2024/25 VOLLEYBALL general off-season news thread

[AztecBuff]

I always like to set up these threads for all the sports to account for any off-season and spring (for this sport) scrimmage and training period news.

1st, just a quick look back with some summary numbers from this past season:
Record - 13-17 overall; 6-12 in the regular season in their 1st season back in the Big 12, which equaled them ending up in a tie (with Texas Tech) for 10th place in the standings ( https://big12sports.com/standings.aspx?standings=203&path=vb).

The team's ratings from the sources I could find:
RPI - Before the NCAA Tournament begins this Thursday (report dated 11/30), the Buffs had a #97 RPI (per https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/volleyball-women/d1/ncaa-womens-volleyball-rpi).
Massey (https://masseyratings.com/cvol/11590/ratings) - #57 (as of 11/30).

Then, a few things I wanted to note:

• The BIG change the NCAA voted on that begins next (2025/26) academic year for ALL sports is that maximum roster numbers have I believe been set for every sport, and scholarship maximums have been increased so that a school MAY (but doesn't have to) issue full scholarships to all student-athletes up to the new roster limits. Specifically related to volleyball:
  • Max rosters starting next academic year is 18 for volleyball. (The Buffs had 19 on both this and last seasons' roster, so would have been marginally over the allowable number. From following CU recruiting, thankfully the Buffs, as far as I know, didn't have to pull any offers to any 2025 verbal commitments, which from one soccer twitter account that often shows up on my feed, was NOT the case for at least some other schools.)
  • The scholarship limit of 18 is a 50% increase from this and prior years, which was 12. (Of course, no school HAS to increase their scholarship numbers (although Title IX still applies), so this may create more of a "have and have not" disperity between schools based on who has the resouces and motivation to compete for championships in various Olympic sports they choose to prioritize.)

• I'd already reported it in the signing news thread, but also wanted to note here that the team announced an (initial) 3 student-athlete frosh class for the coming season. The article is at https://cubuffs.com/news/2024/11/13/colorado-volleyball-signs-three-standout-buffs-to-2025-roster . (There is one other student-athlete I'd heard of as a verbal commitment that hasn't been announced yet. (Believe she is defensive specialist/ libero, and they often don't receive full scholarships for all years like offensive players do, and based on NCAA rules I believe can't be announced as early as incoming scholarship players.)
• With that announcement and the one additional DS I noted that could still be coming, and with 5 recognized on last week's Senior Day, looks like there wouldn't on the face of it be any room for additional additions to the team based on the new 18 player roster limit. (Of course, nowadays it would be much more unusual for a team NOT to have some outgoing transfer(s), so who knows how many if any spots may actually end up available for incoming transfers or additional froshies. Of course, with the majority of the starters this season being still VERY promising sophomores, I assume (???) the plan is for them to continue to grow and be the core of the team over the next 2 seasons. I did also want to note that historically Coach Mahoney has NOT been a big user of the portal anyways, maybe averaging around 1 per year?.?)

 

[AztecBuff]

Congrats to Ms. Burilović for the conference honors!




Article - https://cubuffs.com/news/2024/12/3/colorado-volleyballs-burilovi-tabbed-for-big-12-postseason-award

"

Colorado Volleyball’s Burilovic Tabbed for Big 12 Postseason Award​

The Buffs’ sophomore outside hitter Ana Burilovic earned Big-12 All-Big 12 Volleyball Second Team laurels

By: Malala Pyle, Assistant Director of Athletic Communication

IRVING, Texas – Colorado volleyball sophomore outside hitter Ana Burilovic (Split, Croatia) was named to the 2024 All-Big 12 Volleyball Second Team, the Big 12 Conference announced on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

Burilovic's all-conference selection marks the 56th athlete to be selected for a postseason award (Big 12 or Pac-12) and the 96th selection all-time. It is also the 25th Big 12 postseason award received by a CU volleyball Buff – excluding the 25 earned in the Big Eight. This is the first Big 12 Volleyball Second Team award garnered by a Colorado athlete, as the others are a variety of First Team and Honorable Mention selections.

Burilovic is seventh in the Big 12 for points per set (4.12) and eighth for kills per set (3.55). This is the first selection for the Buffs after moving back to the Big 12, and this is Burilovic's first all-conference selection of her career. Burilovic played and started in 29 of the Buffs 30 matches this season and totaled 401 kills, 197 digs, 46 blocks and 38 service aces. With her 401 kills, she becomes the 13th for kills in a single season in the rally scoring era for Colorado. Her service ace total makes her the third in the Colorado rally scoring era for service aces, just two behind the season rally scoring ace leader, current sophomore DS/L Avery Bolles (52; 2023).
...
"

 

[AztecBuff]

With the season now completed, the team released one last "This Week in Colorado Volleyball" video.

 

[AztecBuff]

Congrats to Ms's. Bolles and Jordan for the academic recognition!

 

[t.d.c.buffs]

Not Buffs-related, but it's gonna be Penn State vs Louisville in the national championship. Nittany Lions beat the fuskers in the semis in 5 sets with a reverse-sweep, Louie defeated Pitt in 4. Louisville has the home advantage, as they are the host of the final four this year.

I would love to see CU reach this level at some point in my lifetime lol. Volleyball is such an underrated sport.

 

[buffgal]

Both matches were epic. The head coach of each team is a woman. Sadly, Penn State's head coach has breast cancer.

Only time I root for Penn State is in volleyball.