Colorado sweeps Central Arkansas in Colorado Classic

The Buffaloes defeated Central Arkansas in straight sets on day two of their Colorado Classic. (Photo by Dante Dale/Sko Buffs Sports)

On the second day of the Colorado Classic, the Colorado Buffaloes came away with a win against the Central Arkansas Sugar Bears. 

The Buffs swept the Sugar Bears in straight sets, winning 25-13, 27-25 and 25-18, respectively. This game was also an important career milestone for Avery Bolles, who became the fifth person in CU history to reach 100 career aces.

Ana Burilović started the scoring in the first set, putting the Buffs up one to start a four-point run. The Sugar Bears clawed back with two points before the Buffs went on another four-point run.

The flurry was thanks to a pair of points from Cayla Payne and Burilović, a Sugar Bears long shot and a well-timed out-of-bounds challenge by the Buffs, which gave Bolles her 99^th career ace. 

The Sugar Bears put another point on the board, and Payne was quick to respond, making the score nine to three. An ace from Burilović extended the Buffs’ lead to seven points. The Sugar Bears went on a two-point run to shorten the goal differential to five, but a point from Sydney Jordan stopped their run. After more back and forth, the Sugar Bears couldn’t overcome the Buffs’ lead, and CU won the first set 25-13.

The second set started with a Buffaloes point, but the Sugar Bears quickly equalized. The Buffs then took the lead, going up two to one. The back-and-forth kept going until the Sugar Bears took the lead by one, 8-7. 

The Sugar Bears extended the lead by two more before the Buffs went on a two-point run to equalize the set. A three-point run put the Sugar Bears back on top, leading the Buffs 13-10. 

A Buffs point makes it seem like a comeback is coming, but a Central Arkansas point makes it 15-11. The Buffs responded with a three-point run, started by Bolles’ 100^th career ace, to make it 15-14

The Sugar Bears kept a comeback at arm’s length, extending the lead to three points. The Buffs and the Sugar Bears traded two-point runs, keeping the deficit at three, 19-16. 

After a Sugar Bears service error, the Buffs went on a three-point run,  with a kill from Jordan equalizing the game at 20. The Sugar Bears then retook the lead with a 4-2 run, leading 24-22. 

On the verge of losing the set, the Buffs equalized the match at 24. Central Arkansas scored to reach 25, sending the set into a deuce. The Buffs then went on a two-point run, with an out-of-bounds spike from the Sugar Bears winning Colorado the set 27-25.

Burilović started the third set off again as the Buffs put a quick two points on the board. A service error from Colorado gave the Sugar Bears a point before equalizing the set 2-2. 

The Buffs retook the lead, extending it back to two. Another service error closed the gap to one before the Buffs extended the lead to three, 8-5. The set then swung in the Sugar Bears’ favor, and they tied the set at 10. 

The Buffs then went on a 14-6 run to retake the lead 24-16. After two more Sugar Bear points, the Buffs put up the 25th point, taking the set 25-18.

“It’s a grind to play three matches in a weekend. Luckily, we only played six sets,” Colorado head coach Jesse Mahoney said. ”But it’s going to be a grind tomorrow.” 

Colorado’s final match of the weekend is against the Denver University Pioneers on Sunday, at 2 p.m. (ESPN+).