Article on today's match-
Direct link -
https://cubuffs.com/news/2018/10/7/volleyball-buffs-push-no-2-stanford-to-edge-in-loss.aspx
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BOULDER — It took three sets separated by three or less points Sunday afternoon, but the University of Colorado fell to No.2-ranked Stanford at home despite hitting a season-best .358 as a team.
The Buffs pushed the Cardinals closer than any team has in conference this season in every set (25-27, 23-25, 22-25). Though the Buffs were not able to pick up a set, a feat only done twice against Stanford this season in conference, Colorado's seven-point margin is the closest in the Pac-12 against Stanford.
Junior outside
Justine Spann led the team with 18 kills with a .395 hitting percentage. She and
Alexa Smith each nearly had 20-point matches with Smith finishing with 17 kills while hitting .342. Smith also picked up another double-double as she also led the team with a dozen digs.
Also for Colorado on the offensive end,
Emily DeMure rotated in at right side with
Lauren Dorrell and put down five kills on seven errorless swings. Her .714 hitting percentage is one of the highest for a Buff this season with five or more kills. Joining her with five kills for themselves were Dorrell and
Naghede Abu.
The team's high hitting percentage and kills per set mark was accomplished from the successful passing and setting from the Buffs.
Jenna Ewert posted 23 assists, while
Brynna DeLuzio had 19. The duos 14 assists per set is the second-best mark this season.
Defense was hard to come by in the match with each team hitting extraordinary in the first two sets.
Danielle Price led the team with three block assists, while Spann added eight digs to Smith's team-best dozen. Both setters also had seven digs, while
Gabby Carta-Samuels tallied six.
Colorado's team hitting percentage of .358 is the highest for the Buffs this season and the highest the Cardinals have faced this season. The 53 kills CU put down were the third-most Stanford has faced this season, and the 17.66 kills per set is four more kills per set better than any other Cardinal opponent.
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QUOTABLES:
Head Coach Jesse Mahoney
On the match
"I thought it was a really competitive match, we played at a really high level especially offensively. Both teams hitting for most of the match above .400, I think that they came down a little bit in the last set. I thought that we did a lot of good things to put ourselves in position to be competitive and successful against what is probably the best team in the country. They have certainly been the best team in our league last year and this year so far, so really good performances. I think that Justine had a ton of kills and hit for a really good percentage, I thought that we did a nice job with blocking. I thought
Danielle Price had a lot of really nice moves there. Overall we played a really clean match, it just wasn't enough because the other side was a little bit cleaner. Each set had a couple things that could have gone either way, I don't like moral victories, but it was nice to play at a high level. I think that our kids enjoyed that, we just have to get a little better."
On possible troubles running out of subs
"Well it depends how you define trouble. Yeah we ran out of subs in the first two sets but that is going to happen when neither team plays a lot of defense. Both sides score offensively and we ran out of subs before we hit twenty in the first set and so we ran a 5-1 at the end of those sets. I don't think that really had an effect on how those sets ended, I thought that we continued to play at a high level. We maybe should prepare for that a little more because we are always on the edge of it, we will probably do that this week."
On how this game prepared them for next weekend
"We feel like we can beat anybody in the country and in our conference, especially when we play at home. Those are two really good teams, I think that if we certainly serve and pass at that level we are going to give ourselves opportunities we should be really successful. We are now 2-4 in the league so we have a little work to get back at .500. We even want to be better than that obviously so these become really important matches. Every match is important but the next one is most important. We will be ready and prepare and be good to go this weekend."
Setter Brynna DeLuzio
On the outstanding hitting
"We actually passed really well in all the sets, especially the first set. We did a good job in our serve and pass game and we were able to run pin-to-pin middle. When we are able to do that we can spread out the offense and everyone was hitting well today."
On how this game prepared them for next weekend
"I think we saw today that we can play at a really high level and stay consistent at that high level. I think what it really comes down to is our serve and pass game. We have the talent in all our hitters to away the ball, so if we are able to do that we can score lots of points."
Outside Justine Spann
On her and Alexa's performance
"I think it helps with the passing definitely showing that we can go either way with every pass. Our setters were dishing out sets every way to give us holes in the block. It was definitely a team effort on that part."
UP NEXT: The Buffs remain home next weekend for matchups against No.20 Oregon and Oregon State. The Ducks come to Boulder Friday evening at 7 p.m., followed up the Beavers at 2 p.m. Sunday.
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Box score -
https://cubuffs.com/boxscore.aspx?path=wvball&id=11353
Pac 12 Networks recap-