CUGÇÖs passing due to the loss of Amber Sutherland.
YOUNGINS: CU has three seniors on its roster; however, only one has seen time during a match this season. The Buffs have five juniors, three sophomore and seven freshmen. At any time on the court, there can be three to four underclassmen racking up the points for the Buffs.
22 YEARS AND GOING STRONG: The 2007 season is the 22nd for the Colorado volleyball program. Since debuting as a varsity program in the fall of 1986, the Buffs have an overall record of 397-264, including one conference title (Big Eight in 1993).
CU has advanced to 16 NCAA Tournaments in 21 years, 15 of which have come since 1991. The Buffs are one of only 14 NCAA Division I programs with at least 15 appearances since 1991.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Emilie Sisco put up a career-high 30 kills, but it wasnGÇÖt enough to stop the Kansas Jayhawks, who beat out the Buffs in five games on Saturday, Nov. 10 at the Coors Events Center. Game scores were 30-16, 30-24, 24-30, 31-33, 11-15.
Sisco became just the seventh Buff in CU history to record 30 or more kills in a match. She joins teammate Amber Sutherland, who recorded 35 kills against Missouri on Sept. 13, 2006, in this exclusive club.
Alex Buth added 16 kills on 33 attempts, good for .303, and added 10 digs for her 12th double-double of the season. The Buffs hit .271 on the evening; Kaitlyn Burkett dished out 62 assists and hit a team-best .455.
Mallori Gibson recorded a career-high five service aces in the first game. Gibson is the second Buff this season to put up five service aces in a match; Burkett matched GibsonGÇÖs record against Baylor on Oct. 20 this season.
Colorado recorded 14.0 team blocks compared to KUGÇÖs 10.0. Rosie Steinhaus put up a career-high nine blocks in the effort (one solo, eight assists). Burkett recorded six block assists and Schylur Edelman added five.
Colorado came out strong in the first game, allowing a tie score only once and keeping the lead, managing a 30-16 victory. The Buffs also managed to keep the lead throughout the second game. The two teams battled for the fourth game, exchanging the lead ten times and staying tied 21 times. Kansas owned the fifth game, never allowing Colorado to steal the lead.
CU fell to 6-19 overall and 1-16 in the Big 12. Kansas improved to 12-15, 5-12. This was the 10th five-game match the Buffs have lost this season and the fourth they have lost after winning the first two games.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT (2): The University of Colorado volleyball team dropped its second match of the season to the No. 2 Nebraska Cornhuskers in front of 4,136 at the Nebraska Coliseum in Lincoln, Neb. The game scores were 17-30, 22-30 and 20-30.
Emilee Sisco led the Buffs for the second straight match with 13 kills. She hit just .114 but she led CU with 35 attacks.
Schylur Edelman also had a good night for CU. She recorded eight kills on 22 errorless swings to hit a team-high .364. Edelman also added three block assists.
The Buffs recorded just 27 kills in the match and hit .147 while Nebraska notched a .394 attack percentage with 54 kills. Mallori Gibson and Alex Buth were held in check by the Huskers. Gibson hit just six kills and Buth recorded one.
The Buffs picked up 40 digs to NUGÇÖs 62. Callie Webster led the effort with 10 digs and moved up to sixth on the single-season chart with 408 digs this season. Kaitlyn Burkett recorded nine and Buth added seven.
The Huskers put up 8.0 team blocks to CUGÇÖs 6.0. Rosie Steinhaus put up CUGÇÖs only block solo and added a pair of assists. Buth and Gibson each recorded two.
The Huskers took off to a 9-3 lead in the first game before Aiu called CUGÇÖs first timeout of the match. CU was able to string together its first pair of points (six and seven) off a pair block assists (both involving Edelman) and cut the HuskersGÇÖ lead to five. The Buffs were not able to put anything together and NU pulled out to a 22-12 lead and never let go.
Sisco recorded six kills in the set and hit a team-best .500. The Buffs hit .308 with 13 kills on 39 swings with just one error, but the Huskers recorded 23 kills on 37 attacks with three errors to hit .541. The Buffs did record 3.0 blocks compared to NUGÇÖs 1.0.
The second game started out with the Huskers pulling out an 11-3 lead. CU earned five of the next seven points to cut the lead to five (13-8). CU put its longest run of the match together in the second game when the Buffs took four straight points off GibsonGÇÖs serve to bring the score to 18-24. Gibson recorded a kill and an ace, while Edelman added a block and a kill. The Buffs fought off the first two game points, but the Huskers finished the game with a 6-4 run.
CU recorded just eight kills in the second game and hit .000 with eight errors on 39 attacks. Nebraska recorded 11 points for CU by notching 11 errors, five service errors and six attack errors. The Buffs did hold NU to a .263 hitting percentage in the game with 16 kills.
Colorado took its first lead of the match in the third game after putting together four straight points to go up 6-5. The Huskers came back with their own 4-0 run to regain the lead. The Buffs got right back in the game and within one point at 12-13. CU battled but Nebraska recorded an 11-2 run which included eight consecutive points to pull out to a commanding 23-14 lead.
The Buffs hit a match-low six kills in the third game. They recorded just three errors and hit .125. Nebraska hit .379 with 15 kills.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME (versus KSU): CU lost a five-game heartbreaker to No. 16 Kansas State on Sat., Sept. 22, at the Coors Events Center 24-30, 30-24, 30-27, 27-30, 12-15. Alex Buth tied her career-high with 21 kills and hit .486 to lead the Buffs.
