Friday, September 12
Boulder, Colo.
6 PM
Colorado
vs
Arkansas
Colorado Volleyball Hosts Triad of Teams in Buffs Invitational
September 10, 2025 | Volleyball
The Buffaloes hold their first matches at home this season from Sept. 12-14
BOULDER – The Colorado volleyball team (6-0, 0-0 Big 12) hosts its first matches at home this week against Arkansas (1-4, 0-0 SEC), Toledo (5-1, 0-0 MAC) and in-state nonconference rival Denver (4-1, 0-0 Summit League) in the Buffs Invitational. All three Buff matches will take place at CU Events Center, and all three teams will go head-to-head in neutral matches over the course of the weekend.
All Buffs Invitational matches, including neutral games, will be streamed on ESPN+. First serve for the Buffaloes' home-opener is set for 6 p.m. MT against Arkansas on Sept. 12. CU plays Toledo on Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. and Denver on Sept. 14 at 2 p.m.
Last weekend, the Buffs won all three matches in the Anteater Classic, sweeping Fresno State and UPenn and taking down UC Irvine in five sets. Junior pin attacker Ana Burilovic and junior middle blocker Cayla Payne were named to the Anteater Classic All-Tournament Team for their performances against all three teams.
THIS WEEK
MATCH #7 • Friday, September 12 • 6 p.m. MT
Colorado (6-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Arkansas (1-4, 0-0 SEC)
SERIES RECORD: Arkansas Leads, 0-1 (.000)
LAST MEETING: L 3-0 (September 11, 2022 • Fayetteville, Ark.)
STREAK: Lost 1 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 0-1
OPPONENT WEBSITE: ArkansasRazorbacks.com
MATCH #8 • Saturday, September 13 • 6 p.m. MT
Colorado (6-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Toledo (5-1, 0-0 MAC)
SERIES RECORD: First Meeting
OPPONENT WEBSITE: UTRockets.com
MATCH #9 • Sunday, September 14 • 2 p.m. MT
Colorado (3-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Denver (4-1, 0-0 Summit League)
SERIES RECORD: CU Leads, 11-1 (.917)
LAST MEETING: W 3-1 (September 17, 2023 • Boulder, Colo.)
STREAK: Won 11 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 10-0
OPPONENT WEBSITE: DenverPioneers.com
FIRST SERVE (TL;DR)
RAZORBACK REVENGE: Colorado will face the Arkansas Razorbacks for just the second time in program history. The first (and last) time the Buffs sized up the Razorbacks was on Sept. 11, 2022, in Fayetteville, Ark. Colorado fell in three sets. The Razorbacks enter the Buffs Invitational 1-4 overall.
IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE: In the second match of the Buffs Invitational, the Buffs will go head-to-head with the Toledo Rockets. This will be the opening matchup in Buffs-Rockets program history, and this is the third and final time this season Colorado will meet an opponent for the first time. Toledo is 5-1 on the 2025 season so far.
THE COLORADO TRAIL: CU's last match of the weekend is against in-state nonconference rival the Denver Pioneers. This will be the 13th matchup between the two programs, and the Buffs have won 11-straight going into this competition. The only time the Buffs have lost to the Pioneers was in 1986 in the teams' first meeting, where CU fell in four sets (Sept. 16, 1986). The Pioneers are currently 4-1 on the 2025 season.
MILESTONE WATCH: Sr. DS/L Sarah Morton has 290 assists, 10 away from 300. Jr. PIN Lily Dwinell has 498 kills, two away from 500, and 98 digs, two away from 100. Dwinell also has 172 blocks, 27 away from 200. Jr. DS/L Avery Bolles has 93 aces, seven away from 100, and 195 digs, five away from 200. Jr. PIN Ana Burilovic has 587 kills, 13 away from 600, and 73 aces, 22 away from 100. Jr. MB Cayla Payne has 395 kills, five away from 400.
