Article on tonight's win-
Direct link - https://cubuffs.com/news/2019/8/31/...s-invitational-with-victory-over-gauchos.aspx
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BOULDER – The University of Colorado women's volleyball team secured the Buffs Invitational title Saturday evening with a 3-1 (25-16, 25-19, 22-25, 25-21) victory over UC-Santa Barbara.
Colorado (3-0) remains undefeated this season, winning eight sets in a row to start off the year before the Gauchos (2-1) were able to squeeze a third set win. Sophomore setter Jenna Ewert was named the All-Tournament Most Valuable Player after dishing out 40 assists and 15 digs for her second double-double in a row. She passed out 99 assists this weekend, averaging 9.9 per set as well as tying for a team-high 34 digs (3.4 per set).
Senior outside hitter Justine Spann ended the tournament on a high note, hitting 21 kills with a .277 hitting percentage to dominate UCSB. Spann averaged more than five kills per set in a match for the first time in her career and did so while adding in five digs, three blocks and an ace for 24 points.
Stepping up with a big night was freshman right side Sterling Parker with a career-high 12 kills and a .375 hitting percentage. She also added four block assists, bringing her tournament total to 11, tied for second on the team. She was joined by fellow freshman Jill Schneggenburger, who picked up her first career double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs. Schneggenburger was also named to the All-Tournament team, finishing with 29 kills and 27 digs.
Defensively, defensive specialist Zoe Neverdowski stepped up with 15 huge digs, tying Ewert for the match-high. Danielle Price led the front with six block assists, while Meegan Hart added three. Both middles chipped in three kills.
The CU's defense carried the team to a quick 2-0 set lead, putting down seven blocks in the first two sets. Colorado finished with 11 total blocks tonight and 28 in the tournament, averaging 2.8 blocks per set as a team.
The Buffaloes take to the road next week to compete in the 2019 Pac-12/BIG TEN Challenge in Iowa City. CU will take on top-10 ranked Illinois and Iowa, who swept No.22 Washington State this weekend.
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QUOTES
Head Coach Jesse Mahoney
On the match
"It was a really hard-fought match. There was a ton of talent out there on both sides. We controlled the first two sets and then they started playing really, really good volleyball for a long stretch. We were really good at the end on the fourth set. Jill (Schneggenburger) went back and served five in a row. Lillie (Klemmer) came in and got a really crucial block. Everyone did their part at the end. Both of our outsides were streaky good at times and then struggled at times. Part of that is us needing to get our middles a little bit more involved. With that said, we did enough to win tonight against a team that I think will be really successful this year. It is good to get three wins and feel good about ourselves going into a really big weekend."
On the weekend
"It feels really good. This weekend was a good opening weekend for us. It was a good test. We played better progressively, especially this last match (UCSB). We are excited to get out of the weekend winning three at home. Now we get to go on the road and play two really good BIG-10 schools."
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(AztecB note - I remembered Justine Spann as having done GREAT in both matches against (eventual national champion) Stanford last season, so I looked it up, and she had 18 kills in 3 sets when the Buffs lost in Boulder, so I don't think the note in the above article about this being her 1st match averaging 5 kills per set is accurate. (In the match later last season in Palo Alto, she JUST missed having 5 kills per set again, as she had 24 in the Buffs tough 5 set loss.) I didn't look beyond Stanford, so there may be another instance or two when she had >= 5 kills per set for the Buffs.)
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Box Score - https://cubuffs.com/boxscore.aspx?path=wvball&id=13018
Highlights (with interview snippets intersperced.) -
Direct link - https://cubuffs.com/news/2019/8/31/...s-invitational-with-victory-over-gauchos.aspx
"
BOULDER – The University of Colorado women's volleyball team secured the Buffs Invitational title Saturday evening with a 3-1 (25-16, 25-19, 22-25, 25-21) victory over UC-Santa Barbara.
Colorado (3-0) remains undefeated this season, winning eight sets in a row to start off the year before the Gauchos (2-1) were able to squeeze a third set win. Sophomore setter Jenna Ewert was named the All-Tournament Most Valuable Player after dishing out 40 assists and 15 digs for her second double-double in a row. She passed out 99 assists this weekend, averaging 9.9 per set as well as tying for a team-high 34 digs (3.4 per set).
Senior outside hitter Justine Spann ended the tournament on a high note, hitting 21 kills with a .277 hitting percentage to dominate UCSB. Spann averaged more than five kills per set in a match for the first time in her career and did so while adding in five digs, three blocks and an ace for 24 points.
Stepping up with a big night was freshman right side Sterling Parker with a career-high 12 kills and a .375 hitting percentage. She also added four block assists, bringing her tournament total to 11, tied for second on the team. She was joined by fellow freshman Jill Schneggenburger, who picked up her first career double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs. Schneggenburger was also named to the All-Tournament team, finishing with 29 kills and 27 digs.
Defensively, defensive specialist Zoe Neverdowski stepped up with 15 huge digs, tying Ewert for the match-high. Danielle Price led the front with six block assists, while Meegan Hart added three. Both middles chipped in three kills.
The CU's defense carried the team to a quick 2-0 set lead, putting down seven blocks in the first two sets. Colorado finished with 11 total blocks tonight and 28 in the tournament, averaging 2.8 blocks per set as a team.
The Buffaloes take to the road next week to compete in the 2019 Pac-12/BIG TEN Challenge in Iowa City. CU will take on top-10 ranked Illinois and Iowa, who swept No.22 Washington State this weekend.
...
QUOTES
Head Coach Jesse Mahoney
On the match
"It was a really hard-fought match. There was a ton of talent out there on both sides. We controlled the first two sets and then they started playing really, really good volleyball for a long stretch. We were really good at the end on the fourth set. Jill (Schneggenburger) went back and served five in a row. Lillie (Klemmer) came in and got a really crucial block. Everyone did their part at the end. Both of our outsides were streaky good at times and then struggled at times. Part of that is us needing to get our middles a little bit more involved. With that said, we did enough to win tonight against a team that I think will be really successful this year. It is good to get three wins and feel good about ourselves going into a really big weekend."
On the weekend
"It feels really good. This weekend was a good opening weekend for us. It was a good test. We played better progressively, especially this last match (UCSB). We are excited to get out of the weekend winning three at home. Now we get to go on the road and play two really good BIG-10 schools."
"
____________________________________________________________________________________
(AztecB note - I remembered Justine Spann as having done GREAT in both matches against (eventual national champion) Stanford last season, so I looked it up, and she had 18 kills in 3 sets when the Buffs lost in Boulder, so I don't think the note in the above article about this being her 1st match averaging 5 kills per set is accurate. (In the match later last season in Palo Alto, she JUST missed having 5 kills per set again, as she had 24 in the Buffs tough 5 set loss.) I didn't look beyond Stanford, so there may be another instance or two when she had >= 5 kills per set for the Buffs.)
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Box Score - https://cubuffs.com/boxscore.aspx?path=wvball&id=13018
Highlights (with interview snippets intersperced.) -
