Match Info
- #8 Washington at #22 Colorado (PAC-12 Match)
- Boulder, CO
- Colorado improves to 19-6 (9-5 PAC-12); Washington drops to 18-6 (8-5 PAC-12)
- Attendance: 1593
- Box Score
The #22 ranked Colorado Buffaloes have already blown past their win total from all of 2016, and now they can add a signature win to their 2017 campaign as they swept the visiting #8 ranked Washington Huskies on Friday night in Boulder. Set scores were 25-22, 25-18, and 25-22. Alexa Smith posted a double double with 14 kills and 12 digs while the setting duo of Brynna DeLuzio and Emily Demure dished out a combined 34 assists.
With the win, Colorado moves to 19-6 (9-5 PAC-12) and now stands just ½ a game behind USC and Utah for second place in the PAC-12. Colorado will look to add to their current four match winning streak when they travel to Los Angeles on Thursday, November 9th to face UCLA.
The match was pretty even across the board with Colorado holding the edge in kills 44-39, assists 40-34, and digs 50-45. Washington held the advantage in aces 5-3 and blocks 5-4, but hit just .191 on the match compared to .337 for Colorado.
Courtney Schwan led the Huskies with 12 kills and 9 digs while Crissy Jones chipped in 8 kills. Avie Niece, starting in place of injured middle blocker Marion Hazelwood, added 6 kills and 2 blocks.
With the loss, the Huskies drop to 18-6 (8-5 PAC-12) and will return to action on Saturday, November 4th when they travel to face #16 Utah.
Press Release:
Courtesy of Colorado Athletics
BOULDER – After suffering a 3-0 loss at the hands of No. 11 Washington earlier this season in Seattle, the Colorado Buffaloes were ready to return the favor. And that is exactly what they did on Friday night at the Coors Events Center, upsetting the Huskies 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-22).
The win, which is CU’s fourth straight, moves the Buffs to 19-6 overall, as well as 9-5 in the Pac-12, while Washington is 18-6 (8-5 Pac-12).
WHAT HAPPENED: Junior Alexa Smithhammered 14 kills and hit .444 with just two errors on 27 attacks while adding 12 digs, both match-highs. Joslyn Hayes recorded 12 kills and also had two errors on 20 swings to hit .500. Frankie Shebby also performed well with nine kills, nine digs and two blocks.
CU hit extremely well against the Huskies at .337, which is its highest hitting percentage in Pac-12 play this year. Brynna DeLuzio handed out 21 assists, while Emily DeMure added another 13.
Courtney Schwan led the Huskies with 12 kills and hit .440 and added nine digs.
SET 1: The Buffs took the first two points in the match, but the Huskies tallied the next five. CU would come back to even the set at 8-8 and then take the lead on the following point off a UW attack error. The Buffs were able to increase their advantage to three points at 18-15, but the Huskies came back to even the set up at 19-19. At that point, the Buffs used a 4-1 run to get back to a three-point lead (23-20) and won the frame 25-22.
SET 2: The second set was another close one. It was all tied up at 13-13 when CU used a 5-0 run to take an 18-13 advantage. The Huskies sided-out on the following point, but the Buffs did not quit and added two more points with a kill from Anna Pfefferle and an ace from DeLuzio (20-14). UW scored three straight quick points (20-17), but CU would not let the lead go and went on to finish the game 25-18.
SET 3: CU was down early in the third set (8-4) when they stormed back to even it up with four straight points. UW went back ahead on the next point, but the Buffs retook the lead a short time later at 12-11. UW went up again at 16-15 and at that point, CU recorded a 5-0 run to take a 20-16 lead and increased it to 23-18. The Huskies made an attempt to get back in the frame with a trio of points, cutting the lead to a pair (23-21), but the Buffs were able to take the set with three of the next four points (25-22).
NOTES: The Buffs have won 3 of the last 4 meetings between the two teams in Boulder…CU is 5-5 against ranked teams this year…This is the fourth sweep in Pac-12 play, the second straight…CU has won seven of its last eight, including four straight…UW has only been swept one other time this season; a loss at Southern California.
