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Matches thread-#21 Volleyball in Seattle facing #11 Illinois (Friday) & Iowa (Sat., both at 6:00 MT)

AztecBuff

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Best of wishes to Buff volleyball as they have their 1st experience in another Big 10/ Pac 12 challenge series, with 2 matches on tap, against Illinois and Iowa, both starting at 6:00 PM MT. (The last 3 years they've been in another B10/ Pac challenge featuring Penn State, Illinois and Stanford.) Illinois (#11 in the latest Coaches' Poll) is also moving over to this series at the same time, and it will be the 5th straight year the Buffs will be playing them. The other Pac school in this new 4 team series is Washington, and they are hosting all the matches this year in Seattle.

Go take it to the Fighting Illini and Hawkeyes Buffs!!!


Direct link to preview article - https://cubuffs.com/news/2018/8/29/volleyball-buffs-set-for-pac-12-big-ten-challenge-in-seattle.aspx

"
BOULDER— The 21st ranked University of Colorado volleyball team will stay on the road for another weekend; this time playing in the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge in Seattle. The Buffs will face No. 11 Illinois on Friday, August 31, and on Saturday, Sept. 1, CU will take on Iowa.

Both contests are set for 6 p.m. starts and will be televised on Pac-12 Networks. Anna Marie Anderson will have the call, while Olympian Holly McPeak will provide the color. Live stats are available at: https://buffs.me/2LDLGcw.

The Buffs are 2-1 after the first weekend of action, finishing second at the Rumble in the Rockies in Laramie, Wyo. Senior Alexa Smith led the Buffs with 3.50 kills per set. She also added 1.75 digs per set and 0.58 blocks per set. Second for the Buffs was junior Justine Spann, who averaged 3.42 kills and 1.83 digs per set. The Buffs hit .253 at the tournament, thanks in part to sophomore setter Brynna DeLuzio, who handed out 96 assists (8.00 per game). Freshman setter Jenna Ewert added another 21 assists in her first career action.

Defensively, the Buffs averaged 2.75 blocks per set. Redshirt freshman Danielle Price posted 1.42 blocks per set and junior Lillie Klemmer added 1.25 blocks per set. Junior libero Rachel Whipple led CU in the back row, averaging 3.25 digs per set.

SCOUTING THE ILLINI: Illinois is 3-0 to start the season and is currently ranked 11th in the latest AVCA Division I Coaches Poll. The Illini swept UNC-Wilmington, but was pushed to five-sets against No. 25 Colorado State and Northern Colorado last weekend.

Jacqueline Quade leads the UI attack, averaging 4.54 kills per set while hitting .282. As a team, the Illini hit .243 with Jordyn Poulter handing out 10.69 assists per set. Ashlyn Fleming posted 1.00 blocks per set as the team averaged 2.15. Libero Morgan O'Brien is recording 4.62 digs per set.

SCOUTING THE HAWKEYES: Iowa is 2-1 after the first weekend. Taylor Louis leads the team with 4.17 kills per set, while Griere Hughes adds 3.00 kills per set. Brie Orr is averaged 8.92 assists per set while leading the Hawkeyes to a .251 hitting efficiency. Amiya Jones is the top blocker, posting 1.00 blocks per set and Ore adds an additional 0.92 blocks per set. Molly Kelly is recording 5.00 digs per set.

WHAT'S NEXT: The Buffs will open up their home schedule, Sept. 7-8, with the Buffs Invitational at the CU Events Center. CU will host Georgia, North Carolina and Oklahoma.
...
"
__________________________________________________________

Media links (Again, both matches at the Univ. of Washington in Seattle.) -
Vs. Illinois (Friday, 6:00 PM MT start)
Live video - match is being shown live on the Pac 12 Mountain and National channels. For those whose TV/ Satellite/ Cord Cutting subscription includes access to one of those Pac 12 channels, believe the match can also be streamed through a link at https://pac-12.com/womens-volleyball/event/2018/08/31/illinois-vs-colorado .
Live stats - Specific link should become available by match-time at Washington's general live stats page at http://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statmonitr.php?gid=wash .

Vs. Iowa (Saturday, 6:00 PM MT start)
Live video - match is being shown live on the Pac 12 Mountain channel. For those whose TV/ Satellite/ Cord Cutting subscription includes access to one of that Pac 12 channel, believe the match can also be streamed through a link at https://pac-12.com/womens-volleyball/event/2018/09/01/iowa-vs-colorado .
Live stats - Spcific link should become available by match-time at Washington's general live stats page at http://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statmonitr.php?gid=wash .
 
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Will be interesting to see how much the Buffs have improved with a week's practice and no Naghede Abu.

Beating Illinois will be a big challenge. I think they can handle Iowa.
 
A few volleyball-related things -
  • A Buffzone (Pat Rooney) article mainly on Naghede Abu's injury- not much different status than after last week's sentence in a cubuffs article, but sounds like a best case realistic hope now will be that she can play around the start of conference play.?.


Direct link - http://www.buffzone.com/volleyball/...bu-injury-leaves-cu-volleyball-shorthanded-at

"
...

Prior to the Buffs' trip to Wyoming, senior middle blocker Naghede Abu was sidelined with an injury that will keep her out of the rotation for at least the next three weeks. As if the loss of a two-time All-Pac-12 honorable mention honoree and two-time defensive team MVP wasn't unfortunate enough, Abu's setback comes on the heels of outside hitter Frankie Shebby opting to leave the program just ahead of preseason workouts. According to Mahoney, as well as an Instagram post from Shebby, she decided a lingering back injury wasn't worth the risk of playing her senior season.

