Press Release courtesy of Colorado Athletics.
Colorado (10-1) opens Pac-12 Conference play this week against a pair of top-20 opponents. The No. 25 Buffs will start the week in Salt Lake City, Utah to face No. 16 Utah on Friday, Sept. 22. First serve is set for 7 p.m. The Buffs will then head home to Boulder and the Coors Events Center to host the No. 4, reigning NCAA Champion, Stanford Cardinal at 12 p.m.
HOW TO WATCH: Both of CU’s matches will be televised this week. The contest against Utah will be broadcast on Pac-12 Mountain with Thad Andererson calling the play-by-play and Amy Gant providing the color.
The match against Stanford will be televised on Pac-12 Mountain and Pac-12 Bay Area. Play-by-play will be provided by Anne Marie Anderson, while Olympian Holly McPeak will provide the color.
LIVE STATS: Links to the live stats for both matches are available at CUBuffs.com.
ABOUT THE BUFFS: CU is currently ranked 25th in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll after starting the season with an impressive 10-1 record. The Buffs’ only loss this season came on Sept. 8 against then-No. 3 Penn State.
Junior Alexa Smith, the reigning Pac-12 Offensive Player of the week, leads the Buffs and ranks sixth in the Pac-12 with 4.24 kills per set. She is also second in the league in attacks (10.79 per set). Senior Anna Pfefferle has the best hitting percentage in the Pac-12 with a .425 clip, while junior Naghede Abu is fifth in the league with her .392 attack percentage.
Colorado’s offense is being directed by freshman setter Brynna DeLuzio. She is second in the Pac-12 and is 16th in the NCAA with an 11.45 assists per set average and has directed the Buffs to the league’s third best hitting efficiency (13th in the NCAA) at .297. The Buffs are also third in the Pac-12, 15th in the NCAA, with 14.48 kills per set.
Defensively the Buffs are led by Abu, who is recording 1.35 blocks per set (eighth in the Pac-12). Junior Gabby Carta-Samuels ranks 10th in the conference with a 3.34 digs per set mark.
SCOUTING THE UTES: Utah finished the first month of the season with a 9-2 record and is ranked 16th in the latest poll. As a team, they are recording the eighth best hitting percentage in the NCAA (first in the Pac-12) at .302 and rank seventh in the NCAA with 13.80 assists per set. Adora Anae leads the way for UU with 4.25 kills per set, which is fifth in the conference. Bailey Choy is directing the offence with 10.49 assists per set. At the net, Tawnee Laufalemana is averaging a team-high 1.29 blocks per set while two other, Berkeley Oblad (1.07) and Dani Barton (1.03) are averaging over 1.00 blocks per set.
SCOUTING THE CARDINAL: Stanford is currently 4th in the AVCA poll with a 7-2 overall record. Its only two losses this season have been against Penn State, which is currently second in the AVCA poll. Kathryn Plummer is first in the Pac-12 (sixth in the NCAA) with 4.93 kills per set and is 11th in the conference with a .340 hitting percentage. Jenna Gray is second in the league, 20th in the NCAA, with 11.37 assists per set to guide SU to a .279 hitting percentage. The Cardinal ranks 10th in the NCAA in blocks per set (3.07), thanks in part to Audriana Fitzmorris (1.50 bps) and Tami Alade (1.40 bps), who are fifth and sixth, respectively, in the Pac-12.
WHAT’S NEXT: Colorado will wrap-up a three-match homestand next weekend with the Oregon schools coming to Boulder. The Buffs will host Oregon State on Oct. 29 at 8 p.m. and on Oct. 30, CU will host No. 8 Oregon with a 7 p.m. first serve.
MATCH PROMOTIONS VS. STANFORD:
- Fans who come to the game with a football game ticket from the Washington game the night before (Sept. 23) will receive $3 admission.
- There will be a free youth clinic following the match for all kids in eighth grade and younger.
CU TICKET INFORMATION
Single match tickets start at just $5 for general admission and $8 for reserved seating. Kids 12 and under are free. Season tickets are also available and start at just $25 for general admission, while reserved seats are $40. Fans can purchase single match and season tickets online at CUBuffs.com or by calling 303-49-BUFFS.
New for the 2017 season is the General Admission Flex season ticket for $35. Fans will receive 14 match vouchers redeemable to all games. The flex plan is 50% off single game pricing.
And don’t forget about the Women’s Sports Pass. For just $125, the Women’s sports pass gives you general admission seating for all volleyball, soccer and women’s basketball home games.
CLEAR BAG POLICY
In an effort to provide a safer environment for fans, the University of Colorado will continue its clear bag policy at the Coors Events Center for all CU volleyball matches, men’s basketball and women’s basketball games.
Fans may bring one clear bag no larger than 12 inches x 6 inches x 12 inches, or a one-gallon reseal-able clear plastic storage bag, into the arena. Fans will also be allowed one small clutch purse, no larger than 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches.
Bags that are not allowed into the CEC include backpacks, large purses, oversized tote bags, camera bags and binocular cases, diaper bags, fanny packs and printed plastic bags.
For more information check out the following links:http://www.cubuffs.com/news/2016/8/14/football-cu-to-implement-clear-bag-policy-at-folsom-field.aspx and http://www.cubuffs.com/sports/2004/8/15/folsom-field-policies.aspx#permitted.
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