Colorado University Athletics
2007 Season Ending Notes
THE SEASON: The University of Colorado finished the 2007 season with a 6-22 overall record and was 1-19 in the Big 12. The Buffs finished with a .214 winning percentage.
SEASON NOTES: Colorado has only finished three seasons with less than 10 wins in a season: 1986 (6), 1987 (9) and 2007 (6). CU has only tallied 20 or more losses twice in school history (1987, 20; 2007, 22). The Buffs finished tied for 10th in the conference standings for the first time ever. They had never finished below seventh prior. In the history of the Big 12, only eight teams have finished with a 1-19 conference record and two have recorded 0-20 seasons.
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 186-138. 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, has led the Buffs to a 121-99 record in Big 12 matches. He was joined on the bench during the 2007 season by eighth-year associate head coach Jil Thomason and fourth-year assistant and USA Olympian, Erik Sullivan.
ABOUT THE BUFFS: Colorado finished the 2007 season 6-22 overall and 1-19 in the Big 12.
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 five matches to No. 2 Nebraska, Kansas, No. 12 Kansas State, Texas A&M and Missouri.
The Buffs hit .214, which ranked seventh in the league. Sophomore Kaitlyn Burkett dished out 1,285 assists (11.90 apg, seventh in the Big 12). Junior Lauren Schaefer led the Buffs with a .360 hitting percentage and ranked fifth in the Big 12.
Sophomore Mallori Gibson was the team leader in kills with 3.10 per game (322). Junior Alex Buth is close behind with 3.06 kpg (333) and sophomore Emilee Sisco adds 2.99 (248). The Buffs averaged 14.59 kills per game and rank ninth in the Big 12.
Freshman Schylur Edelman led the Buffs with 1.02 blocks per game (107 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 averaged 2.13 blocks per game, which was 11th in the conference.
Junior Callie Webster led the team with 4.28 digs per game, which is fifth in the Big 12. Buth ranks second on the squad with 2.40 dpg and Burkett adds 1.57. Colorado averaged 13.83 digs per game and was 10th in the Big 12.
BUFFS AT HOME: Colorado called the Coors Events/Conference Center home for the 19th straight season. The Buffs are 203-78 all time at the CECC for a winning percentage of .723.
THE STREAK IS OVER: CU suffered 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, 2007. Seven of the 14 matches went to five games.
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.
Interesting enough, Cal, one of CUGÇÖs six victories, was the team to knock Nebraska out of the 2007 NCAA Tournament, leaving the Huskers unable to defend their 2006 title. Cal make it to the 2007 Final Four and was knocked out by the 2007 Champion, Penn State.
FIVE UP: Colorado has played in 10 five-game matches this season and went 0-10 in those matches. Villanova and LSU played a NCAA Division I leading 13 five-game matches. Arkansas played 11 and CU, Illinois, Western Illinois, Missouri, Eastern Illinois, St. PeterGÇÖs, Virginia Commonwealth and Seton Hall all played in 10. (as compiled by Teri LaJeunesse, assistant director for athletic media relations at Western Illinois.
The school record for five-game matches in a season is 11, which was set in 2005. CU was 7-4 in those matches.
FIVE NOT SO KIND: The Buffs werenGÇÖt 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.
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).
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.
Edelman also became the first freshman since Monique Gerlach in 2000 to average more than 1.00 blocks per game. Gerlach averaged 1.08 while Edelman recorded 1.02.
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.
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 had to rely on several freshman during the 2007 season. 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. Rosie Steinhaus jumped in at the end of the season to replace junior Lauren Schaefer after Schaefer was sidelined with an injury.
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 397-269, including one conference title (Big Eight in 1993).
CU has advanced to 16 NCAA Tournaments in 22 years, 15 of which have come since 1991. The Buffs are one of only 14 NCAA Division I programs with at least 16 appearances since 1991.
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...This will be the lowest finish in the Big 12 for the Buffs in conference history. CU has never finished below seventh prior to this season...The last time CU had just six wins in a season was in 1986, its first year as a varsity program...The last time CU had 20 losses or more was in 1987, the second year of Colorado volleyball...The Buffs missed the NCAA postseason for just the first time in five years and the second time in 15 seasons.