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Matches Thread- VOLLEYBALL hosts Arizona (Friday, 10/20/23, 7:00 PM MT) & #17 ASU (Sunday, noon MT)

AztecBuff

AztecBuff

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VOLLEYBALL (10-9 overall; 2-6 in Pac 12 play) heads back home after a 1-3 road stretch to face the desert schools in what are HUGE matches if they wish to retain some hope of qualifying for the NCAA tournament. 1st up is a Friday evening matchup with the Arizona Wildcats (6-13, 1-7), followed up with a Sunday noon matinee against the ASU Sun Devils (18-2; 6-2). (ASU, who are overall having a GREAT comeback season under a new coach, was a prime example of how wacky the Pac 12 can be last weekend as they headed up to Oregon and started off with a BAD loss to then 1 conference win OSU, but then went to Eugene and swept the then #5 ranked Ducks.)

In the latest official RPI report (https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/volleyball-women/d1/ncaa-womens-volleyball-rpi), the Buffs are at #62, while Arizona is #99 and ASU #15 .
(As I mentioned in last and this week's soccer match previews, in the volleytalk forum I read that a rating/ ranking I hadn't heard of, KPI (available via query at https://faktorsports.com/), is now listed as a primary criteria this season for the NCAA tournament selection committee. Right now the Buffs are #61, Wildcats #126 and Sun Devils #10 in KPI.))

Both matches are scheduled to be shown on a (different) Pac 12 Network channel. (See more details and links near the bottom of this post.)

Go Buffs!!!

Preview -





Direct link - https://cubuffs.com/news/2023/10/16/volleyball-colorado-to-host-arizona-schools.aspx

"
BOULDER – The Colorado Women's Volleyball team (10-9, 2-6 Pac-12) will be back in the CU Events center this weekend, as they take on Arizona (6-13, 1-7 Pac-12) and No.17 Arizona State (18-2, 6-2 Pac-12). The Buffs will play the Wildcats Friday night at 7 p.m. MT and the Sun Devils Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m. MT.

Colorado is coming off a tough weekend up in Washington, dropping both matches to the Huskies and Cougars in six sets total. CU will look to get back in the win column against Arizona on Friday night. The Wildcats are well under .500 for their winning percentage.

Lexi Hadrych posted the only double-digit kill performances for the Buffs this weekend, logging 13 kills with a respectable .310 hitting percentage against Washington followed up with 11 kills on Sunday against Washington State.

Skyy Howard currently ranks in the top five in two categories in the Pac-12, fourth in hitting percentage (.386) and is tied for the lead in blocks per set (1.40). First year Avery Bolles leads the conference in aces per set at 0.49.

CU currently sits at No. 10 in the Pac-12 standings, while Arizona sits in last place and Arizona State continues to climb the rankings, currently in the third spot.

OPPONENT OVERVIEW
Arizona
The Wildcats have just six wins on the season and only one of those have come against a Power 5 school, their conference opponent UCLA. Since that win, they have dropped three straight matches to USC, Oregon, and Oregon State.

Colorado has a losing record all-time against Arizona (10-13) but did win the last matchup on the road in four sets. The Wildcats still hold a 7-3 advantage between the two in the last 10 matchups. Luckily for CU, Arizona will travel to Boulder this weekend where the Buffs hold a 6-4 record overall against the Cats.

Arizona State
The Sun Devils came out of the gates scorching hot to start the year, winning their first 14 matches until they ran into No. 3 ranked Stanford on the road, where they were swept in three sets. They lost their second match of the year to Oregon State this last Friday in five sets but followed it up with an impressive sweep over No. 5 ranked Oregon on Sunday.

The Buffs hold a one-game lead all-time in the series with ASU, 12-11. Just like Arizona, CU won the last matchup that took place in Boulder, where the Sun Devils have struggled and have only won three matches out of 12 appearance at the CUEC. This weekend's match will be a test for the Buffs as ASU has played lights out all season long.
"

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

More on the opponents:

Arizona:
Roster - https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster
Stats - https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/womens-volleyball/stats/2023
Schedule/ results for this season - https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/womens-volleyball/schedule
Their preview article for the match with the Buffs - Not available as I type this.

ASU:
Roster - https://thesundevils.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster
Stats - https://thesundevils.com/sports/womens-volleyball/stats
Schedule/ results for this season - https://thesundevils.com/sports/womens-volleyball/schedule
Their preview article for the match with the Buffs - https://thesundevils.com/news/2023/10/18/mountain-schools-await-no-17-volleyball.aspx
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Media links:

Link to links to live stats for all matches - https://www.statbroadcast.com/events/schedule.php?live=1&gid=colo . Direct links for these matches:
Arizona - ASU - https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=477249

Live Video:
Vs. Arizona - The match is scheduled to be shown live on the Pac 12 Mountain channel. For those whose Cable/ Satellite/ Cord Cutting subscription(s) includes access to any Pac 12 channel, assume it can also be streamed through a link at https://pac-12.com/womens-volleyball/event/2023/10/20/arizona-colorado .
Vs. ASU - The match is scheduled to be shown live on the Pac 12 Arizona channel. For those whose Cable/ Satellite/ Cord Cutting subscription(s) includes access to any Pac 12 channel, assume it can also be streamed through a link at https://pac-12.com/womens-volleyball/event/2023/10/22/arizona-state-colorado .