RAZORBACK REVENGE: Colorado will face the Arkansas Razorbacks for just the second time in program history. The first (and last) time the Buffs sized up the Razorbacks was on Sept. 11, 2022, in Fayetteville, Ark. Colorado fell in three sets. The Razorbacks enter the Buffs Invitational RECORD.
IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE: In the second match of the Buffs Invitational, the Buffs will go head-to-head with the Toledo Rockets. This will be the opening matchup in Buffs-Rockets program history, and this is the third and final time this season Colorado will meet an opponent for the first time. Toledo is 5-1 on the 2025 season so far.
THE COLORADO TRAIL: CU's last match of the weekend is against in-state nonconference rival the Denver Pioneers. This will be the 13th matchup between the two programs, and the Buffs have won 11-straight going into this competition. The only time the Buffs have lost to the Pioneers was in 1986 in the teams' first meeting, where CU fell in four sets (Sept. 16, 1986). The Pioneers are currently 4-1 on the 2025 season.
For more information on the Colorado volleyball team, please visit cubuffs.com/vb. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffsvb on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
All Buffs Invitational matches, including neutral games, will be streamed on ESPN+. First serve for the Buffaloes' home-opener is set for 6 p.m. MT against Arkansas on Sept. 12. CU plays Toledo on Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. and Denver on Sept. 14 at 2 p.m.
Last weekend, the Buffs won all three matches in the Anteater Classic, sweeping Fresno State and UPenn and taking down UC Irvine in five sets. Junior pin attacker Ana Burilovic and junior middle blocker Cayla Payne were named to the Anteater Classic All-Tournament Team for their performances against all three teams.
THIS WEEK
MATCH #7 • Friday, September 12 • 6 p.m. MT
Colorado (6-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Arkansas (1-4, 0-0 SEC)
SERIES RECORD: Arkansas Leads, 0-1 (.000)
LAST MEETING: L 3-0 (September 11, 2022 • Fayetteville, Ark.)
STREAK: Lost 1 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 0-1
OPPONENT WEBSITE: ArkansasRazorbacks.com
MATCH #8 • Saturday, September 13 • 6 p.m. MT
Colorado (6-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Toledo (5-1, 0-0 MAC)
SERIES RECORD: First Meeting
OPPONENT WEBSITE: UTRockets.com
MATCH #9 • Sunday, September 14 • 2 p.m. MT
Colorado (3-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Denver (4-1, 0-0 Summit League)
SERIES RECORD: CU Leads, 11-1 (.917)
LAST MEETING: W 3-1 (September 17, 2023 • Boulder, Colo.)
STREAK: Won 11 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 10-0
OPPONENT WEBSITE: DenverPioneers.com
FIRST SERVE (TL;DR)
- CU is led by 10th-year head coach Jesse Mahoney, who has led the Buffs to a 147-126 (.538) record as CU's fifth head volleyball coach. Coach Mahoney has been extended through 2027 and has led the Buffs to three NCAA appearances.
- In its second year back in the Big 12, Colorado was picked to finish 10th in the Big 12 Preseason Poll.
- Currently undefeated, Colorado received votes in this week's AVCA Coaches Poll. This is the first time the Buffs have received votes in the poll since Sept. 5, 2022. The last time Colorado was ranked in the poll was Oct. 4, 2021.
- Jr. PIN Ana Burilovic was named to the All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of the weekend. Burilovic is currently fourth in the Big 12 for kills per set (4.88) and second for aces per set (0.59). She is also second for points per set (5.71). On the weekend, she had 52.0 points, 18 digs, four aces and 46 kills (.327).
- Jr. MB Cayla Payne was the Buffs' second All-Tournament selection in the Anteater Classic. She averaged 2.50 kills per set (25 on the weekend) and 1.70 blocks per set (17 on the weekend). Payne is currently sixth overall in the Big 12 for hitting percentage (.444) and ninth for blocks per set (1.35). On the weekend, she had 35.5 points, 17.0 blocks and 25 kills (.435).
