Colorado falls on the road to top-10 TCU
Sometimes it goes the way it’s supposed to, and that isn’t a recipe for an upset.
“At some point in the match, both sides are doing what the other side expects," head coach Jesse Mahoney said after the match.
The No. 24 Colorado Buffaloes (10-3, 1-2 Big 12) fell in four sets to the No. 9 TCU Horned Frogs (12-2, 3-0 Big 12) Friday night. The Buffs were out-killed, out-blocked and outclassed.
Senior hitter Ana Burilovic led the team in kills with 13, while sophomore Ines Losada had nine. The Buffs only had 43 kills as a team, eight shy of the Horned Frogs’ 51.
The TCU defense proved to be too much, only allowing the Buffs to hit for .106, their second-worst mark this season. It was in large part powered by 16.5 blocks from the Horned Frogs, 12 of which were contributed by Kinsley Youngs.
TCU took the first set, as the Buffs committed more errors than kills. The set was close until two kills from TCU’s Becca Kelley were sandwiched by Buffs’ attack errors, giving the Horned Frogs a 4-0 run to go ahead 19-15. TCU finished on a 10-2 run to take the first set, 25-17.
Colorado fought back during the second set, going on a 6-2 run in the middle stages to take control of the set, 17-11. Three kills and a block made the set competitive at 17-15, but Losada’s four kills in the late stages gave the second set to the Buffs, 25-20.
TCU went back on offense, going on multiple extended runs which put them in firm control of the third set, 20-13. They rode another 4-0 run to cruise to a 25-17 win and go ahead two sets to one.
Attempting to force a fifth set, the Buffs got out to an early lead before squandering it to a 6-0 run powered by two kills from Kelley.
TCU maintained their distance, but Colorado made it interesting with two consecutive kills from Losada to bring the game to 20-17. The Horned Frogs eventually closed out the final set 25-20.
“I think we put ourselves in position to get some transition opportunities and couldn't quite do what we needed to do,” Mahoney said.
Colorado outpaced the Horned Frogs 7-3, led by three aces from Burilovic, but weren’t able to capitalize on other opportunities
The Buffs will travel to Waco, Texas, where they will play the No. 21 Baylor Bears (9-4, 1-2 Big 12) on Sunday. First serve is set for 1 p.m. MT (ESPN+).
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