Match notes -
cubuffs.com

CU VB vs. AZ & ASU - University of Colorado Athletics

CU VB vs. AZ & ASU
cubuffs.com cubuffs.com

Buffs' 2023 Team Prospectus - https://cubuffs.com/documents/2023/8/21/2023_VB_Prospectus.pdf
 


______________________________________________________________________________

And, congrats to #ForeverBuff Ms. Hart for earning a pro contract. Hope she enjoys her times in Cyprus (and Europe in general)!




Direct link to article - https://cubuffs.com/news/2023/10/17/volleyball-hart-joins-professional-team-in-cyprus.aspx

"
BOULDER - Meegan Hart, a four-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week, has signed a professional contract with the Olympias Neapolis volleyball club in Cyprus.

The former Buff graduated from Colorado in the spring and has spent the last several months training before finding a pro team.

"My main job was to stay in shape," Hart commented. "I practiced with the [Colorado] team throughout the spring and continued to workout through the summer. I traveled a lot this past summer to coach camps all over the country."

Associate head coach Lee Maes put Hart in touch with a prior player of his who played professionally for numerous years and now works as an agent. Hart's agent did all of the reaching out to potential teams as Hart focused on remaining ready to play professionally.

Despite being a middle blocker, Hart said that she's adjusted quickly to the international style of play. International volleyball rules only allow six substitutions per set while American rules allow 15. The international game also does not allow liberos to serve while the United States does. As a result, both changes impact a middle blocker more than other players because they're required to serve and play in the back row for at least half of a rotation.

"I feel like it's a pretty similar style," Hart said. "Playing at a high level at Colorado and in the Pac-12 has allowed me to trust my game and made the overall transition to international style go smoother!"

Hart, a transfer from Iowa State, made a significant impact during her four seasons with the Buffs, accumulating 812 kills and 418 total blocks. In 2022, Hart led the Buffs and the Pac-12 in hitting percentage with a .418 attack percentage, putting her at ninth in the NCAA overall. Hart also led CU in blocking last season with 138 blocks. She finished second in the conference in blocks and 49th in the NCAA.

Hart said the experience has been everything she could have hoped for.

"I am really enjoying it so far!" Hart exclaimed. "The people here are extremely nice and have been so welcoming. The weather and island are beautiful. Also, I'm loving the food!"

Hart's team has already played two matches, and their season will last until the spring.
...
"
 
The match has begun, with the normal recent starting lineup for CU.

Buffs up 15-12 at the 1st set media timeout.
 
Media after tonight's win:

Article - https://cubuffs.com/news/2023/10/20/volleyball-hadrych-leads-buffs-arizona-sweep-with-16-kills.aspx

"
Game Recap: Volleyball | October 20, 2023 | by Lauren Cawley, Athletic Communications Office

Hadrych Leads Buffs' Arizona Sweep with 16 Kills​


BOULDER - The Colorado Women's Volleyball team (11-9, 3-6 Pac 12) defeated the University of Arizona Wildcats (6-13, 1-8 Pac 12) in three sets (25-21, 25-16, 25-16) here in the CU Events Center Friday.

The Buffs were led once again by outside hitter Lexi Hadrych as she hit .419 and earned herself 16 kills in 31 attempts. Middle blocker Cayla Payne picked up eight kills in 14 attempts to hit .500 while also posting four blocks. As a team, the Buffs hit .330 on the match.

Colorado's defense had an excellent night with Maya Tabron earning nine digs, while Skyy Howard led the defense at the net, earning five blocks. Taylor Simpson was also a huge factor in tonight's victory as she earned 29 assists on the Buffs' offense.

"I thought we were able to learn from what we did well, and what we didn't do well over the past weekend," Payne commented. "We were able to implement that this weekend and turn things around to gain some momentum going into the last part of the Pac-12 season."

The Buffs will look to gain another victory as they face No. 17 Arizona State here Sunday at 12:00 p.m. MT in the CU Events Center.
...

QUOTES:

Head coach Jesse Mahoney opening statement-
"I know that Arizona has struggled a little bit during the season, but they certainly have some great athletes and are very dangerous. They have played some really good matches in the league, so I felt like it was a really good win for us to get a sweep. Also, it is really important for us as we prepare for Sunday. It's one of the better passing matches we've had in a while. That really helped our offense click. We hit .330, and I really thought we blocked well. We had nine blocks, but we really did a nice job of funneling the ball to our defense. A really complete night tonight, and we'll be back at it against another top 20 team on Sunday."

