Colorado
Nebraska
Spikers Record Moral Victory
October 29, 2002 | Volleyball
Despite playing one of their most exciting and energetic matches so far this season, the University of Colorado volleyball team (11-11, 5-7 Big 12) fell to the No. 4 University of Nebraska Cornhuskers (20-1, 12-0) 23-30, 20-30, 26-30 Wednesday night at the Coors Events/Conference Center to drop their second contest to Nebraska this season. The Buffs lost in three games on Oct. 2 in Lincoln.
"Tonight was a moral victory," said Colorado assistant coach Jil Thomason, who was filling in for head coach Pi'i Aiu. Aiu left Wednesday to attend his father's funeral services in Hawaii. "Nebraska knows how to play volleyball, but we really could have won any of those games. The fans got a great show tonight."
The scores of games one and two weren't representative of the closeness of the match. Colorado hung with Nebraska throughout the match, coming up with big plays and giving themselves momentum to take into the weekend.
Senior Meghan Barkman and junior Monique Gerlach dominated the Buffs' offense as the middles powered CU with double-figure kill numbers. Barkman finished the match with her second double-double of the season, tallying 12 kills and a season-high 14 digs as she hit a team-high .296 with three blocks. Gerlach grabbed 11 kills with five digs on the night.
"It was a big step for us tonight because we really came together as a team," Barkman said. "We proved that we can play with the besting the nation. We were with them right up to the end."
Jennifer Saleaumua, who totaled 12 kills on the night, while Amber Holmquist and Laura Pilakowski grabbed 11 kills apiece for the Huskers, powered Nebraska.
CU was out-blocked severely on the night, as Nebraska ended with 14 team blocks and Colorado finished with five. The Buffs hit .056 in the match, recording 36 errors, while Nebraska finished with only 17 errors and a .260 hitting percentage.
Colorado travels to Texas now to face Texas A&M in College Station on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. and Texas on Wednesday, Nov. 6 in Austin. The Buffs return home to host Iowa State on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. for autograph night at the Coors Events/Conference Center in Boulder.