The loss marks the third straight for the Buffs as they fell to 5-6 overall and 0-3 in the Big 12. It was the fifth five-game loss for CU on the season.
Colorado recorded a season-high 18.0 blocks due largely to Schylur Edelman. Edelman recorded a career-best 12 block assists to become the first Buff since Austin Zimmerman on Dec. 1, 2006 to record 10 or more blocks in a match. Edelman leads the Buffs with 39 blocks on the year. Buth added seven block assists.
Lauren Schaefer was a bright spot as she returned to the Buffalo line-up after suffering an ankle injury against Texas Tech on Sept. 12. Schaefer recorded 12 kills and seven blocks (one solo and six assists).
Emilee Sisco also put down 12 kills. Kelsey Loop added nine and Edelman added eight. Kaitlyn Burkett handed out 58 of CUGÇÖs 63 assists. She also added seven kills and hit .500.
The Buffaloes recorded 75 digs, 12 more than the WildcatsGÇÖ 58. Callie Webster picked up a career-best 28 and added a kill. Buth earned another double-double with 12 digs while Ashley VenHorst added 11 digs.
THOMASON PROMOTED, NUGÇÖU NAMED UNDERGRADUATE COACH: Jil Thomason has been promoted to Associate Head Coach. Thomason begins her eighth season as ColoradoGÇÖs top assistant and recruiting coordinator. She works with the BuffsGÇÖ setters and assists in off-campus recruiting.
In her first seven years, she has coached CUGÇÖs setters to two All-American honors, four All-Central Region and four All-Big 12 honors, including CUGÇÖs first American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American honor in Ashley NuGÇÖu in 2006.
Prior to coaching at CU, Thomason spent time as an assistant at the University of Denver and Utah.
The Glen Ridge, N.J., native earned a bachelorGÇÖs degree in English from Wyoming in 1995. The former Jil Robins and her husband, Chance, reside in Louisville. The couple has three children, Isabel Mimi (6), Josephine Didi (4) and Matilda Jane (1).
Aiu also announced that former CU volleyball standout NuGÇÖu will join the coaching staff this season as the undergraduate coach. NuGÇÖu became the fifth Buff to earn All-America recognition as she was named to the AVCA All-America Third Team and was an honorable mention selection on the Asics/Volleyball Magazine All-American Team. NuGÇÖu ranks third all-time on CUGÇÖs assists chart with 4,315. She is 14th on the blocks list (243), 25th in digs (573) and 30th in kills (541).
NuGÇÖu was named the AVCA Division I National Player of the Week after she led CU to its first victory over a No. 1 ranked opponent against Nebraska on Nov. 11 in front of a Coors Events Center record crowd of 4,111. She was named the Big 12 Player of the Week twice in her career and the CU Athlete of the Week three times. NuGÇÖu trained with the U.S. National Indoor team earlier this year.
SUTHERLAND TO REDSHIRT: Senior Amber Sutherland will redshirt the 2007 season. Sutherland, who was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, was fourth in the Big 12 in kills last season (4.18 kpg) and was third in the league only standings (4.32). She ranks 15th overall on CUGÇÖs career kills chart with 908 kills and is looking to become the 13th Buff to reach the 1,000th-career kill mark. Sutherland has also been a key part of CUGÇÖs passing game. In 2006 she was second on the squad with 312 digs. She ranks 24th on the career list with 618.
BUFF BITS: Colorado dropped its season opener for the first time since 2002 when it fell to UCLA in four games. CU went on to lose its first three at the HawaiGÇÖian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Volleyball Classic to Ohio State and HawaiGÇÖi...Schylur Edelman, Kelsey Loop and Kaitlyn Burkett earned their first starts against Tulane (8/24) to open the season...Kaitlyn Burkett dished out all 60 of CUGÇÖs assists against Tulane (8/24) for the first time since Ashley NuGÇÖu recorded 62 against Nebraska (11/11/06)...CU recorded a school record .534 hitting percentage against UNC Wilmington (8/31) and held the Seahawks to a .000 attack percentage...CU defeated No. 11 Cal in three games...CU won the Colorado Invitational for the second straight year by sweeping all three of its opponents...Mallori Gibson was the only Buff to record double-digit kills against Cal...Colorado earned its 200th win at the Coors Events Center against UNC Wilmington (8/31) 30-17, 30-18, 30-12...Emilee Sisco earned her first career start on Sept. 7 against Winthrop...CU won all five of its non-conference wins in three-game sweeps, including the win over No. 11 California...CU has not won a five-game match this year in five tries...CU put up 34 block assists for a total of 18.0 team blocks against Kansas State (9/22). It was the first time CU had recorded 30 or more block assists since Nov. 3, 2001 against TTU...Schylur Edelman put up 12 block assists for the first time since Sept. 15, 2004 when Lara Bossow recorded 11 assists against Kansas State...CU has played its ranked opponents well, but hasnGÇÖt been on the winning side. CU dropped to matches to ranked opponents but had the chance to win the match in either the third or fourth games...Kristen Karlik returned to the Buffalo line-up on Sept. 26 and recorded 13 digs...The Buffs started the Big 12 season at 0-14, which marked the worse start to the conference season in CU history as a member of the Big 12.