Mahoney on heading into Sunday-
"Arizona State is a little bit of a surprising team this year. New head coach and a lot of new players. Them and Oregon are probably the fastest offenses in the Pac. It'd be nice to have a couple days to prepare for that. We have a little bit of time coming off. We don't want to take a ton of jumps tomorrow either. So we have to try to save our legs."
...
"
_____________________________________________________________________________

Box score - https://cubuffs.com/sports/womens-volleyball/stats/2023/arizona/boxscore/16501

 
PHEW - The Buffs start the 1st strong and build a 10-2 lead. ASU then slowly ate away at the lead and I believe tied it at 19. The Buffs then go on a nice run to earn 3 set points at 24-21, but then ASU gets a 4 point run to earn its own set point. Thankfully, the Buffs then finish it off with a 3 point run to go up 1-0.
 
Media after today's BIG win:

Article - https://cubuffs.com/news/2023/10/22/volleyball-buffs-upset-no-17-asu.aspx

"
Game Recap: Volleyball | October 22, 2023 | by Lauren Cawley, Athletic Communications Office

Buffs Upset No. 17 ASU​

The Buffs' sweep of the Sun Devils marked their first victory over a ranked opponent.​


BOULDER - The Colorado Women's Volleyball team (12-9, 4-6 Pac 12) swept the No. 17 Arizona State Sun Devils (19-3, 7-3 Pac 12) in three sets (27-25, 25-18, 26-24) here Sunday in the CU Events Center.

Outside hitter Lexi Hadrych led Colorado once again in kills, hitting .400 and earning 16 kills in 30 attempts, while also picking up three blocks for the Buffs. Maya Tabron picked up 7 kills in 20 attempts. Collectively, CU produced 42 kills and hit .288.

Skyy Howard led the defensive front, earning 7 blocks, while Taylor Simpson produced 39 assists for the Buffs offense.

ASU was led by opposite hitter Marta Levinska who earned herself 17 of the team's 39 kills in 40 attempts to hit .250. The Sun Devils struggled at the service line, accumulating 23 errors while the Buffs only had 12.

"I'm proud of my team for coming in every day and working hard," commented head coach Jesse Mahoney. "We haven't been rewarded as much as we would like, but we were rewarded today, so that's exciting."

Colorado will face off against USC on Friday Oct. 27th at 7:00 p.m. MT and UCLA on Sunday Oct. 29th at 2:00 p.m. MT here in the CU Events Center.
...

QUOTES

Head Coach Jesse Mahoney Opening Statement:

"It's been a great weekend, obviously getting a couple wins, especially getting sweeps. That doesn't happen in this league very often. So that's really exciting. That team is tough to handle. They have one really special player that scored a ton of points for them and then they run the ball. Their offense is really fast, and we really only had one practice session to prepare for it. I was really pleased with our preparation yesterday and our execution today. I'm proud of my team for coming in every day and working hard."

Mahoney on the second half of conference play:

"If we stay healthy, we're gonna get better throughout the season. We're better than we were two weeks ago, and better than we were a month ago. The second half is really important. We were 4-6 in the first half. I'm not sure what the number is in the second half, but we're going to win more than four. That's going to put us in contention to be where we want to be in the postseason. At the midway point, we have a big session where we analyze a lot of stuff and what we need to focus on for what we need to do what our benchmark is. We're going to try to implement that in practice and we've done a good job of that in the past. I have no doubt that our team is going to do that this year as well."

Setter Taylor Simpson on locating her hitters:

"I think they kind of went in and out of certain schemes. So just identifying that and seeing which hitters had one up on them. I feel like we had a lot of one-on-one opportunities, which was super nice."

Outside hitter Lexi Hadrych on achieving 16 kills:

"Taylor just set every ball perfectly. It was butter. It was so nice. Everything was so smooth. I just went up and hit the ball. She was setting it up great."

Simpson on the past week of practice:

"Yeah, I think it's been a couple of weeks of working on a few major things in practice and just really being dialed in on those. While maybe last weekend, those weren't totally tuned up, I think this weekend was kind of a breakthrough."
"
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Box score - https://cubuffs.com/sports/womens-volleyball/stats/2023/arizona-state/boxscore/16504

 
Another great win, Buffs! Woohoo! This weekend was easily the best volleyball they've played this season. Hopefully they are just starting to hit their stride... The LA teams are very beatable, and the tourney is still within reach for CU. I'm happy to see this team is still fighting, and Jesse remains optimistic. Go BUFFS!
 
Some teams would have given up on themselves after that many losses. This team has chosen not to do that. Proud of them for ow they played.
 
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