The Colorado Buffaloes (3-1) opened the Buffs Classic at the CU Events Center Friday night against the Georgia Bulldogs (2-2). The non-conference tournament also hosts Fresno St. and Washington for the weekend.
Colorado and Georgia came into this matchup with the all-time series even at 3-3, with the Bulldogs winning at Boulder back in 2018, the most recent meeting between the two teams.
After a quick trip to play in the North Texas Invitational last weekend, CU got the opportunity to be back on their home court for a change. In a new YouTube series, “This week in Colorado volleyball,” fans get a glimpse behind-the-scenes of the team’s activities and weekly schedules. Reflecting on their 2-1 weekend road trip, sophomore Sydney Jordan says it was, “... a good moment for us as a team to show that we can fight through adversity.”
Back in the CU Events Center, the Buffs had to do just that.
Entering the first set, the Buffs took a while to settle in, falling behind early and having to dig themselves out of a hole late. The Bulldogs challenged the home team’s defense, with quick jump-sets, aggressive serves and strong block deflections. After an early timeout from CU head coach Jesse Mahoney down 4-10, it seemed as though the rest of the set would continue in a similar fashion. Unforced hitting errors prevented the Buffs from getting in a rhythm, and block timing had to be adjusted before their impact would be felt.
However, after a statement stuff-block from stellar sophomore Cayla Payne, followed immediately by an ace by Ana Burilović, the momentum shift was palpable. Down 16-23, Burilović started her serving trip off hot with an ace and went on a run to cut the lead to three. Flustered by CU’s tough serving and the sudden change in energy, Georgia was forced to call a timeout. Keeping it close until the very end, an unsuccessful challenge call ended a tight first set with Colorado falling 22-25.
Propelled by energy from its late run in the first set, the second set opened with Colorado more confident in its game plan and competing for every ball. This mindset kept the game back and forth throughout.
The Buffs owned the net, with 6-foot-4 Payne making her presence known to a smaller Georgia team. Payne and Sydney Jordan were a dynamic duo when they got in the groove, creating threats to worry about from all angles, as well as impenetrable blocks. In a crucial moment, tied 17-17, CU showed its comfortability and poise playing on its home court: playing off the ceiling without hesitation. This tenacity made the difference towards the end, giving CU the advantage, 25-19.
As the match went on, Georgia was forced to make substitutions to adjust their serve-receive, while Colorado focused on keeping their block coverage solid. Senior setter and floor general Taylor Simpson led her team efficiently down the stretch, having faith in her hitters and sticking with what was working. And in high-pressure moments, that was Payne on a slide. Tensions rose on both sides throughout set three, with neither coach hesitating to use their challenge cards and the crowd letting the Bulldogs feel the weight of the home-court advantage. Despite a few self-inflicted errors, CU took set three, 25-21. With Georgia fighting to force a fifth set, and Colorado wanting to finish things up tidily, the fourth set was a battle.
Both teams served toughly and went on runs, fighting for the advantage tied still 20-20. The Bulldogs narrowly came out on top, and evened the score.
In the final set, the Buffs proved they had the stamina to overpower their opponents after a long night. CU pulled it all together to round out a powerful home performance. After the Buffaloes jumped out to an early 7-1 lead, Georgia called a timeout in a last-ditch attempt to turn things around. There was no slowing down the Buffs, who finished strong with a 15-9 victory. Burilovic was the difference-maker in the fifth set, showing up big time when her team needed her and finishing with 19 kills in the match. Jordan made her mark with 16 kills herself, and Cayla Payne rounded out the attack with a .500 kill percentage, racking up 14 of her own. These impact players proved to be too much for the Bulldogs to handle.
“It’s nice we have four sophomores who got a lot of experience on the court last year,” Simpson said, praising her younger teammates. “... I'm confident in their abilities and know whoever I give the ball to will be smart with it.”
The action isn’t over yet, as the Buffs have more opportunities to protect their home court this weekend. Next up, CU will play Fresno State on Saturday at 6 p.m. MT. Watch the rest of the Buffs Classic this weekend on ESPN+.
Cover photo by Leo Boime/Sko Buffs Sports
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