"Naghede's injury happened (last) week a day before we left, or something in that range," Mahoney said. "No excuses, but she's an impact kid. We don't have anyone like her. That impacted our performance and we had to shuffle some other things around as well."

While the 6-foot-4 Abu should return at, or near, the beginning of the Pac-12 Conference schedule on Sept. 19, the loss of Shebby will resonate throughout the season. She earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors after ranking second on the team behind Alexa Smith last year with 3.5 kills per set. Junior Justine Spann filled that spot opposite of Smith at Wyoming last weekend and acquitted herself well, finishing with 41 kills and 22 digs in three matches.

"Justine has been playing very well, and statistically had a very good weekend," Mahoney said. "Her performance has been a bright spot. But (Shebby) is an All-Pac-12 performer, no doubt. One of our best players. It changes what we are now. It changes how we recruited through the year, too. It is what it is. We have really talented kids on this roster and this opens up an opportunity for someone."

With 448 career blocks, Abu had been on pace to surpass CU's all-time record of 565 — a mark that remains within reach but will become a more challenging goal the longer Abu is absent. The shorthanded Buffs will play Illinois on Friday and Iowa on Saturday at the University of Washington in the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge.

"We want her back when she's healthy," Mahoney said. "As of now, that looks like probably rolling into Pac-12 is my guess. We'll see how she responds."
"
  • And, hadn't really ever looked much at volleyball's Facebook page before, but after watching the Soccer team's weekly show, thought I'd check volleyball out, and found this fun ~7-1/2 minute video of part of what I assume may have been the team's last practice in Boulder on Wednesday before heading out to Seattle early Thursday. (Nothing revolutionary, but as a fan fun watching them scrimmage a bit, as well as hearing a few (obviously general) words of wisdom from the coaching staff at the end.)


  • And, finally, on more the human interest side of things, another Buffzone/ Pat Rooney article, this one on Buff libero/ defensive specialist Gabby Carta-Samuels, and the dynamics of one of her brothers getting set to quarterback the Rams against the Buffs later today.


Direct link - http://www.buffzone.com/volleyball/ci_32105463/gabby-carta-samuels-from-cu-volleyball-facing-mixed

"
Gabby Carta-Samuels can feel the stares whenever she walks through the Colorado athletic department.

The glares don't come from fellow Buffaloes who are mad at her, or who don't wish her anything but the best every time she hits the court with the CU volleyball team. Yet the stares are enough to remind the senior that everyone knows who she is.

She's the young woman whose brother will be doing everything he can to topple the Buffaloes on Friday night.

While Carta-Samuels will be in Seattle competing with the CU volleyball team at the annual Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge her brother, Colorado State quarterback KJ Carta-Samuels, will be trying to build on a record-setting individual performance at the Buffaloes' expense.

"I'm obviously friends with a lot of the football players here, and Nick Fisher is one of my best friends," Gabby Carta-Samuels said. "He's a safety, and I told him, 'If you pick my brother, I will kill you.' But it's been awesome. We have a couple funny group texts going. It's different now that we're really rivals now, and he's in the starting position. It's a little harder for me than to just see him on the sideline."
...

KJ Carta-Samuels was a bright spot for CSU in an opening loss against Hawaii last week, throwing for a school-record 537 yards.

"He's my best friend in the whole world," Carta-Samuels said. "We've done everything together our whole lives. To have him come to Colorado State, it wasn't like it was a rival at all. It was like I have my best friend 45 minutes away from me. It's been the biggest blessing. We both needed that back in our lives, because we have been apart for four years."
"
 
Buffs started pretty even Illinois, but have lost a little ground lately and are down 10-14 in the 1st as they take a timeout.
 
Buffs coming back a little bit with true freshman Zoe Neverdowski getting some of her 1st action of the year as a serving specialist. It's 17-19 as illinois takes a timeout.
 
Buffs get one set point but can't convert- Illinois now with set point 24-25 as Buffs take their 2nd timeout.
 
A few notes for those not watching-
1) Thankfully, she's able to play, but the injury situation is getting a little scary, especially with the offensive players, as the announcers mentioned early in the match that Lauren Dorrell playing was a gametime decision, and she does seem to have a wrap on one of her thighs.

2) Amazing the sets have been as close as they have, as the Buffs are hitting .000 through the 1st 2 sets. 6 blocks in the 2nd half kept them close.

3) Buffs have been running a 6-2 all match-long.
 
And the Buffs lose the 3rd 21-25 and the match.

They kept fighting against the #11 team in the country- need to shake this one off and get ready for the hawkeyes.
 
Announcers also mentioned Alexa Smith had surgery over the summer. They also commented several times how small CU is.

Hope they can beat Iowa tonight.
 


(I'm traveling all day, so won't be able to provide updates of this evening's match until near the very end of it (if then).)
 
Gabby Carta-Samuels didn't play this weekend due to a neck injury. Buffs need to heal this week.

Alexa Smith and Justine Spann with double doubles. Anyse Smith played very well.
 


(Live stats changed Iowa's 4th set score from 11 to 13 after the fact, so my prior post wasn't 100% accurate, but my sentiment remains the same.)
 
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