TEAM STATISTICS: Colorado hit .337, its best hitting percentage in Pac-12 play. The Buffs had 44 kills and just nine errors on 104 attacks. They held UW to a .191 hitting efficiency with 39 kills and 17 errors on 115 swings. CU also lead in assists (40-34) and digs (50-45). The Huskies had the advantage in aces (5-3) and blocks (5.0-4.0).
NEXT UP: Colorado heads to Los Angeles for a pair of contest, starting on Nov. 9 against UCLA. Then on Nov. 11, CU will take on Southern California.
QUOTES:
Head coach Jesse Mahoney
General
“It was a great performance by all of our players. I thought everyone did a fantastic job. We had a bit of a scare early when Brynna [DeLuzio] went down with her ankle. Emily [DeMure] came in and I thought she played fantastically. She set the ball well. She defended, she blocked well. It was just a really clutch performance by her. We only had nine attack errors in three sets against a blocking team like that. I thought both of our outsides were fantastic. When we got the ball to our middles, they were efficient as well. Naghede [Abu] did well on the swings that she took. It’s hard for me to single anything out. The match was really well played by us.”
On Team Chemistry
“Last year we were injured during the second half of Pac-12 play and we just weren’t firing on all cylinders. First year through with the group, we understand how we want to game plan and attack certain teams. I think this time through, we’ve been healthy. We’re a year older, a year wiser. The last three weeks, our kids have been all over it game planning before games and adjusting during games. Defensively, we’ve been ahead of the other team tactically for the last couple of matches.”
On Brynna DeLuzio‘s Injury
“She just rolled her ankle. I think it’s a middle sprain. If it was a tournament match I think she would have played all the way through but today’s match wasn’t worth risking anything. We need her healthy for us to be as successful as we want to be.”
On If The Longer Stretch Before The Next Match Is Beneficial
“Absolutely. We had a shorter week this week coming off of the road so I think it will be good for our players to have a couple of days off. We’ll have a light day Monday and a prep day Tuesday. The players are doing a really nice job because we’re actually not playing a ton of volleyball during the week which sounds weird. But we’re watching film and going through some no jump practices and the players are doing a great job of implementing that into live play. I’m not sure we’ll change a whole lot. We want to be peaking physically towards the end.”
On Changes From Last Year
“We always say that we want to continue to get better and last year we said that but didn’t really follow through with that, now you see that being done. I think that we owe that to all of the coaches because they do set us up for success. Lee, Jesse, and Evan spend so many hours scouting these teams, setting us up, and telling us what to do. We just have to go out and do it at this point.”
On Big Play Late In Fifth Set
“That play really showed the heart of this team. Our team chemistry is something else this year and I think that is why we are doing so well because off the floor we get along so well. It makes it so much more fun to play together and so that play showed how much we want to celebrate the good things together.”
On Changes From Last Year
“Oh a hundred percent, games like tonight show that on the court. I think it is this energy we have between each other and having the confidence that if we make a mistake we can bounce back. We know what we did wrong from the coaches, because they set us up for success. We are taught exactly, “Hey this is what you are supposed to do. If you didn’t do it that was your bad, this is the next thing that you have to do.” So I think that the turn-around really just goes to knowing what we are supposed to be doing and implementing it.”
On Making Adjustments Due to DeLuzio Leaving In The First Set
“It wasn’t a huge adjustment on our part because Emily [DeMure] came in and did perfectly. We didn’t have to do much, Emily came in and she was ready. She set the tempo, she played defense, she did it all. It wasn’t a huge scare for us, obviously it was crappy that Brynna went down, but Emily was able to adjust very well. We were all behind her, supporting her, and she came in and did a beautiful job.”
Press Release:
Courtesy of Washington Athletics
BOULDER, Colo. – The 11th-ranked Husky volleyball team had its three-match win streak snapped while Colorado ran its own streak to four in a row and seven wins in its past eight, as the Huskies lost in three for just the second time this season, 25-22, 25-18, 25-22, at the Coors Events Center. Courtney Schwan led the Dawgs with 12 kills, hitting .440, but UW couldn’t slow down a Buffs squad that hit .337 for the match.
