Colorado
6-16 (3-13Big 12)
Oklahoma
18-8 (10-5Big 12)
Buffs Suffer Loss to Sooners
November 10, 2010 | Volleyball
"Tonight's match was our most difficult outing on the road," coach Liz Kritza said. "Oklahoma was relentless and our team did not respond well to the pressure coming from the other side of the net. We simply could not get anything firing tonight and the results show that very clearly the results tonight.
"What do you do with a road loss like this, when you get handed a really bad loss? You fight even harder to regain your team identity and you work twice as hard to improve in the areas that caused the tough defeat. That is what this program is about. We are not nearly at the level we need to be at, but pushing through these difficult times and remaining united in our efforts is a must."
Richi Bigelow led CU with eight kills and Anicia Santos had four kills in the effort. Kerra Schroeder, Rosie Steinhaus and Nikki Lindow each added three kills on the night. As a team they recorded 23 kills compared to 38 by Oklahoma.
Megan Beckwith led the Buffs defensively with 10 digs. CU picked up 31 total digs in the match. Schroeder, Bigelow, Alyssa Valentine and Michelle Miller all added four digs as well. Lindow led the Buffaloes' block with three, one solo and two assists.
The Sooners took a 10-4 lead to start the first set and had their offense firing on all cylinders. CU got back within four points at 11-7, but then OU went on a 14-1 to finish the set 15-8. Colorado couldn't get its offense going and hit -.111 (five kills and nine errors on 36 swings), while OU recorded a .357 hitting percentage with 13 kills and three errors on 28 attempts.
OU got out to a 13-3 lead in the second set, but then the Buffs started to make a comeback with a 6-2 run to bring the score to 15-9. Colorado would continue to fight but the deficit was too much as the Sooners would win the set 25-16. The Buffs recorded nine kills in the frame while OU notched 13 kills.
The Sooners had a 7-1 lead in the third set but Colorado used a 5-2 run to get within three points (9-6). At that point, OU put together a 7-1 run to bring the score to 16-7, forcing CU to use a timeout. The Buffs took the next point off an OU attack error and got another from a kill from Steinhaus (16-9). The Sooners took the next four straight points to take a 20-9 lead. Then CU put together an 8-2 run to bring the score to 22-16. The Buffs would not be able to complete the comeback and fell 25-17 to finish the match. CU hit .062 in the set with nine kills, while OU hit .320 with 12 kills.
The Buffs return home to the Coors Events Center to host No. 5 Nebraska on Saturday, November 13. The match will start at 6:30 p.m.
And don't forget to check out the latest news and highlights with coach Liz Kritza on This Week in Colorado Volleyball, exclusively on BuffsTV at CUBuffs.com/volleyball. New shows air every Tuesday.