- R-Jr. S Rian Finley is second in the Big 12 for assists per set (11.53) after the second weekend of competition. Finley reached career-high 52 assists on Saturday against UC Irvine in the Buffs' five-set victory over the Anteaters (Sept. 6). In the Anteater Classic, she had 117 assists and 18 digs.
- Sr. DS/L Sarah Morton is currently third in the Big 12 for digs per set with 4.00. So far this season, Morton has had double-digit digs in five of six Buff matches, including 10 against UPenn (Sept. 5) and 11 against UC Irvine (Sept. 6). In the tournament in Irvine, she had 28 digs and one ace.
- Fr. MB Olivia Grenadier reached a career-high in kills, attacks and hitting percentage against UPenn last Friday in her first collegiate start. Grenadier had six kills on six swings with zero errors, hitting 1.000 on the match. She is the first athlete to do this for the Buffs since 1998 on more than three attacks.
- As a team, the Buffs are fourth in the Big 12 for assists per set (12.88) and fifth for service aces per set (1.88). Colorado is also fifth in conference for digs per set (13.88), sixth for points per set (18.29) and sixth for kills per set (13.82).
RAZORBACK REVENGE: Colorado will face the Arkansas Razorbacks for just the second time in program history. The first (and last) time the Buffs sized up the Razorbacks was on Sept. 11, 2022, in Fayetteville, Ark. Colorado fell in three sets. The Razorbacks enter the Buffs Invitational 1-4 overall.
IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE: In the second match of the Buffs Invitational, the Buffs will go head-to-head with the Toledo Rockets. This will be the opening matchup in Buffs-Rockets program history, and this is the third and final time this season Colorado will meet an opponent for the first time. Toledo is 5-1 on the 2025 season so far.
THE COLORADO TRAIL: CU's last match of the weekend is against in-state nonconference rival the Denver Pioneers. This will be the 13th matchup between the two programs, and the Buffs have won 11-straight going into this competition. The only time the Buffs have lost to the Pioneers was in 1986 in the teams' first meeting, where CU fell in four sets (Sept. 16, 1986). The Pioneers are currently 4-1 on the 2025 season.
MILESTONE WATCH: Sr. DS/L Sarah Morton has 290 assists, 10 away from 300. Jr. PIN Lily Dwinell has 498 kills, two away from 500, and 98 digs, two away from 100. Dwinell also has 172 blocks, 27 away from 200. Jr. DS/L Avery Bolles has 93 aces, seven away from 100, and 195 digs, five away from 200. Jr. PIN Ana Burilovic has 587 kills, 13 away from 600, and 73 aces, 22 away from 100. Jr. MB Cayla Payne has 395 kills, five away from 400.
RAZORBACK REVENGE: Colorado will face the Arkansas Razorbacks for just the second time in program history. The first (and last) time the Buffs sized up the Razorbacks was on Sept. 11, 2022, in Fayetteville, Ark. Colorado fell in three sets. The Razorbacks enter the Buffs Invitational RECORD.
IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE: In the second match of the Buffs Invitational, the Buffs will go head-to-head with the Toledo Rockets. This will be the opening matchup in Buffs-Rockets program history, and this is the third and final time this season Colorado will meet an opponent for the first time. Toledo is 5-1 on the 2025 season so far.
THE COLORADO TRAIL: CU's last match of the weekend is against in-state nonconference rival the Denver Pioneers. This will be the 13th matchup between the two programs, and the Buffs have won 11-straight going into this competition. The only time the Buffs have lost to the Pioneers was in 1986 in the teams' first meeting, where CU fell in four sets (Sept. 16, 1986). The Pioneers are currently 4-1 on the 2025 season.
For more information on the Colorado volleyball team, please visit cubuffs.com/vb. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffsvb on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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