After riding the momentum of a couple of strong victories, the Colorado women's volleyball team (4-2) found themselves in a nail-biting showdown against the undefeated Washington Huskies (5-0), ultimately falling short 3-2.
The Buffaloes came out of the gate swinging, taking the first two sets with confidence, one at 26-24 and the second at 25-19. During these sets, they dominated the court with powerful serves, precise spikes and solid defense. With standout players like sophomore middle blocker Cayla Payne and junior libero Sarah Morton at the team's backbone, it seemed like CU was well on its way to handing the Huskies their first loss of the season.
However, things took an unexpected turn in the third set. The visiting team found their rhythm, capitalizing on the Buffaloes drop in focus. It was a race for the third set with a scoreboard that kept finding itself tied. Momentum shifted dramatically and the Buffaloes struggled to regain control as the set slipped away.
Set four saw both teams come out firing. The Buffaloes and Huskies fought intensely as the Huskies surged to a 15-9 lead. The Buffaloes, shaken up but determined to keep fighting, made up the point deficit quickly, making the score 16-13. After more attempts at clinching the win, the Huskies ended up taking the set.
An energy shift could be felt in the air when both teams came out at the start of set five. The pressure was on for the race to 25 points. With tensions sky high, the Buffaloes struck first, thrusting them into a 7-4 lead with the help of a crucial line call challenge. As the score took a shift into a four-point deficit for the Buffs, the team did not give up the fight and Morton was up to serve. With a string of clutch serves and a game-tying ace, she led the score to 13-13. Although a valiant effort, Washington held their edge, using players like senior outside hitter Kiune Fletcher and her numerous blocks to gain a 3-2 win over the Buffaloes.
“A couple of sets got away from us, and we had our chances,” CU’s head coach Jesse Mahoney said.
Despite the loss, the Buffaloes and their fans are hopeful for a win on Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. MT at the CU Events Center in Boulder. They will take on the Northern Colorado Bears (5-2) on ESPN+.
Cover photo by Chy Evenson/Sko Buffs Sports
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