NO. 8 WILDCATS HALT CU'S THREE-MATCH WIN STREAK

Saturday, October 18

Manhattan, Kan.

6:00 p.m.

Colorado

Kansas State

BUFFS BATTLE CSU, HOST COLORADO INVITATIONAL

October 18, 2003 | Volleyball

By: CUBuffs.com

MANHATTAN, Kan. ? The University of Colorado saw its three-match winning streak end at the hands of No. 8 ranked Kansas State University 30-25, 30-27, 30-16 in Big 12 Conference action Saturday night at Ahearn Field House.

CU drops to 13-6 overall and 5-4 in the Big 12. First place Kansas State is 18-3 overall, and 8-1 in league play.

Game one was extremely competitive. Neither team led by more than two points until the Buffs built a 20-17 lead. Kansas State tied it at 22, but the Buffs rallied back to take a 25-23 lead.

That's where the roof caved in. KSU closed out the game with seven straight points off the serve of Molly Lindquist. The Wildcats had four consecutive blocks in the rally and Lindquist ended the game with an ace. Reception errors plagued CU once again as KSU had 11 service aces, four coming from Valeria Hejjas.

The Buffs never recovered. After hitting .214 in game one (16 kills - seven errors - 42 attacks, CU hit just .086 (18k-13e-58att) in the last two games combined. CU scored just 16 points in game three, its lowest output of the season. Kansas State hit .400 (52k-14e-95att), the first time a Buffs opponent has even reached .300 in 2003.

Sophomore Maragda Santillana led the Buffs with 10 kills. Freshman Austin Zimmerman had the team's best hitting night at .455, with five kills on 11 attacks with no errors. Junior setter Allison Barnes had 30 assists and topped the Buffs with six digs.

Colorado will close the first-half of the Big 12 season with a road tilt at the University of Missouri on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 6 p.m. MST in Columbia, Mo.