Washington (18-6, 8-5 Pac-12) swept the Buffs in Seattle earlier this season but has had a tough time in Boulder, dropping three of the past four now at altitude. The Dawgs hit .191 and after 15.0 blocks in the first meeting between the teams, UW had just five tonight.
Sophomore Avie Niece got the start at middle blocker for an injured Marion Hazelwood, who suffered a broken finger in practice this week. Niece was a bright spot with six kills and two blocks, hitting .417. Senior Crissy Jones had eight kills and Carly DeHoog had five but both made four errors apiece.
“Outstanding serve, pass, and setting performance by Colorado. I thought (Colorado setter) Brynna DeLuzio showed some real grit in playing through the early ankle injury,” said Head Coach Keegan Cook. “I’m disappointed for our team. There was an opportunity tonight to play an outstanding opponent who is playing December caliber volleyball. We missed that opportunity. Thankfully the game won’t make us wait long for another opportunity to play a great opponent.”
Colorado scored the first two points of the first set but a Schwan roll shot from the back row went down for UW’s first point and the Huskies scored the next four as well to take a 5-2 lead. Sophomore Avie Niece hit down an overpass off her own attack for 8-5 Dawgs. But the Buffs then scored four in a row to retake the lead, 8-9, and the Huskies used their first timeout. Finau set Niece for a kill to finish a marathon rally out of the break for 9-9 and then DeHoog put the Huskies back up one with UW’s first rejection. The lead swung back and forth, with Sanders posting a solo stuff in the middle for a 12-11 lead. Schwan added two more kills from the left set from Tanner but the Huskies trailed by one at 15-16. A 3-0 run from the Dawgs got them back even at 19-19 punctuated by a solo rejection from Scambray on the left pin. But a Husky unforced error put them back down 19-21 and caused UW’s last timeout. DeHoog converted in serve-receive out of the break, but the Huskies missed their next serve and then hit another out of bounds to go down three. Down three set points at 21-24, Scambray saved one with a back row kill, but the Buffs put away their next chance to take it, 22-25.
Jones had the first two kills for the Dawgs in the second set as the teams were even at 3-3. Scambray tied it at 5-5 but the Buffs then had a 3-0 run to prompt an early Husky timeout. Sanders put down a quick from Finau out of the timeout. The teams traded points for several rallies until a block from Niece and Schwan was backed up by a second straight rejection from Niece in the middle to tie it at 11-11. Scambray hammered off the block for 13-all, but Colorado then had another 3-0 run to force UW into its last timeout down 13-16. The run hit 7-1 before Scambray got a kill to make it 15-20. She then drove two straight tough serves that were overpassed, with Schwan killing one and Sanders another for 17-20, forcing a Colorado timeout. The timeout worked, as Colorado scored five of the next six points to win the set, 18-25.
Scambray had a roof and then served an ace to get the Huskies going in the third set. Another tough Scambray serve was overpassed and Sanders hit it down for 4-1. Julye got into the tough serving mix with an ace for 6-2. Jones dropped another ace short for 8-4 and Colorado took timeout. The lead was erased quickly as Colorado scored four straight. Niece stopped that Buffs run with a kill, and another ace from Scambray tied the set up at 13. A tip from Schwan dropped to put the Huskies back up one at 15-14. Schwan had another crosscourt for 16-15, but Colorado then scored three in a row for 16-18 and the Huskies took timeout. The Dawgs let an ace drop and then Colorado had a block for 16-20 and UW had to use its last timeout. DeHoog got the sideout with a left side kill, but UW hit long in transition on the next point. Washington made a last ditch push with a DeHoog kill from the right, followed by a Jones tip kill and a Tanner ace to cut the gap to 21-23 and force Colorado’s last timeout. But the Buffs put one down in serve-receive for match point at 21-24. Schwan saved the first with a kill out of the back, but Colorado converted its next chance to take the set and the match, 22-25.
Things won’t get any easier for the Dawgs who have to travel Friday night to Salt Lake City then play the 15th-ranked Utes on Saturday at 6 p.m. Pacific time.
Leave a Reply