Burilović's 30 kills lift No. 23 Buffs over Bears in in-state thriller

Colorado Buffaloes volleyball struggled Tuesday night, but middle blocker Cayla Payne (left) powered enough set wins for a victory. (Photo by Remi Krupinski/Sko Buffs Sports)

In a spirited in-state matchup, the No. 23 Colorado Buffaloes (19-3, 9-1 Big 12) got the win over the Northern Colorado Bears (9-13, 6-3 Big Sky) in five sets on Tuesday night at Bank of Colorado Arena.

The Bears fed off their home crowd, who were chanting “U-N-C” throughout the evening, but the Buffs’ depth and poise carried them to their revenge win over the Bears after a loss last season.

Northern Colorado came out strong behind steady serving and a tight front line. After an early back-and-forth exchange, a 3-0 run featuring a block on Ana Burilović and an attack error from setter Rian Finley gave the Bears a spark and forced a timeout from Colorado head coach Jesse Mahoney. 

That run extended to 6-0 before a Cayla Payne tip broke their momentum. The Bears quickly regained it despite kills from Burilović and Payne, as the Buffs couldn't close the gap as UNC answered each rally. A late service error from Payne gave the Bears the opening set, 25-21.

In the second set, Colorado responded with new energy. A block from Payne ignited a 2-0 run, but the Bears continuously responded in a set that featured 17 ties. 

Down 21-20, the Buffs successfully challenged a “no-touch” call on a Burilović swing, knotting it up. From there, kills by Lily Dwinell, Payne, and Burilović sealed the set 28-26 and evened the match at one apiece.

The Buffs found their rhythm in the third, putting together a complete performance. Back-to-back kills from Sydney Jordan and Burilović, paired with a service ace from Jordan, fueled a 6-0 surge that forced UNC head coach Lindsey Oates to use both her timeouts. 

Maria Spławska and Dwinell combined for a block, while Gwen Schiff and Payne added kills to cap a commanding 25-15 win and give Colorado the 2-1 lead.

The Bears refused to go quietly. Kills from Alayna Tessena and Zoe Gibbs helped UNC build an early cushion, forcing a Mahoney timeout. Colorado’s 8-2 response, led by Finley, Schiff, and Payne, brought the Buffs within one, but the Bears regrouped late.

Tied at 21, Northern Colorado used its final timeout and rattled off three kills and an ace to close the frame 25-21, forcing a deciding fifth set.

But when the game was on the line, CU was in its prime. The Buffs’ veterans showed why they are the No. 23-ranked team in the country. A Dwinell kill started the set, and back-to-back rockets from Burilović put CU ahead 6-3. By the side change, the Buffs led 8-4 and never looked back. 

An ace from UNC’s Mia Liddiard trimmed the deficit, but a Bears attack error gave Colorado match point. Jordan and Splawska sealed it with a stuffed block to win the fifth 15-8 and the match 3-2.

“We’re in one mindset in the conference, so we had to step out of it a little bit. I’m not sure we gave them the respect they deserve,” coach Mahoney said. “That’s a really good team we just played. They put a ton of pressure on us and had a great game plan, they ball handled and their middles scored really well.”

Burilović finished with 30 kills, matching her season-high. Finley matched her career high of 52 assists, and Payne and Jordan added 12 and 10 kills, respectively.

The Buffs go back into Big 12 play to face the No. 18-ranked Baylor Bears on Friday at 7 p.m. MT. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.